BREAKING: Protests intensify in Los Angeles

DDM News

California – Protests in Los Angeles reached a boiling point on Sunday evening after President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops without California’s request or consent.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that chaos erupted outside the Metropolitan Detention Center as tensions soared between demonstrators and law enforcement.

The Los Angeles Police Department declared the protest an unlawful assembly and began using force to disperse the crowd.

Officers fired flash-bang grenades and tear gas and were seen pushing and striking demonstrators.

Police confirmed the use of “less lethal munitions” to control the increasingly defiant protesters.

The unrest follows the controversial immigration raids that triggered nationwide protests starting on Friday.

Immigration agents detained dozens of people at various sites across the Los Angeles area, sparking outrage and confrontation.

Demonstrations have continued for three consecutive days, drawing crowds that refuse to back down despite intensified security measures.

Approximately 300 National Guard troops have been stationed across three major locations in Los Angeles.

This deployment was ordered under a presidential memorandum signed by Trump earlier in the weekend.

The action marks the first time since 1965 that a sitting president has called in the National Guard without the request or consent of the affected state.

Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, opposed the decision and reportedly spoke with Trump for 40 minutes on Friday in an effort to defuse the crisis.

However, the president alleged, without evidence, that Democratic leaders in California were unable or unwilling to control the unrest.

The federal intervention has sparked legal and political backlash, with critics accusing Trump of abusing executive power to target immigrant communities.

Civil rights groups argue the raids are part of a broader pattern of using federal force to suppress dissent and intimidate vulnerable populations.

Protesters outside the detention center chanted slogans against mass detention and police brutality as helicopters circled above.

Local advocacy organizations say many detained immigrants have not been given access to legal counsel or family contact.

Videos circulating on social media show armored vehicles rolling through downtown streets and riot police making aggressive arrests.

Witnesses say some protesters were hit with rubber bullets while others were tackled and dragged from the crowd.

Medical volunteers on the scene have been treating tear gas exposure, bruises, and minor fractures from the confrontations.

Public outrage has grown as footage of the crackdown continues to flood online platforms.

Many demonstrators say they won’t stop until the raids are halted and all detainees are released.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other rights groups have vowed to challenge the deployment in court.

Legal scholars point to the 1807 Insurrection Act, which allows such federal intervention but only under exceptional circumstances.

Critics say invoking that law sets a dangerous precedent for federal overreach in matters traditionally handled by states.

Governor Newsom has described the deployment as “an affront to California’s sovereignty” and promised to explore all legal remedies.

The protests are now among the most intense civil demonstrations in the state since the George Floyd protests of 2020.

Activists are calling for mass mobilizations in other cities to show solidarity and increase pressure on the federal government.

Organizers have vowed to continue their resistance through peaceful civil disobedience and national awareness campaigns.

Calls for accountability have extended to the Los Angeles Police Department, which is accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.

The federal agents involved in the raids have not disclosed how detainees are being processed or where many are being held.

Concerns are also growing over the lack of transparency and potential human rights violations inside detention centers.

Journalists and legal observers have reported being denied access to detainees and restricted from protest zones.

Some lawmakers have expressed alarm over the president’s move, calling it a political stunt to rally his base ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The White House has not provided further comment since the initial announcement of the troop deployment.

As night falls over Los Angeles, both sides appear entrenched, with no signs of de-escalation in sight.

Civil liberties groups are urging the public to document abuses and stay engaged in the growing national debate over immigration and protest rights.

This story is developing.

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