The protests in Los Angeles against the arrest and deportation of migrants have intensified significantly. For the first time on Sunday, National Guard troops were deployed to maintain order. This led to more confrontations between demonstrators and police.
Over the past three days, violent clashes have occurred in several locations throughout the city. This escalated further on Sunday evening when a group of protesters blocked the busy 101 Freeway in the city center.
Video footage shows protesters shouting slogans like “shame on you” at the police and throwing objects at the officers. Some carried Mexican flags and banners criticizing the American immigration services.
According to Police Chief Jim McDonnell, the violence is getting worse every day. “What we saw the first night was bad. But what we have seen since then is becoming increasingly worse and more violent.” Officers were reportedly pelted with fireworks, stones, and unknown liquids. The police responded with rubber bullets, tear gas, and flash grenades.
McDonnell emphasizes that the people protesting against the arrests of immigrants are not the people using violence. The violence, he says, is being committed by “notorious rioters,” although he says nothing further about who those are. The Los Angeles Police arrested at least ten people on Sunday. On Saturday, that number was 29.
Trump sent two thousand members of the National Guard to Los Angeles on Saturday “to tackle the lawlessness that has continued to fester,” the White House reported. The deployment of the National Guard has been fiercely criticized. The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, called the deployment “illegal” and has sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting the troops be withdrawn. “We didn’t have a problem until Trump started interfering,” Newsom wrote on X.
Trump’s Strict Anti-Immigration Policy
Protests have been taking place in Los Angeles since Friday against the arrests and deportations of migrants. The arrests by the American Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are part of Trump’s strict anti-immigration policy. Taking strong action against immigrants without the correct documents was one of his key election promises.
Los Angeles is home to many Democrats, including Mayor Karen Bass. “Los Angeles will always be a proud city of immigrants. We will defend the immigrant communities,” she wrote on X on Friday. She also condemned the violence of the protesters on Saturday.