Rapper Doechii transformed her acceptance speech at Monday night's BET Awards into a resounding plea for justice, lambasting the Trump administration's deployment of military forces against protesters in Los Angeles. As a Grammy Award winner, she seized the spotlight to shed light on the immigration raids and the brutal crackdowns on protests occurring mere miles from the ceremony's venue.
After being honored as the Best Female Hip-Hop Artist – her maiden BET Award – Doechii acknowledged her fellow nominees before redirecting the limelight to the unfolding crises beyond the event's perimeter. "In the guise of law and order, ruthless attacks are sowing fear and chaos within our communities," she declared, becoming only the third woman to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album.
The BET Awards ceremony unfolded amidst simmering tensions in Los Angeles, following a weekend of protests against Friday's immigration raids that led to the arrest of numerous individuals. On Monday, Donald Trump authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard members in response to these protests, raising the total number of guards in the city to over 4,100.
"Trump is employing military force to quell protests," Doechii exclaimed during her speech. "I urge you all to reflect on the nature of a government that deploys the military against us whenever we exercise our democratic right to protest. What kind of government is that?" Her words elicited thunderous applause from the audience at the Peacock Theater, where the awards were being broadcast live.
"Families are being torn apart, and individuals are being swept up in this turmoil," she continued. "As an artist, I feel compelled to use this platform to advocate for all oppressed people... We all deserve to live in hope, not fear. I hope we stand united."
As Doechii delivered her message, demonstrations persisted in Los Angeles and various cities across the United States, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco. On Monday evening in downtown Los Angeles, law enforcement officers, apparently from the Los Angeles Police Department, were seen pushing hundreds of protesters east through Little Tokyo as nightfall approached.
The officers employed flashbang grenades and fired projectiles into the crowd as they ushered the protesters through a bustling commercial area, causing bystanders and restaurant workers to scramble for safety. Some protesters retaliated by setting off fireworks and throwing water bottles at the officers, shouting "Shame!" and chanting, "ICE out of LA."
California leaders have denounced Trump's actions as inflammatory. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines as a "deliberate attempt" by the Trump administration to "create disorder and chaos in our city." "I feel like we are unwitting participants in an experiment," Bass lamented on Monday.
