Tensions Escalate in Los Angeles Amid Anti-ICE Protests
Numerous arrests occurred in Los Angeles on Friday as protesters opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) faced off against law enforcement and U.S. military personnel after weeks of demonstrations targeting deportations and ICE operations, as reported by police.
Los Angeles police indicated that “multiple arrests took place during several demonstrations” in the downtown area. They noted that while most gatherings remained peaceful, tensions heightened in the evening when outside provocateurs began to stir unrest.
Earlier that evening, the police stated that demonstrators were “engaging with Federal Protective Security Personnel and National Guard troops.” They also mentioned the deployment of “less lethal munitions” by federal authorities, which are designed to cause pain and discomfort.
In light of the anti-ICE protests that began last month, the Trump administration had dispatched National Guard and Marine units to Los Angeles, a move that Governor Gavin Newsom had opposed.
Demonstrators gathered for Friday’s protest around 9:30 a.m. outside City Hall on Spring Street, marching approximately 1.5 miles through downtown, according to local reports. Authorities indicated that the group disbanded shortly after an incident commander issued a dispersal order by 7:17 p.m. local time.
A journalist on X reported that officers from the Department of Homeland Security had labeled the protest an unlawful assembly, with Marines and federal agents clad in riot gear instructing attendees to disperse.
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