High tension in Los Angeles on the third day of protests against the raids for the deportation of migrants. The deployment of National Guard troops decided by Donald Trump, in contrast with the Californian political leaders, has exacerbated the conflicts. The clashes intensified on Sunday evening, with some episodes of vandalism and violence, including the burning of cars. The National Guard (the one sent is a combat unit, ed. note) fired rubber bullets at eye and leg height and used tear gas and batons.
Los Angeles police have declared downtown Los Angeles an"unlawful assembly" zone. Several merchants have reported looting at their stores in the financial district of the California metropolis. About 150 arrests have been made so far. Los Angeles police officers are"under attack" by protesters, Los Angeles police captain Raul Jovel said, according to CNN. Three officers were slightly injured in clashes with protesters, he added. Among the injured was British photojournalist Nick Stern, who was shot with a rubber bullet while covering the protests. Stern underwent emergency surgery to remove the bullet and told BBC News what happened.
Clashes are also taking place in San Francisco, where police announced that 60 people were arrested. And now the protests threaten to spread: new protests are expected in more than a dozen cities across the country, including Sacramento, where the Service Employees International Union of California announced it will demonstrate in front of the state Capitol following the arrest of a prominent union leader on Friday in Los Angeles.
“Our job is not to divide communities or politicize law enforcement. Our job is simply to keep everyone safe,” said the city’s police chief, Jim McDonnell who reports that the protest is becoming increasingly violent. The White House seems to want to insist on a hard line . After the intervention of the National Guard, 500 marines are also ready.
California Governor Gavin Newsom calls Trump a “dictator” and calls for troop withdrawal: “We had no problem with Trump until Trump intervened. This is a serious violation of state sovereignty : it fuels tensions and takes resources away from where they are actually needed,” the Democrat added. California will file a lawsuit today challenging Trump’s order to use the National Guard as a federal force.
The White House, however, said Newsom “did nothing while violent riots erupted in Los Angeles for days,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. “Federal officers – she charged – were attacked by violent extremists and illegal criminals waving foreign flags because Governor Newsom was too weak to protect the city. The Los Angeles police chief even said that the riots were getting out of hand . President Trump intervened to maintain law and order and protect federal buildings.”
In a series of posts on his social media site Truth, the US president described the riots as an attack on immigration enforcement efforts: “A great American city, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by illegal immigrants and criminals,” he wrote. He then called the demonstrations “migrant riots” and said federal agencies had been instructed to take “all necessary measures” to restore order and continue deportation operations. Trump noted that the situation in Los Angeles was “really bad” and called for “the troops to come in.” He then ordered “the arrest of anyone wearing a mask.”
Trump has repeatedly threatened to cut federal funding to cities and states that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, known as “sanctuary” jurisdictions, including Los Angeles. Meanwhile, U.S. troops have conducted their first detentions inside military zones established on the Mexican border. The new military zones along the 250-mile (418-kilometer) border between New Mexico and Texas have been declared extensions of U.S. military bases by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, allowing troops to temporarily detain migrants and other civilian intruders. Meanwhile, the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles reminds its fellow citizens present in the various areas of the Los Angeles region “affected by the ongoing police operations” “to carefully monitor official announcements and media reports, increase security awareness and strengthen related precautions”.
