LA protests turn violent after Trump deploys National Guard troops
Tear gas and flash bangs were used to control the crowd, as ITV News' Daniel Rosney reports
Tensions have escalated in Los Angeles as thousands of protesters clashed with police, after President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops as part of his latest immigration crackdown.
Demonstrators set fire to self-driving cars, blocked motorways and hurled chunks of concrete and electric scooters at police officers, who responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Some were detained on Sunday evening, as police arrested those refusing to disperse.
Sunday marked the third and most intense day of protests against Trump's immigration policy in the region.
A British news photographer was hospitalised and underwent emergency surgery after being hit by a sponge bullet while documenting a standoff between authorities and protesters. Protesters march from City Hall to the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. / Credit: AP
Nick Stern said: 'My initial concern was, were they firing live rounds?
'Some of the protesters came and helped me, and they ended up carrying me, and I noticed that there was blood pouring down my leg.'
The arrival of around 2,000 National Guard troops came after two days of protests, which began on Friday, when federal agents arrested a number of immigrants in the city.
More than 100 immigrant arrests were made last week in Los Angeles, according to federal authorities. Protesters confront police on the 101 Freeway near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles. / Credit: AP
Many more were arrested while protesting, including a prominent union leader who was accused of impeding law enforcement.
The Guard is a US military reserve force often mobilised in domestic emergencies, answering to both state governors and the president.
It was deployed to protect LA's federal buildings, including the downtown detention centre where protesters concentrated.
Troops stood carrying long guns and riot shields on Sunday morning, as protesters shouted 'shame' and 'go home'.
After some demonstrators came close to them, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street.
Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully.
Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until police cleared them by the late afternoon.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said deploying the troops was 'essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States'.
Democratic Governor of California Gavin Newsom requested that Trump remove the guard members in a letter on Sunday afternoon, calling their deployment a breach of state sovereignty.
– Inciting and provoking violence – Creating mass chaos – Militarizing cities – Arresting opponents
These are the acts of a dictator, not a President. https://t.co/e4YjBMPtna — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 8, 2025
In a post on social media platform X, Newsom launched a series of criticisms of the president, calling him a 'dictator' and accusing him of inciting violence.
As he prepared to board Air Force One in New Jersey on Sunday, Trump told reporters that there were 'violent people' in Los Angeles, adding: 'They're not gonna get away with it.'
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