The first shots of the American Revolution were fired at sunrise at Lexington, Massachusetts. The imperial regime of Britain sought to secretly capture and destroy the military supplies of rebellious Massachusetts militia at Concord.

At the North Bridge, the American militia outnumbered and thus turned back the empire’s regulars.

The empire was stopped, but it refused to relinquish its claim that it could rule the Americans as it pleased. It wouldn’t be beaten for eight more years.

The first battles of the California rebellion against a new American regime came at a similarly strategic spot: our two biggest airports.

This was another sneak attack by the empire: Trump pushed through an executive order on a Friday afternoon without preparation. At California’s airports, the empire made hostages of our residents and our visitors. And the occupying feds were showing their power. They control the gates through which so much of our commerce and our tourism and our lives flow.

But the California rebels didn’t give up. Irregular California militias – of lawyers and protestors – went to the airport to confront the imperial power. It was a stand-off of sorts. Reinforcements came in from the courts, and, in the face of legal and political challenge, the empire was forced to retreat – in part – and release its hostages.

But this was no victory. The American empire refused to relinquish its claim that it could rule California as it pleased, no matter their rights.

It felt like the beginning of another very long war.