Tensions Escalate in Los Angeles as President Trump Deploys National Guard
Trump-ordered National Guard troops have been deployed and are now present in Los Angeles. - Military forces under Trump's command were dispatched to Los Angeles.
Soldiers with camouflage uniforms, helmets, and automatic weapons greeted the streets of Los Angeles outside a federal building complex. Strangers had spray-painted "Our City" across the building's exterior, sheltering a detention center.
Protests are scheduled for later tonight (23:00 UTC), with calls for a "mass mobilization" at city hall.
Trump, the US President, dispatched the deployment of 2000 National Guard troops. According to Trump's spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, Washington aims to tackle "lawlessness" that's run rampant.
Controversy sparked when California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, accused Trump of sending National Guard troops to Los Angeles not to address immediate demands, but to create chaos. "He's hopeful for a ruckus so he can justify harsher measures, more fear, more control," Newsom stated on X, urging city residents to "remain calm, never resort to violence, stay peaceful."
Frictions between federal law enforcement and upset protesters took place on Friday and Saturday, following raids by masked and armed federal agents against migrants. Protesters hurled objects at agents, who replied with stun grenades and tear gas, resulting in multiple arrests.
Clashes erupted between protesters and authorities in Compton neighborhood on Sunday morning. The lingering scent of pepper spray filled the air, as reported by AFP journalists.
Trump's National Guard deployment bypasses local authorities. Usual roles for the National Guard, a type of reserve army, include assistance with natural disasters and controlling riots, like they did in 2020 following the George Floyd's death.
Kenneth Roth, a human rights activist and former Human Rights Watch head, commented on X that this is the first time since 1965 that a president has deployed the National Guard without the affected state's governor approving it. Roth deemed Trump's actions as a theatrical display to intensify raids against immigrants.
- Donald Trump
- Los Angeles
- Sunday
- US President
- Order
- Migrants
- Gavin Newsom
- Military
- Washington
- Karoline Leavitt
- California
- On Sunday, the US President, Donald Trump, ordered the deployment of 2000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
- This order arrived amidst ongoing tensions in Los Angeles, where protests against the treatment of migrants are scheduled for the night.
- The California Governor, Gavin Newsom, criticized Trump's move, claiming it was intended to escalate the situation and justify harsher measures against immigrants.
