LA protests went from small to substantial over three days. Here's what unfolded

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6 hours ago

The tensions in Los Angeles started small and intensified over the course of the weekend, with both protesters and federal officials blaming each other for the escalation. Though details are still emerging, here's what we know now about how the situation unfolded.
Immigration raids in Los Angeles on the afternoon of June 6 sparked a small protest. The next day, larger protests began in the town of Paramount, south of Los Angeles, linked to rumors of a possible immigration raid.
Towards evening on June 7, President Donald Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard members to the area. That night, protesters threw rocks, bottles, and fireworks at officers. Later that same night, local police declared a small part of downtown Los Angeles an unlawful assembly area, and large numbers of protesters were cleared from the site.
Here's a timeline of the events.
Homeland Security agents detained several people outside a Home Depot just west of downtown Los Angeles on Friday morning.
A little later in the morning, another raid took place at an Ambiance clothing store in LA's Fashion District in downtown. During that operation, people gathered around to photograph and video the officers. A few protesters also arrived.
All told, four different search warrants were executed in Los Angeles on Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a spokesperson for Homeland Security told the Los Angeles Times. At least 44 people were arrested.
At one of the sites, the president of the Service Employees International Union, David Huerta, was arrested for allegedly interfering with federal officers. The union said Huerta was exercising his First Amendment right to observe and document law enforcement activity.
By around 6:30 p.m. local time on Friday night, more than 100 people gathered at the immigration services building and detention center in downtown Los Angeles to protest the raids, according to Reuters.
At around 7 p.m. local time, the Los Angeles Police Department declared it an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse. About half an hour later, multiple police vehicles and at least 50 police officers in riot gear arrived.
Some protesters threw pieces of broken concrete at the officers, who responded by firing tear gas and pepper spray. They also used flash-bang concussion rounds to disperse the crowd.
Around 9 a.m., Border Patrol agents gathered in a gated industrial office park in Paramount, a Latino suburb south of downtown Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Word spread on social media that raids were planned at a nearby Home Depot, and protesters began to gather, though it does not appear that officials engaged with immigrants at the store.
Police and Los Angeles Sheriff's officers arrived, and a very localized protest began, centered in the area around the Home Depot. About 350 to 400 protesters gathered. Some threw objects at the agents.
According to Los Angeles Times reporters who were on the scene, each time protesters threw anything at the agents or the police, tear gas and flash-bang rounds were fired back by federal agents.
One video on X showed protesters blocking a bus, which the Los Angeles Times identified as a U.S. Marshals bus. Another showed a car that had been vandalized.
By 4 p.m., social media posts showed Los Angeles police and sheriffs declaring the gathering an unlawful assembly and using loudspeakers to tell protesters that anyone who remained would be arrested.
Over the next few hours, the clash continued with protesters throwing things at officers, setting off fireworks, and burning at least one garbage can.
By midnight, the demonstrators began to leave the area. Multiple people had been arrested.
Another protest also broke out in the nearby city of Compton, where a car was set on fire. Compton Mayor Emma Sharif called for calm, posting online that "we urge everyone to remain peaceful. Violence and the destruction of property are not the solution."
The Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement commending "all those who exercised their First Amendment rights responsibly." But it went on to say, "while today's events concluded without incident, the Los Angeles Police Department remains fully prepared to respond swiftly and appropriately to any potential acts of civil unrest. Our commitment to safeguarding the rights, safety, and well-being of all Angelenos continues – day and night."
According to Homeland Security, on Saturday night, rioters surrounded the immigration services building and detention center, "assaulted ICE law enforcement officers, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer-funded property. "
In response, Trump signed a presidential memorandum deploying "at least" 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
In a statement, the White House said that "violent mobs have attacked ICE Officers and Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations in Los Angeles, California," making the deployment necessary.
Senior White House aide Stephen Miller on Saturday condemned protests, posting on X: "This is a violent insurrection."
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X: "Federal law enforcement operations are proceeding as planned this weekend in Los Angeles County. I urge the public to refrain from interfering with these lawful actions. Anyone who obstructs federal agents will face arrest and prosecution."
At 5:15 p.m. local time, California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X that deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles "is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions." He said there was "currently no unmet need" in the city. "This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust."
Early in the morning of June 8, several dozen National Guard troops arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center three blocks from Los Angeles City Hall. By 10:30 a.m., as many as 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed in three separate parts of the city.
Crowds of protesters began arriving in the area around the federal complex – which is mostly made up of city, state, and federal building – around noon. The protests were not widespread, and most of the city was quiet.
The situation began to escalate as the afternoon wore on. Many protesters waved Mexican flags or hybrid Mexican-American flags and chanted anti-ICE slogans. Some were also seen throwing water bottles and other objects at officers and law enforcement vehicles.
Videos shared on social media and footage from local television stations showed officers in riot gear, with the sound of flash-bangs in the background.
At least five Waymo self-driving taxis were vandalized by protesters who spray-painted them with anti-Trump and anti-ICE slogans. At least two were set on fire.
At one point, a crowd of protesters walked onto the 101 Freeway, blocking traffic in both directions. They were confronted by officers in riot gear, and by 5 p.m. local time the freeway was cleared.
LAPD said on X that it had placed officers across the city on "tactical alert." The police department later declared an 'unlawful assembly' for the Civic Center area and the historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles, an area covering a small portion of the sprawling city of 500 square miles.
It authorized the 'use of less lethal munitions."
The department issued a dispersal order and said arrests were being made.
In an emailed letter released on Sunday afternoon, Governor Newsom formally asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to rescind Trump's order to deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles.
National Guard troops and armored cars were stationed in a business park that contains a Department of Homeland Security office in the city of Paramount, the Los Angeles Times reported.
By 6:30, Los Angeles police said a 'number of people have been arrested' at the Civic Center area.
At 8 p.m., authorities moved in aggressively with flash-bangs and tear gas grenades, sending hundreds of people running, their eyes streaming with tears. Helicopters clattered overhead as protesters fled the area to the honking of car horns and periodic cheers.
Contributed: Trevor Hughes
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here's a timeline of the LA protests against immigration arrests