Downtown Los Angeles descended into chaos over the weekend as protests against federal immigration raids and the unprecedented deployment of National Guard troops by President Donald Trump intensified. For a fourth consecutive day, demonstrators clashed with law enforcement, resulting in dozens of arrests, injuries, and significant property damage.
Authorities declared all of Downtown LA an unlawful assembly zone after protesters set self-driving cars ablaze, blocked freeways, and confronted police with projectiles. In response, officers used flash-bang grenades, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse crowds. At least 27 people were arrested on Sunday, including 17 detained during a blockade of the 101 Highway and others in violent scuffles with police downtown.
A flash bomb explodes on the 101 freeway near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, on Sunday.
Eric Thayer/AP
President Trump deployed around 300 National Guard troops to protect federal assets, a move made without California’s consent, marking the first such unilateral federal deployment in decades. Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass condemned the action as “inflammatory,” with Newsom announcing plans to sue the administration. An additional 500 Marines are reportedly on standby.
“This is not about safety; it’s about inciting fear,” Bass said in a statement.
A demonstrator waves a Mexico flag in front of burning dumpsters during a protest against federal immigration sweeps in downtown Los Angeles, California, on Sunday.
Aude Guerrucci/Reuters
The protests were sparked by intensified immigration enforcement operations led by ICE across California, targeting undocumented individuals and day laborers. Tensions reached a boiling point in Pasadena when ICE agents were reportedly seen lodging at a local hotel, prompting a peaceful rally led by labor activist Pablo Alvarado.
Demonstrators stand in front of police officers as they rally during a protest against federal immigration sweeps at the ICE building in San Francisco, California, on Sunday.
Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters
“We are asking people of good conscience to stand up and protest, peacefully,” said Alvarado, urging calm amid growing outrage.
A protestor is detained in downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night’s immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Despite appeals for nonviolence, the demonstrations turned volatile. In Paramount, British photographer Nick Stern was hospitalized after being struck by a sponge bullet while covering the unrest. Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi was also injured when hit by a rubber bullet during a live broadcast.
Similar unrest unfolded in San Francisco, where 60 protesters were arrested after a peaceful rally outside an ICE office turned violent. Two officers were injured and property was vandalized, prompting a citywide call for accountability.
A woman screams as protesters confront a line of police near the Metropolitan Detention Center in Downtown Los Angeles on Sunday.
Jae C. Hong/AP
LA’s history of resistance, from the 1968 Chicano Blowouts to the Rodney King riots and 2020’s Black Lives Matter marches, provides context for today’s demonstrations. But the scale and force of this federal response have stirred comparisons to darker chapters in US civil rights history.
The National Guard, police and protesters clash following two days of protests after a series of immigration raids in Los Angeles, California on Sunday.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Chief of Police Jim McDonnell acknowledged public fears, stating, “Our job is not to divide communities or politicize law enforcement, but to keep everyone safe.” However, images of looted storefronts, flaming vehicles, and injured civilians paint a stark picture of a city under siege.
As night fell on Sunday, law enforcement remained in full force on the streets. The situation remains fluid, with scattered protests continuing and authorities warning of more arrests if the unrest persists.
Waymo cars are set on fire as protesters clash with law enforcement near the federal building during a protest in response to federal immigration operations in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Etienne Laurent/AFP/Getty Images
Written By Rodney Mbua
