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United States National Guard troops have arrived in Los Angeles to contain the protests against the raids on immigrants. This deployment was carried out in response to the orders issued by President Donald Trump, with a total of 2,000 troops sent to the city. The presence of the National Guard seeks to restore order amidst the social unrest generated by the implemented immigration measures.
"The 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team has deployed approximately 300 soldiers to three distinct locations in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. They are in charge of the security and protection of federal property and personnel," U.S. Northern Command posted on X.
Images from local television station KABC showed members deployed near Los Angeles City Hall this morning before arriving at a federal building, as they took equipment out of their vehicles.In addition, he also captured troops gathering along Alameda Street, in downtown Los Angeles, and driving through the town of Paramount, which has a Latino majority and where more intense clashes occurred hours earlier.
Trump blamed the "radical left" this Sunday for being behind the riots -which today enter their third consecutive day- in the 'City of Stars':
"These protests by the radical left, by instigators and often paid rioters, will not be tolerated. Furthermore, from now on, the use of masks in protests will not be allowed. What does these people have to hide and why? Once again, thank you to the National Guard for the job well done!" indicated the president.During the night, the Los Angeles metropolitan area remained relatively calm compared to the protests that began on Friday after federal officials conducted immigration raids in Los Angeles County.
Early Sunday morning, police reported that they detained several people after declaring a gathering in downtown Los Angeles an illegal assembly, and in Paramount, three people accused of assaulting officers were arrested overnight.Clashes occurred on Saturday near a Home Depot in Paramount itself, south of Los Angeles, where federal agents were in a nearby Department of Homeland Security office.
Activists and community members protested trying to prevent the arrests, but for more than two hours federal agents repelled the protesters with tear gas and stun grenades. Multiple injuries were reported among the protesters hit by rubber bullets and grenades. Authorities used military tactics to disperse the protesters and remove those detained. The tension was high after a series of raids conducted by immigration authorities the previous day, including in the Los Angeles Fashion District. The count of immigrant arrests in a week in the city exceeded 100 detainees.The activation of the National Guard by the White House marks a significant escalation in the city after protests erupted over the mass raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), responding to Trump's request to execute the largest deportations in the country's history.
The National Guard had previously been deployed in Los Angeles, but primarily for cases of major civil unrest or natural disasters.
In 2020, the case following the murder of George Floyd led the then-mayor, Eric Garcetti, to request the deployment of 1,000 National Guard soldiers to Governor Gavin Newsom.
Previously, they were also called in 1994, after a 6.7-magnitude earthquake that left more than 1,000 buildings destroyed and 20,000 residents homeless; in 1992, during the clashes with the authorities following the Rodney King trial; and in 1965, 13,000 troops were sent to Los Angeles due to the Watts social unrest - which resulted in 34 deaths.
The U.S. National Guard deploys forces in Los Angeles
