Unlawful assembly declared in downtown LA as protests escalate

48 minutes ago Share Save Christal Hayes and Lucy Clarke-Billings BBC News, Los Angeles and London Reporting from London Share Save

Reuters

Protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles escalated on Sunday as US President Donald Trump called to “bring in the troops”. Rising unrest saw a major freeway blocked and a row of self-driving cars set on fire as law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd. Police called downtown LA an “unlawful assembly” area at 23:15 local time on Sunday (07:15 BST on Monday) after three days of protests and dozens of arrests. Demonstrations began outside the Federal Building, in downtown LA, on Friday after it emerged Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were carrying out raids across the city.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, along with the LA mayor Karen Bass, said in separate comments on Saturday that they believed local police could handle the protests. But on Saturday night, after two days of clashes between demonstrators and immigration authorities, Trump went against Newsom’s wishes and ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard. On Sunday morning, the first group of troops began arriving in the city, staging outside a detention centre where illegal immigrants are taken once detained.

The National Guard clashed with people protesting against immigration raids in Los Angeles.

Newsom called Trump’s decision to deploy soldiers “illegal” and “immoral” and threatened to sue the administration. “Donald Trump has created the conditions you see on your TV tonight… he’s putting fuel on this fire,” he said in an interview with MSNBC on Sunday evening as tensions flared. “[It’s] an unconstitutional act, and we’re going to test that theory with a lawsuit tomorrow,” Newsom added. Typically, a state’s National Guard force is activated at the request of the governor. In this case, Trump has circumvented that step by invoking a specific provision of the US Code of Armed Services titled 10 U.S.C. 12406, which lists three circumstances under which the president can “federalise” the National Guard. Pockets of the city were thrown into chaos on Sunday night, with repeated bangs heard as police faced off with protesters. Many of those involved were carrying Mexican flags or signs deriding federal immigration authorities, who arrested 118 unauthorised immigrants across LA on Friday – according to CBS, which cited information from ICE.

A row of self-driving Waymo vehicles – that serve as taxis in LA – had their tyres slashed, windows smashed and exteriors spray painted before they were torched by protesters. Multiple patrol vehicles blocking a highway were damaged when protesters hurled objects – including E-scooters – at them. Fires were started across the city as protesters lit large fireworks. Several businesses reported looting late in the night, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said. Many downtown streets were littered with debris, glass, cinder blocks and burn marks. Buildings were covered in new graffiti, much of which contained graphic language against immigration enforcement. In one particularly chaotic scene, a van driving erratically veered into a large group of protesters and appeared to hit several people. The driver, who was shirtless, was later arrested and police said he would face multiple charges. The same day, an Australian news reporter was filmed being struck by what appeared to be a rubber bullet fired by law enforcement. And a British photographer underwent emergency surgery after being struck in the leg by another non-lethal bullet. The BBC has asked the LAPD for comment. Police said they made 27 arrests, on top of the 29 on Saturday. Separately, at least 60 people were taken in at related protests in San Francisco.

Channel Nine’s Lauren Tomasi hit by ‘rubber bullet’ while reporting from LA