Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across California this weekend, protesting the Trump administration’s immigration policies and the deployment of National Guard troops.
What began as peaceful rallies in Los Angeles and San Francisco quickly escalated into violent confrontations between demonstrators and law enforcement.
In downtown Los Angeles, at least 27 people were arrested on Sunday following a series of clashes sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting predominantly Hispanic neighbourhoods.
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According to LAPD Police Chief Jim McDonnell, 10 of the arrests occurred during violent scuffles with police, who were pelted with Molotov cocktails, fireworks, and rocks.
“It’s escalated now since the beginning of this incident,” McDonnell said at a press conference Sunday evening. Calling the violence “disgusting,” he warned that the protests were becoming “increasingly worse and more violent.”
Another 17 protesters were arrested by the California Highway Patrol for blocking major highways as part of the demonstrations.
San Francisco Protest Outside ICE Office Also Turns Chaotic
Simultaneously, a protest outside the Immigration Services building in San Francisco attracted hundreds of participants. While the rally began peacefully, it quickly devolved into chaos, prompting a swift response from riot police. Around 60 people were detained in connection with the unrest on Sunday.
According to local media, the standoff intensified after tensions rose between officers and demonstrators. These latest arrests follow another 29 detentions on Saturday, bringing the total number of arrests in Los Angeles alone to 56 over the weekend.
The unrest was fueled by revelations that ICE had launched coordinated raids throughout the state, targeting undocumented immigrants in line with President Donald Trump’s directive. Last month, Trump called on federal agents to arrest 3,000 individuals per day in a sweeping crackdown on immigration.
Leaders Condemn Violence, Debate Federal Intervention
The situation further escalated after the deployment of approximately 300 National Guard soldiers to assist local law enforcement, a move met with sharp criticism from California’s leadership.
Protesters responded by blocking major freeways and reportedly setting fire to self-driving cars, prompting police to deploy tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bangs.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a letter Sunday requesting the removal of federal troops, calling their presence a “serious breach of state sovereignty.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass echoed this sentiment, accusing the Trump administration of provoking the violence by militarising the situation. “The escalation of violence on Sunday was provoked,” she said.
However, the White House pushed back, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson stating, “It is a bald-faced lie for Newsom to claim there was no problem in Los Angeles before President Trump got involved.”
President Trump defended the use of force on his Truth Social platform, writing: “Looking really bad in LA. Bring in the troops.” The Pentagon confirmed that about 500 US Marines at Twentynine Palms were on standby in a “prepared to deploy” status by Sunday afternoon.
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