Protests in LA ignited by whispers, roots traced back to false alarms, Trump orders National Guard deployment, latest updates detailed
In the wee hours of Monday, chaos that erupted in LA following ICE raids began to settle down. However, skirmishes with law enforcement persisted throughout the weekend, resulting in car burnings, looting, and arrests. President Donald Trump gave the order to dispatch 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, sparking a significant political dispute.
Let's dive into the sequence of events, understand why false rumors ignited the catalyst, and examine the political causes and consequences.
The Echo of Promises: Arrests and Misinformation
One of Donald Trump's election promises was to confront illegal immigration, and upon taking office, the president started fulfilling it in earnest. It was alleged that the Trump administration directed federal agents to apprehend approximately 3,000 people daily.
The Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, a federal organization responsible for identifying and arresting individuals residing in the U.S. unlawfully, was tasked with carrying out these arrests.
Since the commencement of Trump's second term, the number of arrests made by ICE agents skyrocketed: as per CBS, a subsidiary of BBC, it surpassed 100,000 since January.
The Fire Sparks: Trump's Remarks on Dispatching Troops to LA
According to ICE, a similar operation on a construction site in LA on Friday resulted in the detention of 44 illegal immigrants. Another 77 individuals were apprehended the same day in the suburbs.
On the same day, whispers about raids and arrests of day laborers at a Home Depot branch in Paramount, a predominantly Latino area of southeast LA, began to circulate. Residents later reported seeing ICE vehicles in the area.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security later debunked reports of raids at Home Depot, but the rumors were sufficient to ignite unrest in the city, which soon escalated into violent confrontations.
Witnesses reported that ICE inspectors used tear gas and stun grenades during their raids.
Reuters reported that ICE agents had apprehended Marriott International President David Wurtz, who, as per union representatives, was "exercising his First Amendment right to observe and document law enforcement actions." He was injured during the arrest.
Over 300 protesters assembled in the city center following this, and law enforcement arrived at the scene. Protesters were requested to disperse by 7 PM, but tensions persisted.
The Inferno Spreads: Events Unfolding
Friday
Protesters opposing raids gathered outside the Federal Building in downtown LA on Friday afternoon, as reported by police. They started pelting the police with concrete chunks. Law enforcement was permitted to employ non-lethal measures. Police used batons and tear gas.
The Federal Building in LA houses the office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and a detention center is nearby.
Saturday
Clashes between law enforcement, ICE agents, and protesters in Paramount continued on Saturday.
ICE contended that "over 1,000 rioters" surrounded and attacked the Federal Building. The rumor mill spawned stories that detained migrants were being held there.
Another protest in downtown LA on Saturday evening drew approximately 60 people. During the disturbances, protesters set fire to a car and looted several stores.
Federal authorities viewed the turmoil as a danger to the entire city, as protests seemed to be unrelenting.
Throughout the day, law enforcement also employed non-lethal measures, including rubber bullets. A correspondent of an Australian Channel Nine and a British photographer covering the unrest were injured by rubber bullets and required medical attention.
The Los Angeles Police Department considered the protests predominantly peaceful, with local authorities confident that they could manage the unrest and violence independently.
However, the White House asserted that ICE agents were being attacked and injured, and local law enforcement was responding too sluggishly to the situation.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump, who has previously sworn not to tolerate "left-wing lawlessness" on America's streets, invoked his authority and deployed two thousand California National Guard soldiers to the city.
This was an extraordinary step as such actions are usually authorized by the governor of the state. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that California's governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom, vehemently opposed the use of the National Guard.
Sunday
On Sunday, National Guard personnel began arriving in LA and setting up at the Federal Building in the city center.
A White House statement declared that troops would "temporarily protect employees of ICE and other federal government agencies performing federal tasks." They will be deployed for 60 days, and their withdrawal will be decided by the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
Pentagon chief Pate Hegseth did not rule out the use of the army, i.e., the federal armed forces of the United States. Unlike them, the National Guard is formed and usually controlled by the authorities of the individual states.
Hegseth warned that the Pentagon is prepared to send army units to LA "if violence continues," and the Marines at Camp Pendleton near the city are "on heightened alert."
At least 10 people were arrested during the disturbances on Sunday.
Law enforcement used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who blocked traffic on one of the major highways.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared, "What we're experiencing in Los Angeles is chaos instigated by the administration [Trump]." She also urged protesters to demonstrate peacefully.
Late Sunday evening, the city police declared the center of LA an "unlawful assembly" and ordered all protesters to vacate. Reports of looters ransacking stores in the city center emerged.
Sunday also saw unrest in San Francisco. As in LA, police declared a city area an "unlawful assembly," reporting acts of vandalism and property damage. Around 60 people were arrested, and three police officers were injured, one of whom was hospitalized.
By Monday morning, the situation in California had began to normalize.
- The escalation of protests in LA, following ICE raids, has sparked a significant political dispute, as President Donald Trump's decision to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to the city was met with opposition from California's governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom.
- The rationale behind the unrest can be traced back to false rumors that circulated about ICE raids at a Home Depot branch in Paramount, leading to violent confrontations and incidents of car burnings, looting, and arrests.
- Despite the General-news and Crime-and-justice aspects of the unfolding events, there has also been a connection to Sports-betting, as law enforcement authorities reported injuries to a foreign journalist and a British photographer covering the unrest, both of whom required medical attention.
