US President Donald Trump on Monday labeled the violent protests in LA (Los Angeles) as an act of insurrection, warning that demonstrators would face harsher crackdowns if they disrespected law enforcement during the unrest sparked by immigration raids.
Parts of downtown LA saw chaotic scenes Sunday, with cars set ablaze and stores looted, prompting police to respond with tear gas and rubber bullets.
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Trump said he had authorized the deployment of National Guard troops to control what he described as “violent, instigated riots,” adding that without their intervention, Los Angeles would have been “completely destroyed.”
“The troublemakers are professional agitators and insurrectionists,” Trump told reporters in Washington. He further warned on social media that spitting at troops would be met with unprecedented force, vowing that such disrespect “will not be tolerated.”
A US official, speaking anonymously, said about 700 Marines were also being temporarily deployed to LA, though there were currently no plans to invoke the Insurrection Act. The situation remained fluid, the official noted.
California Governor Gavin Newsom accused Trump of deliberately inflaming the crisis by deploying the National Guard, arguing that the president was “fanning the flames” of conflict. Newsom said the state would challenge the federal deployment in court.
Trump responded defiantly, suggesting that Newsom himself “should be arrested.”
The protests began after authorities carried out arrests of suspected undocumented migrants and alleged gang members, sparking outrage in a city with a significant Latino population.
While federal officials said they were targeting dangerous criminals linked to drug cartels, many locals argued that innocent migrants were being unfairly targeted.
“These are people trying to build better lives, not criminals,” said Deborah McCurdy, 64, at a rally in downtown LA on Monday.
By morning, downtown streets were quiet but heavily patrolled by police, with signs of destruction evident—burned cars, shattered windows, and offensive graffiti marring buildings, including the aftermath of five torched Waymo self-driving cars.
