California witnessed a dramatic escalation of civil unrest over the weekend as tensions between demonstrators and law enforcement reached a boiling point in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
According to reports, the chaos unfolded amidst recent actions taken to detain immigrants in the state.
In San Francisco’s Financial District, violent protests led to the arrest of approximately 60 individuals, including minors, on Sunday night, as reported by Bay City News.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, the police department confirmed the arrest of 10 individuals, while the California Highway Patrol made 19 arrests, including one person charged with throwing a Molotov cocktail at officers and another for deliberately ramming a motorcycle into a line of police.
This unrest in Los Angeles followed the deployment of roughly 300 National Guard troops, which President Donald Trump ordered at the federal government’s request.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to file a lawsuit against President Trump on Monday, claiming that this unprecedented activation of the state’s National Guard was a serious violation of state sovereignty, especially as it had occurred without his request.
In a letter addressed to Trump on Sunday, Newsom emphasized the unnecessary nature of the federal troops, arguing that their presence had only served to escalate an already volatile situation.
Trump, however, defended his decision, asserting that Los Angeles would have been ‘completely obliterated’ if he hadn’t deployed the National Guard.
The troops arrived in downtown Los Angeles early Sunday morning, leading to escalating tensions throughout the day.
Protesters blocked a major freeway and set self-driving cars ablaze, prompting a fierce police response that included the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades.
The day also saw more than 1,000 demonstrators marching from Boyle Heights to the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, with significant police intervention taking place as violence erupted.
Authorities temporarily shut down the Hollywood Freeway as protesters began throwing rocks and firecrackers at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles.
In a notable confrontation, officers took cover under an overpass as the situation deteriorated.
As demonstrations intensified near the Metropolitan Detention Center, National Guard members responded with tear gas canisters and smoke grenades aimed at the crowd.
Los Angeles police declared an unlawful assembly multiple times, eventually extending this declaration to encompass all of downtown by 9 p.m.
With the situation growing increasingly chaotic, police chief Jim McDonnell stated that law enforcement was overwhelmed by the number of protesters, many of whom engaged in violent attacks on officers using Molotov cocktails, hammers, and rocks.
At least three officers reported injuries, one of whom was hit by a flaming object.
Additionally, looters took advantage of the unrest, breaking into a shoe store and several other businesses in the area, while protesters used furniture and other objects to create barricades across multiple streets.
Police cars were vandalized, further aggravating the already heightened tensions.
Amid the protests, some demonstrators resorted to throwing bottles and other projectiles at officers, attempting to breach police lines.
Echoing the remarks of Governor Newsom, Chief McDonnell attributed part of the violence to ‘anarchist’ individuals who were exploiting legitimate civil rights protests to incite chaos.
In the preceding week, federal agents had arrested over 100 immigrants in various locations across the Los Angeles area, including the Fashion District and a Home Depot parking lot, contributing to the backdrop of unrest.
In San Francisco, hundreds demonstrated outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office on Sansome Street, responding to reports of individuals detained during routine government appointments.
Violence ultimately erupted at this location as well, with two officers injured due to the crowd’s aggressive actions, which included vandalism against buildings and a patrol vehicle.
As the situation continues to unfold, both cities grapple with the aftermath of the weekend’s turmoil, reflecting deep-rooted tensions surrounding immigration policy and state versus federal authority.
image source from：https://patch.com/california/across-ca/dozens-arrested-ice-protests-turn-violent-la-san-francisco
