How the Los Angeles protests unfolded: A visual guide

Al Jazeera

a day ago

Parts of downtown Los Angeles were under a nighttime curfew on Tuesday after LA Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency to 'stop the vandalism' and 'to stop the looting'.
The protests began on Friday after United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities conducted a series of immigration raids across the city.
The next day, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to LA without California Governor Gavin Newsom's consent. Trump ordered the deployment of 700 Marines and an additional 2,000 National Guard forces on Monday.
This provoked an ongoing battle between state and federal authorities, with Newsom calling Trump's order a 'blatant abuse of power' and Mayor Bass describing the deployment as an 'intentional effort to sow chaos'.
On the federal side, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem referred to Los Angeles as a 'city of criminals' and accused local officials of inaction.
Morning: ICE conducted coordinated raids across LA, targeting a Home Depot, garment factories, warehouses and street vendor locations. At least 44 individuals were arrested for 'immigration violations'. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said they included gang members and criminals.
The raids quickly triggered protests and demonstrations blocked entrances and exits for the Edward R Roybal Federal Building in Downtown LA, where the detainees were being processed.Afternoon: David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the largest and most influential labour unions in the country, was arrested outside a garment warehouse where protesters had gathered to oppose an immigration raid. Huerta was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Downtown LA, where protesters assembled in solidarity.
Evening: The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared the area an unlawful assembly, deployed tear gas, issued tactical alerts and made several arrests.
Morning: The next morning, reports emerged of more immigration raids, this time outside a Home Depot store in Paramount, about 26km (16 miles) southeast of downtown LA, where day labourers often gather in hopes of being hired for short-term jobs.
There, protesters clashed with security forces, who used tear gas and flashbang grenades to disperse the crowd.
Afternoon: The protests escalated as demonstrators blocked streets, threw stones and set a vehicle on fire. The LA County Sheriff declares the gathering an unlawful assembly and uses tear gas to disperse the crowd.Evening: President Trump orders at least 2,000 National Guard troops to be deployed to Los Angeles, federalising them under Title 10 of the US Code, which allows the federal government to mobilise National Guard units without the consent of state governors.
It marked the first time since 1965 that a president had deployed National Guard troops to a state without a governor's request.
Morning: About 300 National Guard troops arrive in downtown LA, Paramount, and neighbouring Compton to secure federal sites, prompting anger and fear among many residents.
On the most intense day of demonstrations so far, thousands of protesters gathered in downtown LA near the Metropolitan Detention Center, where they were met by National Guard troops deployed to support immigration officials.
Afternoon: Large crowds march from City Hall to the Federal Detention Center. The LAPD once again issues dispersal orders and begins arrests.
Protesters briefly block sections of the 101 Freeway, disrupting one of Los Angeles' busiest highways. Some demonstrators also set fire to several self-driving cars, escalating tensions further. In response, authorities deployed tear gas, rubber bullets and flashbang grenades to disperse the crowd.
Morning: After a relatively calm night, the fourth day begins with renewed ICE raids targeting workplaces across Southern California, including in suburban areas like Santa Ana and Paramount.
Thousands gather for a large rally at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles, organised by the SEIU. The demonstration, joined by local officials and members of Congress, calls for an end to the raids, the immediate release of the SEIU's Huerta, and the withdrawal of National Guard troops from the city. Huerta is later released on a $50,000 bond.
Afternoon: The state of California files a lawsuit against President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, arguing that the Title 10 deployment of National Guard troops unlawfully oversteps state sovereignty.
Trump doubles the number of National Guard troops from 2,000 to 4,000, while also deploying 700 Marines in a domestic deployment not seen in decades.
Evening: Protests continue around the federal building, with a mix of peaceful rallies and sporadic clashes with police. Authorities deploy tear gas and rubber bullets, and hundreds of arrests are reported throughout the day.
The protests entered their fifth day, with demonstrations remaining mixed, many peaceful, while others involved vandalism, looting, rock throwing and the use of crowd-control measures.
Newsom and Bass continued to condemn the military presence as illegal and damaging, warning it tarnishes the city's image as it prepares for major events like the 2028 Olympics and the World Cup. A Pentagon official estimated that the deployment of Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles will cost about $134m.
Despite mounting criticism, President Donald Trump doubles down on his decision to deploy the National Guard and Marines to confront protesters in Los Angeles.
Mayor Bass announces a curfew for a portion of the downtown area, effective from 8pm on Tuesday until 6am on Wednesday. The curfew covers an area of approximately 20sq km (7.7sq miles).
The state of California has the largest Latino or Hispanic population of any US state, both in total numbers and as a share of its population, with nearly half of its residents identifying as such in the 2024 Census.
Los Angeles is the United States's second-largest city, after New York City, with a population of some 3.8 million residents within its city limits. The city is home to more than 1.35 million migrants, which means that one in every three residents is a migrant, according to the LA city government in 2024.Los Angeles is one of many self-claimed sanctuary cities across the US, which limit their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, particularly US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to protect undocumented citizens from detention and deportation.
Sanctuary laws differ from place to place. Some ban asking about immigration status, while others only refuse to hold people on ICE detainers. Being in a sanctuary city or state does not mean someone is safe from deportation. ICE can still operate and arrest people in sanctuary jurisdictions.
The most recent protests in LA are part of a series of continuing demonstrations by civil society and various groups opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to the detention and deportation of community members.
According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), an organisation that tracks political violence and protests worldwide, at least 2,112 demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement have occurred since January 2025.
These protests are shown on the map below.