Tensions in Los Angeles have escalated as thousands protested President Donald Trump’s controversial deployment of the National Guard without the governor’s consent. Demonstrators blocked the arterial 101 Freeway highway and set fire to self-driving cars, prompting police to use tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to disperse the crowd.
By evening, police declared an unlawful assembly, warning protesters to leave or face arrest. Some threw rocks, fireworks, concrete and electric scooters at officers. The most intense clashes took place downtown, marking the third day of protests against Trump’s immigration crackdown, with the arrival of 300 Guard troops sparking widespread anger.
The Guard was sent to protect federal buildings, especially a downtown detention centre where demonstrations were concentrated. Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell said his force was overwhelmed by agitators intent on causing disruption. Dozens of arrests were made.
Trump responded on Truth Social, urging police to arrest masked protesters and calling for stronger military intervention.
Clashes intensified as Guard troops, armed with riot shields and rifles, faced off with protesters shouting “shame” and “go home”. Police later used crowd-control munitions after demonstrators moved to block the 101 Freeway. Several Waymo self-driving cars were torched, sending plumes of black smoke across the city.
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the deployment as a “serious breach of state sovereignty” and demanded the Guard’s removal. Both he and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blamed Trump for inflaming tensions, calling his actions provocative and unnecessary. Newsom accused Trump of lying about the need for troops, asserting that state authorities had the situation under control.
Trump defended his decision, citing a legal provision allowing federal troops to quell rebellion. He claimed there were “violent people” in Los Angeles and warned: “We’re gonna have troops everywhere.”
The deployment follows two days of immigration raids across the city, which triggered the unrest. Federal agents detained over 100 people, including a prominent union leader. While the protests have not yet reached the scale of past unrest, such as the 1992 Rodney King riots, they mark the first time in decades that the National Guard has been activated in a U.S. state without the governor’s approval.
In a rare move, about 500 Marines were also placed on standby for potential deployment.
