Downtown Los Angeles became a battleground Sunday as over 1,000 demonstrators confronted National Guard troops deployed during ongoing protests against sweeping federal immigration raids. Xinhua journalists witnessed violent clashes as security forces fired tear gas and smoke grenades to disperse crowds near the Metropolitan Detention Center, with some projectiles striking both protesters and members of the press.
The unrest follows Friday’s coordinated ICE operations across Southern California that resulted in more than 100 arrests, triggering two days of sustained demonstrations. Protesters blocked major thoroughfares including a key downtown freeway while chanting anti-administration slogans at security personnel encircling federal buildings. “They’re turning our city into a warzone over political theater,” one demonstrator told reporters amid the chaos.
The Trump administration escalated tensions Saturday by ordering 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles under federal command – an unusual move bypassing California Governor Gavin Newsom’s authority. The 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team established security perimeters at multiple locations Sunday morning, with Northern Command officials stating their mission involved protecting federal property and personnel.
Newsom launched a furious counteroffensive, demanding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reverse what he called an “unlawful” federal overreach. “This isn’t about public safety – it’s about manufacturing a crisis for television,” the governor asserted in social media posts, accusing the president of deliberately inflaming tensions ahead of the election season. The Democratic leader urged protesters to maintain peaceful demonstrations despite the military presence.
The standoff represents the most severe state-federal confrontation since Trump took office, testing constitutional boundaries regarding military deployment for domestic law enforcement. Legal experts note the 1807 Insurrection Act gives presidents broad but rarely used powers to deploy troops without gubernatorial consent – authority last invoked during 1992’s Rodney King riots.
As night fell Sunday, organizers promised continued demonstrations while business leaders expressed concern over prolonged disruptions. The Los Angeles Police Department reported multiple arrests but no serious injuries, even as social media footage showed isolated incidents of property damage and confrontations with security forces. With neither side showing signs of retreat, the crisis appears poised to intensify through the coming week.
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