Unrest in LA: A History of Protests Against Deportations
Military Personnel in Los Angeles Act Against Demonstrators - Military personnel in Los Angeles engage in activities aimed at quelling demonstrations
Delve into the rollercoaster ride of protests against deportations, featuring the National Guard in Los Angeles, and how recent events fit into this dynamic narrative.
Fast Forward to 2025
- Trump's Showdown: In 2025, the Trump administration, in a display of impressive tenacity, mobilized National Guard troops to Los Angeles after skirmishes between immigration agents and protesters. Their mission - protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel while pulling off federal operations[2][3]. This move marked yet another stand of the administration on the immigration enforcement front.
- Confrontations Galore: The deployment followed a series of surprising ICE raids in downtown LA, fueling protests and generating palpable antipathy from both community members and officials who dubbed the raids "cruel and unnecessary." This mixture of anger and tension led to confrontations with the law[2][3].
- Local Leaders Voice Opposition: California Governor Gavin Newsom, upholding the state's longstanding stance against overzealous immigration enforcement, disagreed with the National Guard deployment initiated by the Trump administration[2].
Glancing Back
While the recent debate around deportation protests involving the National Guard in LA is at the forefront, the city has a notable history of civil unrest, milked by military interventions:
- Watts Riots of `65: In the summer of '65, the Watts neighborhood erupted in protests over racial injustice and police brutality. The deployment of National Guard troops eventually quelled the disturbances, but not before significant destruction and loss of life[1].
- Rodney King Riots of `92: Los Angeles was once again in the grip of widespread unrest following the acquittal of the police officers involved in the Rodney King beating. Though unrelated to deportation protests, this event serves as a grim reminder of LA's enduring history of civil unrest and law enforcement's role amid such chaos[3].
In light of the current deployment of National Guard troops to address immigration-related protests, we're witnessing another brazen chapter unfold in Los Angeles's intricate tale of civil unrest and government intervention against community uprisings.
- The deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles during the Trump administration's efforts to carry out immigration-related operations in 2025 echoes similar military interventions seen in past events, such as the Watts Riots of 1965, where National Guard troops were also called upon to quell racial unrest.
- The current protests against deportations in Los Angeles, involving the National Guard and resulting in confrontations with law enforcement, are not alien to the city's history of civil unrest. The Rodney King Riots of 1992, though not directly related to immigration, highlight the city's longstanding history of widespread demonstrations and law enforcement involvement, adding another chapter to this dynamic narrative.
