Protests escalate in Los Angeles following Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops.
- NewsBlend360
- Jun 9
- 5 min read
BY NEWS BLEND 360
Updated 11:11 AM EDT, June 9, 2025
LOS ANGELES (NB360) — Tensions in Los Angeles heightened on Sunday as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in response to President Donald Trump’s unusual deployment of the National Guard. They blocked a major freeway and set self-driving cars ablaze, while law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bangs to manage the crowd.
As evening approached, many protesters dispersed after police declared an unlawful assembly, a step before officers moved in to arrest those who didn’t leave. Some remaining protesters threw objects at police from behind a makeshift barrier spanning the street, while others threw chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters, and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles on the closed southbound 101 Freeway. Officers took cover under an overpass.
Sunday’s protests in Los Angeles, a vast city of 4 million, were concentrated in several downtown blocks. It marked the third and most intense day of demonstrations against Trump’s immigration crackdown in the area, as the arrival of about 300 Guard troops sparked anger and fear among many residents.
The Guard was specifically deployed to protect federal buildings, including the downtown detention center where protesters gathered.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell stated that officers were “overwhelmed” by the remaining protesters, noting that they included regular agitators who attend demonstrations to cause disturbances.
Over the protest-filled weekend, numerous individuals were taken into custody. On Sunday, one person was arrested for hurling a Molotov cocktail at the police, while another was apprehended for crashing a motorcycle into a group of officers.
Trump replied to McDonnell on Truth Social, urging him to detain protesters wearing face masks.
“Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!” he wrote.
Dozens Arrested During San Francisco Demonstration
In San Francisco, police reported that dozens of individuals were taken into custody on Sunday night after a group disobeyed an order to disperse, according to a social media statement.
Officers were overseeing a protest near Sansome and Washington streets but declared the gathering unlawful when participants became violent, the San Francisco Police Department stated. While many left, some stayed and others moved to Market and Kearny streets, where buildings and a police vehicle were vandalized.
A small group proceeded to Montgomery Street, and after failing to heed a dispersal order, police reported arresting 60 people. Three officers were injured, with one requiring hospitalization, according to the police.
“Individuals are always free to exercise their First Amendment rights in San Francisco, but violence — especially against SFPD officers — will never be tolerated,” the statement emphasized.
Escalation of Clashes as National Guard Arrives
In Los Angeles on Sunday morning, National Guard troops stood in formation, equipped with long guns and riot shields, as protesters chanted “shame” and “go home.” When some approached the guards, another group of uniformed officers moved forward, deploying smoke-filled canisters into the street.
Shortly after, the Los Angeles Police Department used crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who were reportedly unlawfully assembled. A significant portion of the group then blocked traffic on the 101 freeway until state patrol officers cleared the area by late afternoon.
Nearby, at least four Waymo self-driving cars were set ablaze, producing large clouds of black smoke and intermittent explosions as the electric vehicles burned. By evening, police declared an unlawful assembly, closing several downtown Los Angeles blocks.
Flash bangs continued to echo into the evening.
Governor Declares Guard Unnecessary
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom requested that Trump withdraw the guard members in a letter on Sunday afternoon, describing their deployment as a “serious breach of state sovereignty.” He was in Los Angeles meeting with local law enforcement and officials.
This deployment seemed to be the first instance in decades where a state’s national guard was activated without the governor's request, marking a significant escalation against those opposing the administration’s mass deportation efforts.
Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass attributed the increasingly aggressive protests to Trump’s decision to deploy the Guard, calling it a move intended to heighten tensions. Both have urged protesters to remain peaceful.
“What we’re witnessing in Los Angeles is chaos instigated by the administration,” she stated at an afternoon press conference. “This is about another agenda, not about public safety.”
However, LAPD chief McDonnell noted that the protests followed a familiar pattern of escalating civil unrest, intensifying on the second and third days.
He refuted claims by the Trump administration that the LAPD failed to assist federal authorities when protests erupted on Friday following a series of immigration raids. He stated that his department responded as swiftly as possible, but had not been informed in advance of the raids and thus was not prepared for protests.
Meanwhile, Newsom has consistently stated that California authorities had the situation under control. He criticized Trump for posting a congratulatory message to the Guard on social media before troops even arrived in Los Angeles, and mentioned on MSNBC that Trump never suggested deploying the Guard during a Friday phone call. He labeled Trump a “stone cold liar.”
The criticisms did not dissuade the administration.
“It’s a blatant lie for Newsom to claim there was no issue in Los Angeles before President Trump intervened,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated.
Deployment Follows Days of Protests
The National Guard's arrival followed two days of protests that began on Friday in downtown Los Angeles, spreading on Saturday to Paramount, a predominantly Latino city south of Los Angeles, and neighboring Compton.
Federal agents arrested immigrants in LA’s fashion district, in a Home Depot parking lot, and at several other locations on Friday. The next day, they gathered at a Department of Homeland Security office near another Home Depot in Paramount, which drew protesters who suspected another raid. Federal authorities later stated there was no enforcement activity at that Home Depot.
The weeklong count of immigrant arrests in the LA area rose above 100, federal authorities reported. Many more were arrested while protesting, including a prominent union leader accused of obstructing law enforcement.
The protests did not reach the magnitude of past demonstrations that brought the National Guard to Los Angeles, such as the Watts and Rodney King riots, and the 2020 protests against police violence, during which Newsom requested federal troop assistance.
The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor’s consent was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
Trump Announces 'Very Strong Law and Order'
On Saturday, Trump issued a directive invoking a legal provision that allows him to deploy federal service members in cases of "a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States."
He announced the authorization of 2,000 National Guard members for deployment.
As Trump was about to board Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, on Sunday, he informed reporters about the presence of “violent people” in Los Angeles, stating “and they’re not gonna get away with it.”
When questioned about his intention to send U.S. troops to Los Angeles, Trump replied: “We’re gonna have troops everywhere. We’re not going to let this happen to our country.” He did not elaborate further.
According to the U.S. Northern Command, around 500 Marines at Twentynine Palms, located approximately 125 miles (200 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, were in a “prepared to deploy status” on Sunday afternoon.
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