New Delhi: Protests in Los Angeles escalated as thousands of people hit the streets forcing the local law enforcement to fire tear gas and rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd. The tensions intensified following President Donald Trump’s extraordinary deployment of the National Guard on Sunday.
The protests erupted in downtown LA on Friday over immigration crackdown in the region. The deployment of nearly 300 federal troops triggered anger and fear among locals, leading to clashes with authorities. The demonstrations turned violent when some protesters closely approached the guard members, prompting officers to shoot smoke-filled canisters into the street. To disperse the crowd, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions.
- Protests intensifies after National Guard deployment
The deployment of the National Guard led to escalation of protests on Sunday with demonstrations spreading to Paramount, a heavily Latino city south of the city, and neighbouring Compton. The protesters also gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Centre, where detainees from the raids were being held. They chanted “shame” and “go home” at National Guard troops deployed outside, while law enforcement fired tear gas, smoke canisters and rubber bullets to tackle the crowd.
- Governor opposes National Guard deployment
Governor Gavin Newsom objected to the deployment of National Guard and sent a letter to Trump saying that the presence of the Guard was “inflaming tensions” in the city. He urged the President to remove the guard members, which he called a “serious breach of state sovereignty.”
I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command.
We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while… pic.twitter.com/tOtA5dcfxc
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 8, 2025
- Trump’s justification
Trump defended the decision saying the National Guard was necessary because Newsom and other Democrats have failed to stanch recent protests against immigration agents. The Trump administration has authorised the deployment of 2,000 members of the National Guard. This is the first time in decades that a state’s national guard was activated without governor’s request.
