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Trump to Deploy National Guard to Illinois; Judge Blocks Trump Admin. Deploying Troops to Oregon; Deadly Strikes in Gaza Amid Peace Prospects; Government Shutdown Blame Game; Gen-Z Using Internet to Expand Protests Globally. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired October 05, 2025 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00]
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.
President Trump moves to deploy the National Guard to the streets of one major city, while another scores a legal victory over the White House. Plus, the unrest over the administration's immigration raids. Deadly strikes hit Gaza, despite a potential breakthrough in a peace deal. We will have the latest in a live report. And neither side is budging on the government shutdown, but new polling gives us insight into who Americans blame for the funding fight.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: While defying yet another governor, President Donald Trump is sending troops to Chicago, citing unrest and ongoing protests at an immigration enforcement facility. And so, far, at least, things aren't simmering down. Officers deployed gas canisters against protesters on Saturday. Our video shows people running down side streets to get away. CNN's Rafael Romo has more on what's happening in Chicago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is calling it, quote, "absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand the governor send military troops within our borders," he said, "and against our will." Pritzker made the comment in a statement he published Saturday, announcing that the Trump administration intends to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard.
The statement goes on to say the following, they will pull hardworking Americans out of their regular jobs and away from their families, all to participate in a manufactured performance, not a serious effort to protect public safety. For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety, he said, this is about control.
In another development this weekend, the Department of Homeland Security announced there was a shooting Saturday morning in Chicago's southwest side. In a statement, a top DHS official said that law enforcement officers were rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars, unable to move their vehicles. Agents exited the car and they saw that one of the drivers had a semi-automatic weapon, which prompted the agents to fire what officials are calling defensive shots at the armed U.S. citizen. That U.S. citizen, the DHS statement said, drove herself to the hospital to get care for her wounds. It said no one else was injured.
Chicago police confirmed a shooting in southwest Chicago and referred questions to federal authorities. Tensions boiled over Friday when protesters clashed with federal agents during a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center for migrants just outside of the city where the ICE facility is located, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino were seen on the ICE facility's roof. At least 18 people were arrested at the site where protesters have gathered for several weeks in a row to protest the Trump administration crackdown on immigration.
At a Democratic Party fundraiser here in Atlanta Friday night, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker denounced ICE actions in his state over the last few weeks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL): In the past few weeks in Chicago, ICE has detained multiple U.S. citizens because they were black or brown. They shot gas pellets into the car of a journalist who had done nothing except drive past an ICE facility to observe what was going on. They raided an apartment complex in the middle of the night and perp walked a group of young children out of the building with their hands zip- tied behind them, separating them from their parents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: And according to DHS, more than 1,000 undocumented immigrants have been arrested since early September as part of what officials call Operation Midway Blitz.
Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, the Trump administration says it will appeal after a judge blocked the president from deploying National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. President Trump had announced he was sending troops to what he calls a war-ravaged city following protests outside an immigration and customs facility there. Oregon's attorney general agreed with the judge who wrote that the protests in Portland simply do not justify a military deployment. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN RAYFIELD, OREGON ATTORNEY GENERAL: Mobilizing the United States military in our cities is not normal, it should not be normal, and we will fight to make sure that it is never normal.
[04:05:00] Today's ruling is a healthy check on the president's power. And as the president, you must have an actual fact based on reality not social media or just your gut feeling if you want to mobilize the military here in the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: And joining us now is Alex Baumhardt. She's a senior reporter at the Oregon Capital Chronicle. Thanks so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it. So, the judge's decision to block the deployment, how are folks reacting? What's the mood like on the ground there right now?
ALEX BAUMHARDT, SENIOR REPORTER, OREGON CAPITAL CHRONICLE: I think generally the same. Outside of this sort of nexus of this action, outside of the ICE processing facility south of downtown Portland there are still protesters. Arguably, there were far more this afternoon than there were this evening. They continue to show up in large part to protest ICE, specifically in the Trump administration's attitude towards immigrants and this processing facilities where many of them would go to schedule court dates.
So, net-net, I think there's a sense that this was a big victory on behalf of the state and the city, and more generally, people are still going to protest.
BRUNHUBER: So, a big victory on behalf of the city and the state. I mean, we heard the Oregon attorney general there talking about this decision being a healthy check on the president's power. I mean, do people there feel that this is an important precedent that might affect other cities across the country?
BAUMHARDT: Yes. I think, without a doubt, many of the people I was just at a protest tonight were talking about what they'd seen on videos happening in Chicago. The news this morning that the president had issued sort of a similar threat towards the governor, that he would federalize and mobilize National Guard troops against the will of the governor, rang obviously very similarly here.
So, I think generally, yes, people are, on the one hand, glad that at the very least, in the next few days, we won't see Oregon Guard troops sent to Portland. But I think they see -- I think more broadly, protesters see this as a part of a much larger counter movement.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, we've seen these sort of dueling narratives, the White House calling it, you know, violent riots versus local police reporting showing, you know, some nights just a couple of dozen people in lawn chairs. I mean, you've been covering these protests outside the ICE facility. What is the actual scene like?
BAUMHARDT: It's very -- I mean, if you'd asked me a month ago, it's very tame. It would be hard to call it anything close to a riot. Some of the folks that have been out there month after month since about June, there's a Tesla dealership near there. So, there were actually people that were protesting the Tesla dealership. And then, that sort of also bled into the ICE center. By all intents and purposes, very calm.
I think things escalated in the last week after the president announced he was going to try to deploy troops. And then, as of today, I think some of the larger protests we've seen, you know, a couple hundred people marching from a park in the city towards the ICE facility and then being met with pretty hostile and aggressive federal response.
BRUNHUBER: You talked about it sort of being an escalation when the president announced the National Guards, that's something that the city's mayor has said as well, that this is just escalating things. As you say, there's been this huge sort of spike in attention and number of protesters since President Trump announced the National Guard deployment.
So, now that that's not going to happen, I mean, you said that there are still protesters, but do you expect sort of some of the air to come out of this? Do you expect the numbers to go down now?
BAUMHARDT: I think there is a level of cautious optimism about this ruling. I think there's a lot of concern that the federal government will sort of renege on its responsibilities to follow the court order as it has in -- not necessarily in this case, right, in the case of being told formally by a federal judge, you do not have jurisdiction -- you do not have policing power over this group, this city, this state.
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However, I think there's a level of trepidation about the level of integrity or what will be given to this. I think people are nervous that the Trump administration, DHS, Department of Defense could still do something.
And I will say, by all intents and purposes, even as protests have escalated since the 27th, the 28th, since the president announced that he was going to deploy troops on his social media site, the response from federal police to protesters has also escalated. So, whereas we might have seen more sort of civil interaction between the two.
I mean, I'm still covered in pepper spray from tonight. We got totally tear gassed. We had pepper bombs shot at us. I was next to a photographer who got shot in the chest with one. We are not seeing -- we are seeing an escalation by federal forces at the ICE center that are perhaps far more than commensurate with the number of people showing up to protest.
BRUNHUBER: Well, we'll certainly be keeping an eye on how this develops. Great to get a local perspective on all of this. Alex Baumhardt in Portland. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
BAUMHARDT: Thank you for having me.
BRUNHUBER: Protesters in Memphis, Tennessee are denouncing the Trump administration's plans to deploy National Guard troops there. A student-led advocacy group held a rally in the city Saturday. Demonstrators also spoke out against Elon Musk's massive xAI data center in Memphis. Last month, President Trump established what he called the Memphis Safe Task Force, modeled after his Washington, D.C., federal law enforcement surge.
President Trump is keeping pressure on Israel and Hamas to stick to his 20-point Gaza peace plan and end the war. Trump said Israel has agreed to an initial withdrawal from Gaza, posting this map to his Truth Social account on Saturday. The map reflects a significant increase in Israeli control of Gaza's territory compared to the ceasefire proposal presented to Hamas in July. Now, the militant group is expected to push back on this redeployment of Israeli troops.
In addition to agreeing to the initial withdrawal, the Israeli prime minister expressed optimism that all hostages will be released within days. Here is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We are on the verge of a very big achievement. It's not final yet, but I hope that in the coming days, during the Sukkot holiday, I will be able to announce to you the return of all the hostages in one phase, while the IDF remains deep inside the strip and the territories that control it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, the Israeli military continues its bombardment of Gaza. Hospital officials say more than 50 people were killed on Saturday alone. Even with renewed prospects for peace, 17 people, many of them children, were killed by a strike on a residential home.
All right. For more now, I'm joined by CNN's Eleni Giokos in Dubai. So, Eleni, you've been monitoring the latest developments. What can you tell us?
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What we do know is the next 24 hours are going to be very consequential. We know that Hamas leadership, as well as the U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, heading to Egypt. We also know that Israel has sent its special negotiator, as well, to finalize those details.
What we do know is that there's major willingness, not only from Hamas' side, but also Israel, to try and get this deal done. But there are a lot of details that need to be worked through. Benjamin Netanyahu said that phase one is imminent, and he clearly wants this to happen in the next few days.
Phase one will be the release of all hostages, as well as the release of Palestinian prisoners. And then phase two, and this is what he said, that Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarized. And this will happen either through a diplomatic path by the Trump plan, or through a military path, but it will be achieved. We know that Hamas has not agreed to disarmament and demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. That is one of potentially many sticking points that we're seeing. We also know that Hamas wants a Palestinian technocratic government to be put in place. What is that going to look like? What is the final deal going to be? That, of course, into question. And, of course, those details will be absolutely part of the discussion and negotiation that will happen in Egypt.
In the meantime, Israel's Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben- Gvir, says that he will quit government if, after the release of hostages, Hamas continues to exist. This will, of course, pose further issues for Netanyahu domestically. We also know that tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in Tel Aviv overnight, demanding that this deal goes through, wanting to see the release of hostages. So, he's got a lot of pressure coming through domestically as well.
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I want you to listen to not only the Israelis on the ground, and what this means for them, but also for Palestinians that have endured two years of war. For so many people, we've seen these ceasefire negotiations, the hostage deal negotiations falling apart at the 11th hour. While there's cautious optimism, Kim, there's also a lot of hope that this will finally be it, because it feels different. This deal, this negotiation, this 20-point plan feels different. It's a framework that could potentially work. Take a listen to what people have to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEREEN KHAROUB, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN (through translator): I wish this really comes to affect. Not like every time we hear of ceasefire, then it doesn't happen. And we live on false hope. We don't want false promises. This is enough. Our children are gone. Our life is gone. Our homes are gone. Everything is gone. This is enough. We want a ceasefire for real, on the ground for real.
KEREN SAAR, ISRAELI RESIDENT OF JERUSALEM: We know that President Trump has been pushing it. Unfortunately, knowing our prime minister, we are very worried that he will find a way to sabotage like he did in the past two years already.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, I mean, this is a big issue. You know, is this deal going to fall apart? How are negotiations going to go when so many issues are up for discussion? Specifically. the IDF lines and just them having the presence in Gaza, that map that you showed earlier. The other question is, can Hamas release the hostages in a 72-hour window? That window, of course, has not started yet. So, the timeline is very fluid. But there is a lot of hope, more hope that we've seen now than ever before, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, still so many unanswered questions, but plenty of hope, as you say. Eleni Giokos reporting live in Dubai. Thanks so much.
Well, we know that Democrats are blaming Republicans for the U.S. government shutdown, and Republicans are blaming Democrats just ahead who the American public is blaming.
Plus, a new tropical storm system could be brewing after the break. We'll tell you where it's forming. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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BRUNHUBER: It's Sunday morning in Washington, D.C., day five of the U.S. government shutdown, and it doesn't seem it'll end any time soon. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says he and fellow Democrats are prepared to extend the shutdown until they reach a deal with Republicans over health care. But Jeffries says no high-level talks between the two sides are happening right now. Now, the key sticking point is extending Obama-era subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Meanwhile, local food banks are preparing to help support federal workers who may lose their jobs.
Republican House Leader -- House Member Mike Lawler says he doesn't believe the Democrats who say the budget fight is about health care. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE LAWLER (R-NY): The unfortunate reality here is this is not about health care. This is about Democrats wanting to show their progressive left base that they are fighting against Donald Trump and Chuck Schumer being petrified of a primary from AOC. And that really is ultimately what this is about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now, Democratic House Member Madeleine Dean responded directly to Lawler's comments here on CNN, and Dean said she likes her Republican colleague but disagrees with him. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MADELEINE DEAN (D-PA): He's just plain wrong. It is ridiculous. I'm an appropriator. I'm on the Appropriations Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. And he's just plain wrong. This is not about talking to our base, this is about talking to our constituents and caring about health care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: So, while Democrat and Republican lawmakers keep pointing the finger at each other as the government shutdown drags on, CNN's Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten, breaks down a more important angle, who American voters believe is responsible.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Hey there. Look, this government shutdown is only in its infancy, but the blame game is already beginning as far as the American public is concerned. And it might be a bit surprising to you, given the conventional wisdom, which party is being blamed more for the government shutdown, which party seems to be in a weaker position in the minds of the American public. In fact, it's the Republican Party that's getting blamed more for this government shutdown than the Democrats. And it's a sweep across the board.
Take a look here. Blame more for the 2025 shutdown. Take a look at The New York Times, Republicans being blamed more for the government shutdown than the Democrats by a seven-point margin. How about the Marist poll? Marist University. Republicans being blamed more for the shutdown than Democrats by a 12-point margin. And then, on this side of the screen, look at this margin. Republicans being blamed more for the shutdown than Democrats by a 17-point margin. Again, it's a sweep across the board and not a sweep that Republicans should like by an average of 12 points, Americans are more likely to blame the Republicans, Republicans in Congress and Donald Trump for the shutdown than the Democrats.
Now, perhaps, though, despite it going against the conventional wisdom, this shouldn't be so surprising. Take a look through the eyes of history, the lens of history. We have had government shutdowns in this country before, a couple notable ones over the last 30 years. And in every single instance, the Republican Party has been blamed more for the government shutdown than the Democrats.
Take a look here. Blame more at the start of shutdowns. In '95, '96 of those shutdowns, Republicans were blamed more by a 16-point margin than Democrats. 2013, Republicans were blamed more by a 10-point margin than Democrats. 2018, 2019, those shutdowns, look at that. Look at that, look at that, Republicans blamed more than Democrats by a 14- point margin. This, of course, notable because this was Donald Trump's first term. And then this time around, as we mentioned, Republicans blamed more than Democrats by a 12-point margin. These numbers are fairly consistent with each other. When it comes to the start of government shutdowns, folks more likely to blame Republicans than Democrats.
Now, of course, we're only at the start of the shutdown. I think there might be a lot of Republicans who would argue, hey, you know what, we have to make our argument. And by the end of it, folks are more likely to blame Democrats than blame Republicans. Well, I got bad news for Republicans. Why do I say that? Because take a look here. Did shutdown blame hold? Essentially, did it change from the start of the shutdown to the end of the shutdown, or did it change? You're right. Did it change? Did it hold? Whatever.
[04:25:00]
Look at this. At the start of the '95-'96 shutdown, it was Republicans. By the end, Republicans. Same story in 2013. Start of the shutdown, Republicans were more blamed than Democrats. By the end of it, you got it, Republicans. 2018, 2019, look at that, Republicans were more likely to be blamed than Democrats at the start of the shutdown. By the end of it, the exact same situation.
The bottom line is this, Republicans are being blamed more for the shutdown than Democrats are. We see it in every single poll. And history suggests that that is more likely to hold than not. Of course, only time will tell. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: The U.S. south and east are in for heavy rain today and into Monday with flood threats, especially along the Gulf Coast. Meanwhile, the next potential storm could be churning in the tropics. CNN's Chris Warren breaks it down for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS WARREN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Another wet day around the Gulf Coast for Sunday from Florida and over to and maybe even especially Louisiana. You can see starting off the day, the future radar showing some very heavy rain. South Louisiana around New Orleans, Slidell heading into Mississippi. Also, Gulf Shores are going to be dealing with some of that heavy rain.
And here it is, continuing throughout the day. And, yes, this is all associated with a couple areas of low pressure, disorganized areas of low pressure here and here, that not expecting to see any development out of this. The atmosphere is just not capable of producing tropical systems right here, right now. But these areas of low pressure are producing a decent amount of rain, hefty amount of rain through Monday.
We could see some spots of that four to six range with isolated spots on the east coast of Florida with more than two inches, maybe two to three inches. These are those areas here don't look like a whole lot and not expecting to be a whole lot other than a pretty big nuisance, possibly dangerous if you're getting caught in one of those heavy rain showers.
But looking out here in the main development region, the area that we tend to see a lot of tropical activity come from, which really originates here coming off of Africa, and that's the area of disturbed weather that through time, through next week has a chance for development. And that is a medium chance at this point.
And at this point in the season, we're on the other side of the peak of hurricane season, but still up there, still a pretty high here as we are still here early in October. And if we are going to see something, this is typically the area we would see some development.
You notice how it kind of has this look to it. Big reason for that. It's the time of year we get these fronts that come through that help protect the U.S. from some of these tropical systems that want to make landfall. But as we see, there is some activity out there and we'll be watching it for you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Gen-Z stepping out from behind their screens to demand accountability from their governments. Still ahead, the latest on youth-led protests taking place around the globe. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:30:00]
BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.
A Gaza official says essential services, including drinking water, are becoming even more scarce as Israel continues bombarding Gaza City. We're showing you a live picture there from southern Israel looking into Gaza, and you can see the smoke rising there.
Israel has ramped up its assault on the densely populated city. It claims Gaza City is a Hamas stronghold, and where the group is holding many of the remaining hostages. The escalation has sparked outcry in Israel and around the world. Critics say the operation will worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza and endanger the lives of Israeli hostages.
I want to go live now to Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, and she joins us now from London. Good to see you again. So, we're hearing reports about stumbling blocks in the negotiations, things like disagreements over prisoner exchanges and the map of Israeli redeployment. So, from what you're seeing, what's the biggest obstacle right now, and how likely is it that negotiators can actually work through some of these issues?
SANAM VAKIL, DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA PROGRAM, CHATHAM HOUSE: Well, good morning, and thanks for having me back. I would say that this is a monumental plan. Let's call it a framework that didn't have a lot of details, and that's what's being ironed out by negotiators. Hamas is under a lot of pressure, President Trump's pressure. He's been unpredictable, and he's given them a deadline of today to arrive at a real final deal.
But the devil is really in the details, and they're ironing out how to make the plan come into action. Hostages need to be released. It's unclear if Hamas has full control over all of those hostages. They need to be located. On the Israeli side, obviously, it's easier to release the prisoners that have been in jail for so many years. But then beyond that, the bigger questions are, where is Israel withdrawing to? And then the governance problems are the biggest ones for Hamas, because it has to agree to demilitarize and accept a governance structure in Gaza, where it will not have a say in what comes next.
And so, these are the major sticking points, and it's unclear if we'll get that far along. It could be that the hostages are released, finally, after far too long, and prisoners are released, and then we hit another round of stumbling blocks.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, still many important questions to solve. You talked about President Trump's deadline there. He gave Hamas until this evening to accept the deal or face hell, in his words. I mean, he's been fairly loose with deadlines before. What happens if it comes and goes?
VAKIL: Well, President Trump has, you know, two maybe contradictory positions. He wants a deal, and he wants to show that he has helped end this war to release the Israeli hostages held in Gaza. He, you know, has claimed to have solved so many wars around the world already in just nine months. So, this would be a massive achievement.
But at the same time, he has shown unpredictability. And he, in the case of Middle Eastern conflicts with the Iranians, for example, gave them a two-month deadline to come to agreement with the United States and with the West. And the next -- you know, after 60 days had elapsed, on day 61, Israel began to strike Iran.
[04:35:00]
And so, actors like Hamas are aware of President Trump's unpredictability. So, you know, they're trying to play for time, recognizing that this is an opportunity to bring about peace. What they are looking for above all is a lasting peace. They don't want a temporary ceasefire. They want an end to this conflict.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, on the regional role here, I mean, we've seen Qatar and Egypt sort of playing these mediator roles. How much pressure are they putting on Hamas right now to get that deal done right now?
VAKIL: There is an immense amount of pressure on Hamas. This war that has gone on for two years, that has just been devastating for Palestinians, obviously in Gaza, but also in the West Bank, has had the region on tenterhooks. Qatar itself was attacked by Israel on September 8th. And countries like Egypt, also Jordan, have been basically boiling. Their populations are very animated, politicized and angry.
This war is one that is dangerous for the region. Everyone wants it to come to an end. So, these negotiators have been putting a lot of pressure, trying to help massage this deal and bring Hamas over the line. But ultimately, they have to convince Hamas, pressure Hamas in what is an existential decision to give up, to surrender effectively.
And ultimately, this is for a process that would hopefully guarantee Palestinian statehood and sovereignty and agency. But that is also not a guarantee, because Prime Minister Netanyahu has, you know, worked for quite a number of decades to prevent Palestinian agency and statehood. So, people are worried that the rubber is going to hit the road and things could blow up at any point.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, we're still a long, long way from Palestinian statehood, as things stand right now. Sanam Vakil, always great to get your expertise on this. Thank you so much.
VAKIL: Thank you.
BRUNHUBER: Well, flames tore through the front of a mosque in southern England late Saturday night after a car was set on fire outside. Police are treating the incident in Peacehaven near Brighton as a suspected arson attack and hate crime. No one was hurt, but officials say the local Muslim community is deeply shaken. The attack comes days after two Jewish worshippers were killed outside a Manchester synagogue amid what officials call a rise in religious hate across Britain.
Members of Syria's electoral colleges are meeting to vote for new lawmakers today. The gatherings represent a major milestone. They'll help establish the nation's first parliament since President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a civil war that lasted more than 12 years. Today's vote will choose two thirds of parliament. The interim president will select the rest.
The Opponents of Georgia's government are once again making their voices heard. The protests come as opposition parties boycott a municipal election amid a sweeping crackdown on dissent. CNN's Ben Hunte has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Waving Georgian flags, protesters are pushed back with pepper spray and water cannons after trying to storm the presidential palace in Tbilisi. Riot police rammed through barricades set up by anti-government protesters who turned out in force to protest against the country's ruling Georgian Dream Party.
The opposition largely boycotting local elections that took place earlier in the day that the Georgian Dream says it won in sweeping victories. Protesters say the Georgian Dream Party is too closely aligned with Russia and is trying to repress democracy in the country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an expression of deep crisis which is absolutely formed by our pro-Russian and authoritarian government. And that's what's happening now. That's absolutely democratic process which is happening in the streets and it is absolutely non-democratic process, which is happening in the institutions, in the parliaments and electoral process and anywhere, you know.
HUNTE (voice-over): The country has been on edge since the Georgian Dream Party won a parliamentary election last October. The critics say it was rigged, though the Georgian Dream denies that. Furious protests erupted when the government paused talks to join the European Union a month after the election, a path that's widely supported in the country.
And in recent months, several key opposition leaders have been jailed. Police have violently cracked down on protests before and say Saturday's rally violates laws that regulate public assemblies. But so far, that hasn't stopped the flare-ups of unrest in Tbilisi as protesters show no signs of backing down.
Ben Hunte, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[04:40:00] BRUNHUBER: Violent protests in Madagascar show no signs of slowing down. Demonstrators burned trash and threw stones at police in the capital on Saturday. They want President Andry Rajoelina to resign over water shortages and power blackouts. The U.N. reports that at least 22 people have been killed and more than 100 injured since protests erupted in September.
Now, in Madagascar and Georgia and other countries around the world, Gen-Z is becoming increasingly active in demonstrations, and they're using 21st century tools to mobilize the masses. Decentralized social media movements and viral online symbolism have given way to thousands of youth-led uprisings, many of which are rooted in the fear that young people's futures are being squandered by an array of broken social contracts. CNN's Polo Sandoval brings us a closer look at Lima, Peru, where young activists are joining the fight to change the government's mandatory pension contribution policy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He never formally studied piano, but Wildalor Lozano is a 19-year-old graphic designer who knows how to navigate between the notes. With the same intuition, he feels that his generation, the so-called Gen-Z, has dreams worth fighting for.
WILDALOR LOZANO, GEN-Z GRAPHIC DESIGNER (through translator): To live in a country that is fair to everyone, where we don't have politicians involved in acts of corruption. Where are the police? Where are those 5,000 police officers who marched against us? Where are they at these moments when crime occurs?
SANDOVAL (voice-over): Lozano participated in the country's first anti-pension reform marches in September when they were about to go into effect, but it was Congress approved to the reforms last year. They require people 18 and older to contribute to public or private pension funds, which many believe are corrupt. After the first protests, the government modified the measure, but protesters did not think that was enough. After becoming a voice of the movement, Lozano says he's been receiving hate messages.
LOZANO (through translator): They can label you with a lot of things and adjectives. They say I'm, I don't know if you can say that, a terrorist, that you're a leftist or part of the shining path, which is completely false. A few kilometers from Lozano's home, Isabel Saavedra studies law. In 2020, her parents first took her to protest government corruption when she was just 14 years old. She says that's where her interest in the country's problems and politicians was born.
ISABEL SAAVEDRA, GEN-Z LAW STUDENT (through translator): The president doesn't listen to us, doesn't pay attention to us. I don't know what she's expecting from the Peruvian people.
SANDOVAL (voice-over): Saavedra and Lozano say they avoided participating in recent protests because they're concerned about their safety. It's a fear many other youths share after protests turned violent. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I want to believe that the love for the homeland is still alive, and I believe something like this is vital for each of us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): There will come a point where not only young people, but all citizens will realize how we are and will want to come out and raise their voices.
SANDOVAL (voice-over): Polo Sandoval, CNN.
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BRUNHUBER: And young people have often been at the forefront of protest movements. Coming up next hour, we'll have more on what's different about the Gen-Z protests.
All right. Just ahead, President Trump jumps into yet another media showdown. We'll explain why he's siding with Spanish language network Univision in a contract battle after the break. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: President Trump is urging Google to restore Univision to YouTube TV's lineup after the network was dropped in a contract dispute. He warns that its removal could hurt Republicans ahead of midterm elections. CNN's Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter has the story.
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BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIAL ANALYST: Hey, President Trump concerned about Univision. A very interesting move by the president on weighing in on a TV carriage contract dispute in the United States between the leading Spanish language broadcaster and one of the big streaming cable providers, YouTube TV.
So, Univision has been negotiating with YouTube TV for quite some time over a new contract to carry Univision and its related channels on that YouTube TV platform. You know, YouTube is owned by Google. And that YouTube TV platform has been growing by leaps and bounds in the U.S. in recent years, gaining lots of -- really millions of subscribers with households that don't want to have the traditional cable or satellite bundle, but do want a version of that cable channel bundle from decades ago.
So, YouTube TV has been playing hardball with Univision, saying that Univision is demanding too much money in this negotiation and saying that its ratings, its online ratings, just don't justify the price tag.
So, on September 30th, that contract ran out. There is what's now known as a blackout of Univision's channels on YouTube TV. Notably, Univision was pressuring Google publicly, saying that this blackout would amount to a Hispanic tax. And also, I noticed Univision leaning on lawmakers trying to get public and political support ahead of this blackout. Well, now, a few days into the blackout, President Trump has weighed in, suggesting that Univision's lobbying campaign is working.
The president wrote on True Social, quote, "I hope Univision, a great and very popular Hispanic network, can get back onto the very amazing Google/YouTube." He went on to say that, "Univision was so good to me with their highest rated ever political special, and I set a Republican record in Hispanic voting."
So, the president being very explicit, believing that Univision being off of YouTube TV is, quote, "very bad for Republicans in the upcoming midterms." This is another example of President Trump using his political platform to pressure media companies, in this case, trying to pressure YouTube and parent company Google into resolving this carriage dispute.
We've also seen President Trump's FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, make similar moves with other carriage disputes earlier this year. Notably, less than a week ago, YouTube, Google, did have to -- did decide to reach a settlement with President Trump. He had sued YouTube and a number of other big tech platforms when they suspended his accounts following the January 6th attack. YouTube decided to pay nearly $25 million to Trump and a number of other plaintiffs in order to settle that lawsuit rather than decide to go to trial.
Brian Stelter, CNN.
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BRUNHUBER: More than 800,000 Uber and Lyft drivers in California will soon be able to join a union. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new state law giving rideshare drivers the right to unionize. Now, they're currently classified as independent contractors, which means they aren't entitled to benefits like overtime pay or paid sick leave. Under the new state law, drivers will keep that classification if they join a union, but gig companies must bargain in good faith. The law doesn't apply to drivers for delivery apps like DoorDash.
Well, demonstrations are nothing new to the people of Paris, but just how much are they willing to shell out to keep their landmarks free of protest-inspired graffiti? That's ahead. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Protests over proposed spending cuts in France could continue in the coming days after thousands marched in French cities last week. A historic square at the epicenter of the protests in Paris. And keeping it clean amid the demonstrations carries a big cost. CNN's Melissa Bell reports.
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MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the beating heart of the French Republic. Paris' Place de la Reunion.
ANTOINE GUILLOU, PARIS DEPUTY MAYOR RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEANLINESS: It's a place of gathering for all Parisians. In the moments of joy, in the moments of protests, in the moments of sadness as well. And that's something which is, of course, very important to us.
BELL (voice-over): Since the statue was built in the 19th century, the Marianne, Paris' Lady Liberty, has seen it all. Protests, social upheavals, even riots, and each time, plenty of graffiti.
PATRIC DEBART, CLEANING OPERATIONS AGENT (through translator): It's our profession. It's the acceptance of it. But graffiti's still graffiti. We've got to make the square as neutral as possible as fast as we can.
[04:55:00]
BELL (voice-over): Scrubbed and washed with high-pressure water and sand at a cost of 4,000 euros each time, the statue is being exfoliated here for the sixth time in 2025, so far, a relatively quiet year by Parisian standards.
DEBART (through translator): It depends on the current protests. Right after, we'll come and remove the graffiti. So, it could be once a week or twice a week, depending on the current events.
BELL (voice-over): The statue is also the focus of gathering, rather than fracture. Like when France grieved after the 2015 terror attacks shook the Republic to its core. With each time, the cleaners back at work soon after.
BELL: Even as that clean-up operation is underway, there is a layer of protection that will be put on the statue in order to protect it, because one thing is certain, that the French will gather here again very soon.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Now, to U.S. college football, where the number three- ranked University of Miami held off number 18 Florida State in a primetime rivalry matchup. The Hurricanes led 28-3, heading into the fourth quarter, but the Seminoles wouldn't go down without a fight. Florida State mounted a comeback, but couldn't catch up to the Hurricanes in the end. Miami wins 28-22, remaining undefeated on the season.
Now, in California, number seven Penn State suffered a major upset at the hands of unranked UCLA. The Bruins had no wins heading into Saturday's matchup, but stunned the Nittany Lions with a 42-37 win. Penn State has now lost two straight.
And there was another top 10 upset on Saturday, with the University of Florida taking down number nine Texas. Longhorn's offense struggled to find its momentum. Quarterback Arch Manning threw two interceptions and was sacked six times by the Gators. Florida held on to win 29-21.
All right. That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.
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