National Guard and protesters clash in an ice attack
Hundreds of demonstrators fought against the National Guard and local governments as ice protests escalated.
LOS ANGELES – Police on Monday urged businesses and residents to report “vassal, damage or looting” for documents after protests against Trump administration policies exacerbated into devastating clashes between officers and protesters.
Authorities declared several Sunday demonstrations “illegal rally” and cleaned them with flash bangs and tear gas hand rena bullets to disperse hundreds of protesters. Some vehicles were on fire, and protesters blocked 101 highways, and those groups converged on the elevated tracks and threw things down to police, video footage showed.
The police on the riot device were joined by hundreds of California State Guard troops ordered by President Donald Trump to take action. Gov. Gavin Newsom asked Trump to withdraw security guards, and in a one-night social media post he urged Trump to “stop inciting flames” after the third day of the protest.
“Let’s straighten this. 1) local law enforcement agencies didn’t need help. 2) Trump sent the troops anyway to produce confusion and violence. “4) Now things are unstable and we need to send more law enforcement just to clean up Trump’s mess.”
In a social media post on Sunday night, Trump said, “We should apologise to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrifying work they did, including the ongoing La Riot.
LAPD chief Jim McDonnell called the outbreak of violence “unpleasant” and said it got worse on Saturday. He said he doesn’t believe in the same people Newsom warned that violent protesters would be arrested and charged. He also continued his social media attack on Trump, saying California “had no issues until Trump was involved,” and his fears were “accurate.”
“He burned the fire and acted illegally to federate the National Guard,” Newsom wrote in a post Monday. “The order he signs doesn’t just apply to the CA. It allows him to go to any state and do the same. We’re suing him.”
At 8pm local time, authorities declared the protest an illegal rally and moved aggressively with flash bangs and tear gas hand-rena bullets. It ran through hundreds of people, their eyes wafting in tears. The helicopters scattered overhead as protesters fled the area to the corners of the car and regular cheers.
Police said at least 10 people were arrested and three officers were injured during the protest on Sunday. The California Highway Patrol arrested 17 people on the 101 highway, police said. On Saturday, police arrested 29 people.
The protest began on Friday. It began after a sweep of immigration customs enforcement in the area led to more than 40 arrests. Homeland Security spokesman Tricia McLaughlin defended the attack and said those arrested on the ice include Vietnamese convicted of second-degree murder, Ecuadorian convicted of possession of five kilograms of cocaine, and a Filipino man convicted of sexual charges.
“These mobs in Los Angeles are fighting to loosen rapists, murderers and other violent criminals on Los Angeles Street,” McLaughlin said in a statement. “Instead of the riots, they should wake up every day and thank the ice officers who make our community safer.”
Protests against immigration enforcement policies were not confined to the Los Angeles area. Police said the demonstrations in San Francisco have ended with hundreds of violence and about 60 arrests.
“Individuals in the group became violent and began committing crimes ranging from assault to felony vandalism, causing damage to their property,” San Francisco police said in a statement. An illegal rally was declared, many people left the scene, others destroyed buildings and police cars. Two officers suffered life-threatening injuries.
“Individuals are always free to exercise their first amendment rights in San Francisco, but violence, especially against SFPD officers, is never tolerated,” the statement said.
Photos and videos show some Waymo self-driving cars being torched during the protest. LAPD said one street was closed indefinitely after “multiple self-driving cars” burned up. The footage shared on social media captured some of the Waymo driver Restaxy, who were engulfed in flames at the June 8 protest. Others were destroyed in messages against Trump, immigration and customs enforcement, the video shows.
Waymo has stopped services in downtown Los Angeles and “will not offer rides in protest areas until they are deemed safe,” a company spokesman told NBC News.
– – Melina Kahn
