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Police issue assembly ban for downtown LA after third day of demos

Police issue assembly ban for downtown LA after third day of demos

Yahoo2 days ago

Authorities have declared the entire downtown Los Angeles area an "unlawful assembly" zone after a third consecutive day of clashes between protesters and law enforcement, sparked by the crackdown on immigration ordered by US President Donald Trump.
"You are to leave the area immediately," the Los Angeles police department (LAPD) wrote on X in the early hours of Monday.
Over the weekend, 56 people were arrested in connection with the ongoing protests, according to police reports.
Police chief Jim McDonnell was quoted by US media as announcing that "the number of arrests so far is nothing compared to what is yet to come."
On Sunday, tensions spiked dramatically following Trump's order to deploy the National Guard and, controversially, mobilize regular military forces - despite opposition from local officials.
Thousands of protesters flooded the streets in response to the unprecedented deployment. Law enforcement responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs in an effort to disperse the crowds.
However, the rest of the sprawling metropolis continued to function largely as normal, aside from isolated pockets of unrest in the downtown area.
An expert cited by The New York Times said this is the first time in 60 years that a president has deployed a state's National Guard without the governor's consent.
The last instance was in 1965, when president Lyndon B Johnson used troops to protect predominantly Black demonstrators during the civil rights movement in Alabama
The protests began on Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers executed search warrants across the city as Trump pushed forward with his goal of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has accused the Trump administration of deliberately provoking the escalation and acting unlawfully in an effort to portray the president as a strongman leader.
The Democratic governor - considered a potential contender for the 2028 presidential race - announced that the state would file a lawsuit against the federal government.
Protests also in San Francisco
Protests against the deportation of migrants without residence permits also led to riots in San Francisco.
Around 60 people were detained after an initially peaceful demonstration in front of a building belonging to ICE, local station KGO reported.
According to the report, hundreds of people protested on Sunday evening against the raids and deportations of migrants without valid residence permits currently taking place in the state of California.
The mood turned sour when some demonstrators destroyed property, carried out attacks and caused other damage, according to police, the station reported.
In order to break up the demonstration, the authorities declared the protests an "unlawful assembly."
Some people nevertheless remained and later damaged buildings and a police car in other streets. Another group refused to disperse. This led to the arrests. According to the report, two officers were injured. A firearm was also seized.

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