US President Donald Trump has asserted that his decision to deploy the National Guard to address the recent unrest in California was a “great decision.” This unrest, which erupted over the weekend in response to his immigration policies, has prompted a significant law enforcement presence in Los Angeles.
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“If we had not taken this action, Los Angeles would have faced serious consequences,” Mr. Trump remarked in a post on Truth Social, as the city braced itself for yet another day of demonstration following three days of clashes between demonstrators and police. “The people causing the issues are professional agitators and insurrectionists,” he added, characterizing them as “bad people.”
In response to the ongoing protests, police have declared downtown Los Angeles an unlawful assembly area, urging demonstrators to disperse.
National Guard soldiers stationed outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles.
The President indicated his willingness to support the arrest of California Governor Gavin Newsom, while Tom Homan, the administration’s border czar, threatened to arrest anyone obstructing immigration enforcement efforts, including officials like Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
During an NBC News interview, Governor Newsom challenged Mr. Homan to “just get it over with” regarding any potential arrest. Mr. Trump responded, stating, “I would support that.”
The United Nations has cautioned against “further militarization” in Los Angeles, where the unrest has become a focal point of Mr. Trump’s ongoing efforts to tighten immigration controls. The Republican president has committed to deporting record numbers of undocumented individuals and has instructed the ICE border enforcement agency to aim for daily arrests of at least 3,000 migrants.
California state and local leaders, predominantly Democrats, claim that Mr. Trump’s federal response has exacerbated what started as small protests. Reports indicate that several vehicles were set ablaze as some demonstrators threw bottles and other items at law enforcement.
Law enforcement authorities declared multiple rallies unlawful and extended that declaration to cover the entire downtown area.
Watch: Confrontations between police and protesters in LA
Police on horseback sought to manage the crowds, utilizing flash-bang grenades and tear gas as tensions escalated. Demonstrators voiced their dissent with chants of “shame on you” directed at law enforcement, while some blocked the 101 Freeway, a major thoroughfare.
City Police Chief Jim McDonnell acknowledged the right to peaceful protest but condemned the violence displayed by some, labeling it “disgusting.” He indicated that while police would prefer not to deploy the National Guard immediately, the recent violence necessitated a reevaluation of their options.
Authorities reported ten arrests from the recent protests, with another twenty-nine individuals taken into custody the previous night.
Protesters vandalizing a self-driving Waymo taxi during the protests.
A protester is arrested while journalists document the scene.
In a separate statement, Governor Newsom criticized Trump for the unrest, asserting that he would seek to legally challenge the National Guard’s deployment, deeming it unlawful. “This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted,” he claimed, accusing the president of intensifying conflicts and overstepping state authority.
In defense, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt countered that “Newsom did nothing as violent riots unfolded in Los Angeles for several days.”
In light of the tumult, about a dozen National Guard members, alongside personnel from the Department of Homeland Security, were seen managing crowds outside a federal building in downtown Los Angeles. The US Northern Command confirmed that 300 members of the California National Guard were deployed to key locations in the area.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem assured that the National Guard’s presence aimed to safeguard peaceful protest activities and assist law enforcement.
“All necessary action will be taken,” Mr. Trump stated in a social media post, referring to the demonstrators as “violent, insurrectionist mobs.” He directed his cabinet officials to take decisive measures to restore order. Despite this rhetoric, he has refrained from invoking the Insurrection Act, which would permit military deployment to quell civil disorder.
While questioned about the activation of such powers, he noted that the decision would depend on whether a true insurrection was occurring.
Several cars were damaged in northern Los Angeles amid the unrest.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported that the Pentagon is ready to mobilize active-duty troops should the violence persist, stating that Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton are on heightened alert.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass attributed the rising tensions to the Trump administration’s decision to send in the National Guard, while also condemning the violent actions of some protesters. “I urge people not to fall into the chaos that I believe is unnecessarily being created by the administration,” she said during a press conference.
Vanessa Cardenas, head of the immigration advocacy group America’s Voice, accused the Trump administration of manipulating the situation to justify an abuse of power and deliberately inflaming confrontations surrounding immigration issues.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.
