National Guard face protesters hours after arriving in LA on Trump's orders
The confrontation broke out in front of the Metropolitan Detention Centre in central Los Angeles, as a group of demonstrators shouted insults at members of the federal guard lined shoulder to shoulder behind plastic riot shields.
There did not appear to be any arrests.
About 300 National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday on orders from Mr Trump, in response to clashes in recent days between federal immigration authorities and protesters seeking to block them from carrying out deportations.
Members of California's National Guard had mobilised at the federal complex in central Los Angeles that includes the Metropolitan Detention Centre, one of several sites that have seen confrontations involving hundreds of people in last two days.
The troops included members of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, according to a social media post from the Department of Defence that showed dozens of National Guard members with long guns and an armoured vehicle.
Mr Trump has said he is deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell the protests, which he called 'a form of rebellion'.
California — Don't give Donald Trump what he wants.
Speak up. Stay peaceful. Stay calm.
Do not use violence and respect the law enforcement officers that are trying their best to keep the peace.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 8, 2025
The deployment was limited to a small area in central Los Angeles. The protests have been relatively small and limited to that area. The rest of the city of four million people is largely unaffected.
Their arrival follows clashes near a Home Depot in the heavily Latino city of Paramount, south of Los Angeles.
As protesters sought to block Border Patrol vehicles, some hurling rocks and chunks of cement, federal agents unleashed tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls.
Tensions were high after a series of sweeps by immigration authorities the previous day, as the weeklong tally of immigrant arrests in the city climbed past 100.
A protester throws a rock while surrounded by tear gas from law enforcement during a demonstration in Paramount on Saturday (Eric Thayer/AP)
A prominent union leader was arrested while protesting and accused of impeding law enforcement.
On Sunday, homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said the National Guard would 'keep peace and allow people to be able to protest but also to keep law and order'.
In a signal of the administration's aggressive approach, defence secretary Pete Hegseth also threatened to deploy active-duty marines 'if violence continues' in the region.
The move came over the objections of governor Gavin Newsom, marking the first time in decades that a state's national guard was activated without a request from its governor, according to the Brennan Centre for Justice.
Police detain a man during a protest in Paramount (Eric Thayer/AP)
In a directive on Saturday, Mr Trump invoked a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States'.
Mr Newsom, a Democrat, said Mr Trump's decision to call in the National Guard was 'purposefully inflammatory'.
He described Mr Hegseth's threat to deploy marines on American soil as 'deranged behaviour'.
In a statement on Sunday, assistant homeland security secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused California's politicians and protesters of 'defending heinous illegal alien criminals at the expense of Americans' safety'.
A message to the LA rioters: you will not stop us or slow us down. @ICEgov will continue to enforce the law.
And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) June 7, 2025
'Instead of rioting, they should be thanking Ice (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer,' Ms McLaughlin added.
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders said the order by Mr Trump reflected 'a president moving this country rapidly into authoritarianism' and 'usurping the powers of the United States Congress'.
Mr Trump's order came after clashes in Paramount and neighbouring Compton, where a car was set on fire.
Protests continued into the evening in Paramount, with several hundred demonstrators gathered near a doughnut shop, and authorities holding up barbed wire to keep the crowd back.
Crowds also gathered again outside federal buildings in central Los Angeles, including a detention centre, where police declared an unlawful assembly and began to arrest people.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Trump sends 700 Marines & another 2k National Guard to riot-ravaged LA as chaos spreads with arrests in NYC & Texas
DONALD Trump is sending 700 Marines and another 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to defend the city from immigration raid riots. Violent protests have continued to spread across the US over the past 24 hours with lawless demonstrators arrested in California, New York and Texas. 5 5 5 5 The City of Angels has been engulfed in anarchy over the past four days as rioters have burned cars and battled with cops. On Monday, the issues continued across LA with dozens of arrests made as police and rioters clashed once more. The scenes of violence which sparked on Sunday night were toned down on Monday despite the continued issues. Police were again struck by fireworks and forced to deploy tear gas and pepper gas on incoming demonstrators. Buses were even used to load up those detained and ship them off to police stations for the evening. A defiant Trump is still hoping for a quick end to the protests so he can enforce his immigration policy. It comes as the President also issued a searing warning to Gavin Newsom and called for the California Governor's arrest. The President has claimed LA - a sanctuary city - has now been "invaded" by illegal immigrants. He raged "If they spit, we'll hit" after reports of masked rioters spitting in the face of cops emerged. Trump said: "I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before." His latest call has seen the US Marines drafted in to help restore order. They will be tasked with protecting federal property and federal personnel, according to Fox News. And another 2,000 National Guard troops will be deployed across the city after Trump already ordered 1,000 members to defend the city. The decision to bolster up LA's police force was widely criticized by California's leadership. Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass insisted the federal troops only escalated the peaceful protests into riots on Sunday night. The Governor even shot back against Trump saying: "This isn't about public safety. It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego." California then officially sued the Trump administration to try and stop more federal troops being sent. Trump lashed out at Newsom in response and told reporters he agreed with border czar Tom Homan that the Governor should be arrested because he's "grossly incompetent." Newsom fired back on X, slamming Trump's threat as "an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism." Homan said there are no official plans to arrest Newsom. The exchange came hours after Trump said Newsom and Bass should thank him because the city would be "completely obliterated" if he hadn't mobilized the Guard. Rioters looted shops, set self-driving Waymo cars on fire, and blocked off the 101 Freeway on Sunday night. Cops used flash-bang explosives and pepper balls to push back the protesters, even shooting a TV reporter with rubber bullets live on air at the terrifying scene. 5 By What is the US National Guard? THE US National Guard is a reserve military force made up of part-time service members who typically hold civilian jobs but can be activated for federal or state duty. Each state, territory, and the District of Columbia has its own National Guard, which can be mobilized by the state governor or the President. Can the President call the National Guard for local matters? Yes, but with limits. Normally, governors deploy their state's National Guard to handle local emergencies like natural disasters, protests, or civil unrest. The President can federalize the National Guard under specific laws, such as the Insurrection Act. This allows them to respond to domestic unrest if it's deemed beyond the capacity of local or state authorities. When federalized, National Guard troops operate under presidential command rather than the governor's. While it's unusual, a president can deploy the National Guard into a state without a governor's consent if certain legal thresholds are met. These typically involve threats to federal property, national security, or widespread breakdowns in public order. However, such actions are often politically and legally controversial. 9th Jun 2025, 07:13 By Georgie English Trump vs California Despite the carnage flooding the streets, California's government has said they have the situation under control. Governor Gavin Newsom even accused Trump of "inflaming tensions" by deploying the National Guard. The pair have a long history of heated disputes over policy. Newsom formerly requested Trump remove the guard members, which he called a "serious breach of state sovereignty". Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass added the arrival of troops is a "dangerous escalation". She said: "We do not want to play in to the [Trump] administration's hands." "What we're seeing in Los Angeles is chaos provoked by the administration." Trump fired back at California's government as he called them "incompetent". Newsom and Trump reportedly spoke for 40 minutes by phone on Saturday, though details of their conversation have not been disclosed. The deployment of troops marks the first time in six decades that a state's National Guard was activated without a request from its governor, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Trump orders thousands more troops to Los Angeles despite police warnings
The moves escalates a military presence that local officials and California governor Gavin Newsom do not want and the police chief says creates logistical challenges for safely handling protests. An initial 2,000 Guard troops ordered by Mr Trump started arriving on Sunday, which saw the most violence during three days of protests driven by anger over the Republican's stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws that critics say are breaking apart migrant families. Monday's demonstrations were far less raucous, with thousands peacefully attending a rally at City Hall and hundreds protesting outside a federal complex that includes a detention centre where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids across the city. Mr Trump has described Los Angeles in dire terms that Mayor Karen Bass and Mr Newsom say are nowhere close to the truth. They say he is putting public safety at risk by adding military personnel even though police say they do not need the help. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement he was confident in the police department's ability to handle large-scale demonstrations and that the Marines' arrival without coordinating with the police department would present a 'significant logistical and operational challenge' for them. Mr Newsom called the deployments reckless and 'disrespectful to our troops' in a post on the social platform X. 'This isn't about public safety,' Mr Newsom said. 'It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego.' U.S. Marines serve a valuable purpose for this country — defending democracy. They are not political pawns. The Secretary of Defense is illegally deploying them onto American streets so Trump can have a talking point at his parade this weekend. It's a blatant abuse of power.… — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 10, 2025 The protests began on Friday in downtown Los Angeles after federal immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people across the city. The smell of smoke hung in the air downtown on Monday, one day after crowds blocked a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire as police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. Additional protests against immigration raids continued into the evening on Monday in several other cities including San Francisco and Santa Ana in California and Dallas and Austin in Texas. In Austin, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a post on X that more than a dozen protesters were arrested, while in Santa Ana, a spokesperson for the city's police department said the National Guard had arrived in the city to secure federal buildings. California attorney general Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit over the use of National Guard troops following the first deployment, telling reporters in his announcement that Mr Trump had 'trampled' the state's sovereignty. 'We don't take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilising California National Guard troops,' Mr Bonta said. He sought a court order declaring Mr Trump's use of the Guard unlawful and asking for a restraining order to halt the deployment. US officials said the Marine troops were deployed to protect federal property and personnel, including federal immigration agents. Mr Trump's Monday order put more National Guard members on active duty, but one US official warned that the order was just signed and it could take a day or two to get troops moving. T Despite their presence, there has been limited engagement so far between the Guard and protesters while local law enforcement implements crowd control. Ms Bass criticised the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines as a 'deliberate attempt' by the Trump administration to 'create disorder and chaos in our city'. She made a plea to the federal government: 'Stop the raids.' On Monday, thousands flooded the streets around City Hall for a union rally ahead of a hearing for arrested labour leader David Huerta, who was freed a few hours later on a 50,000 dollar bond. Mr Huerta's arrest on Friday while protesting agaisnt immigration raids has become a rallying cry for people angry over the administration's crackdown. He is the president of the Service Employees International Union California, which represents thousands of the state's janitors, security officers and other workers. Early protests had a calm and even joyful atmosphere at times, with people dancing to live music and buoyed by Huerta's release. Protesters linked hands in front of a line of police officers outside the downtown federal detention centre where Mr Huerta was being held. Religious leaders joined the protesters, working with organisers at times to de-escalate moments of tension. There was a heavy law enforcement presence in the few square blocks including the federal detention facility, while most in the immense city of some 4 million people went about their normal business on peaceful streets. Chanting against a line of National Guard troops with Homeland Security officers behind them surrounding the federal buildings ramped up in the afternoon as people yelled, 'Free them all!' and 'National Guard go away'.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Night of hell for Ukraine as Putin launches 315 drones in one of biggest strikes of war sparking huge inferno in Kyiv
Horror images show the devastation in Ukraine after another night from hell at the hands of the Kremlin UNDER SIEGE Night of hell for Ukraine as Putin launches 315 drones in one of biggest strikes of war sparking huge inferno in Kyiv Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) VLADIMIR Putin has killed at least two people in a terrifying drone blitz which tore through a Ukrainian maternity ward. Russia directly attacked Kyiv with 315 drones and missiles and demolished large parts of the southern port of Odesa overnight. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 A woman runs past a warehouse which is on fire following Russia's attacks on Kyiv Credit: Reuters 4 An explosion lights up the sky over the capital Credit: Reuters 4 A Russian drone strike on Kyiv left dozens of residential buildings crumbling Credit: AP At least four people have been hospitalised in Kyiv with seven out of the city's 10 districts being impacted. The devastating aerial attacks sparked intense recovery operations as emergency services battled against fires in residential neighbourhoods. Air raid alerts in Kyiv lasted for around five hours as they first alerted residents at around 5am, according to military data. Russia sent out a 315 drone blitz in the attack, including 250 Shaheds, and seven missiles, according to Volodymyr Zelensky. A harrowing image of the capital's skyline shows how it had been engulfed by a cloud of orange from the numerous blasts. As the sun rose in the morning residents complained they 'could not see the dawn' due to the thick black smoke still lingering in the air. Timur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv's military district, said on Telegram: "A difficult night for all of us. "Throughout the night, the enemy relentlessly terrorised Kyiv with attack drones. "They targeted civilian infrastructure and peaceful residents of the city." Russia claimed they had only targeted the Ukrainian Artem plant which is where Kyiv produces air-to-air missiles, air-guided weapons, and anti-tank guided missiles. Zelensky also said large swaths of Odesa, Dnipro region, and Chernihiv were all hit overnight. The heroic leader said the night from hell marked one of the "largest attacks" in the gruelling war to date. In Odesa, a maternity hospital and residential buildings were all completely destroyed. Two were killed at the hands of Putin across the city. Speaking on X, Zelensky said: "In Odesa, even a maternity hospital became a Russian target. "Thirteen people were injured. Tragically, there are fatalities. My condolences to the families. "It is vital that the response to this and other similar Russian attacks is not silence from the world, but concrete action." Ukraine now reportedly faces over 500 drone strikes every night, as Russia appears to have stepped up assaults following operation Spiderweb. Earlier this week, Russian drones and missiles were launched at Kyiv again as Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bombers were reportedly unleashed to rain hell on the infamous Snake Island in the Black Sea. Moscow launched a massive strike on Rivne using its Tu-22M3 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers to hit Dubny airbase. Another key Ukrainian military airport - Hostomel - was also attacked as Putin sought revenge for the humiliating attack. Polish armed forces command said Nato fighter jets were patrolling due to 'intensive air attack by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory'. Just days ago, Kharkiv was rocked overnight as 48 kamikaze drones, along with missiles and guided bombs, slammed into residential areas, according to the city's mayor. 'We have a lot of damage,' Ihor Terekhov said. More than 50 explosions rocked Kharkiv, with the mayor adding it was 'the most powerful attack' on the city of the 39-month war.
