Trump calls LA protests a 'foreign invasion' as over 100 arrested
More than 100 people have been arrested in Los Angeles since Monday evening during protests against US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, the local police department said on Tuesday.
Some 96 people were taken into custody on Monday evening in the city centre of the Californian metropolis for failing to disperse from a prohibited gathering, the police said.
According to reports, 14 others were arrested for looting, and three were taken into custody for resisting arrest, assault with a deadly weapon, or property damage.
Two police officers were taken to hospital for medical treatment, but have since been released, the reports said.
People have been protesting in Los Angeles for days against attempts by security forces to carry out immigration raids. US President Donald Trump has sent thousands of National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city, claiming the situation is out of control.
LA mayor declares curfew for downtown area
In response to the protests, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a curfew in downtown Los Angeles from 8 pm on Tuesday (0300 GMT Wednesday) until 6 am on Wednesday.
"I have declared a local emergency and issued a curfew for downtown Los Angeles to stop the vandalism, to stop the looting," Bass told reporters at an evening news conference, noting significant damage to businesses and properties.
"Law enforcement will arrest individuals who break the curfew, and you will be prosecuted," she added.
Trump says LA is being invaded by a 'foreign enemy'
Trump on Tuesday described the unrest in Los Angeles as an invasion by a "foreign enemy" during a speech at Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina.
Addressing the ongoing protests in the city, he said demonstrators were "rioters bearing foreign flags with the aim of continuing a foreign invasion of our country."
"What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order, and on national sovereignty," Trump said.
"We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy."
He went on to describe the protesters as "animals" who "proudly carry the flags of other countries," but do not carry the US flag.
Trump says he's open to using Insurrection Act
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said he is considering whether to invoke a 200-year-old law to deploy additional military forces in Los Angeles.
Responding to journalists at the White House, Trump said he would consider invoking the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that allows presidents to send troops to restore public order in certain emergency situations.
"If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it," he stated.
The protests appeared to cool off on Monday night, although Los Angeles police reported that "as demonstrators were being disbursed, agitators and miscreants within the crowd looted businesses and vandalized property."
Critics including California Governor Gavin Newsom have accused Trump of inflaming the situation by sending troops.
The costs of financing the existing deployment for 60 days have been estimated at $134 million by the Department of Defense.
Without providing evidence, Trump also blamed "paid insurrectionists" for the violence in Los Angeles.
"These are paid insurrectionists. These are paid troublemakers. They get money," he said.
Trump further argued that the city "would be burning right now" if not for the troops he sent, comparing the situation to the fires that caused unprecedented damage earlier this year.
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