Violent Clashes Erupt in LA Over Guard Deployment

Violence erupted in Los Angeles over the weekend as thousands took to the streets to protest President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops amid a sweeping immigration crackdown.

Demonstrators set self-driving cars ablaze, blocked highways, and hurled electric scooters and concrete at police officers. Law enforcement responded with tear gas, sponge bullets, and flash bangs in an attempt to disperse the crowds. Several protesters were arrested Sunday night for failing to comply with dispersal orders.

Sunday marked the third consecutive day of unrest, and the most intense yet, following immigration raids that began Friday. According to federal authorities, over 100 immigrants were detained in Los Angeles last week.

A British photojournalist, Nick Stern, was seriously injured while covering the protests and underwent emergency surgery after being struck in the leg by a sponge bullet.

“My first fear was that they were using live rounds,” Stern told reporters from his hospital bed. “Protesters came to help me. There was blood pouring down my leg.”

The deployment of roughly 2,000 National Guard troops followed escalating protests centered around federal immigration policies. The Guard was tasked with protecting federal infrastructure, including the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown LA, where many protesters gathered.

By Sunday morning, armed Guard members carrying riot shields lined streets near the facility, while protesters shouted, “Shame!” and “Go home!” Skirmishes intensified as some demonstrators approached the Guard lines, prompting police to launch smoke canisters and fire crowd-control rounds.

Traffic on the 101 Freeway was temporarily halted as protesters occupied the highway. Authorities later cleared the scene by late afternoon.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the deployment, saying it was “essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the action, calling it a breach of state authority. In a letter to the president on Sunday, he demanded the immediate withdrawal of federal troops.

Speaking to the press before boarding Air Force One in New Jersey, Trump stood by his decision. “There are violent people in Los Angeles,” he said. “They’re not gonna get away with it.”