For three consecutive days, violent clashes between police and protesters have gripped Los Angeles, marked by arrests and arson attacks. To restore order, the Trump administration has deployed National Guard troops who are now taking control of the city.
CNN’s live coverage reports that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has declared multiple protests “unlawful assemblies,” initiating mass arrests while authorising the use of “less-lethal weapons.”
Protests erupted across Los Angeles on Friday after federal immigration authorities arrested at least 44 people—part of Trump’s nationwide crackdown on undocumented migrants.
Over the past three days, police have repeatedly used tear gas and flash grenades to disperse crowds, leading to fierce clashes with demonstrators. Protesters set fire to vehicles and blocked roads with burning barricades.
CNN field observers reported mounted police charging into crowds, officers beating protesters, and flash-bangs and tear gas being fired indiscriminately. At least two Waymo vehicles were torched during the unrest.
California’s governor’s office confirmed that 300 National Guard troops were stationed at three locations in Los Angeles by Monday morning. President Donald Trump signed an executive order deploying 2,000 federal troops—marking the first unilateral presidential deployment since 1965 without state consent. Additionally, 500 Marines remain on standby.
On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom spoke with Trump for nearly 40 minutes. Trump claimed he was forced to intervene due to California’s Democratic leadership “failing” to maintain order.
On Truth Social, Trump posted: “Local authorities have failed, so the federal government will provide the right solution to riots and looting.”
Invoking Title 10 authority, Trump bypassed state control to federalise the National Guard—a move last seen during the 1992 Rodney King riots, though then-President Bush acted at California’s request.
Governor Newsom condemned Trump’s decision as “inflammatory” and “eroding public trust.”