Violence spirals out of control across LA after Trump says ‘bring in the troops’

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Demonstrators wave flags from atop a wrecked car, standing beside burning Waymo vehicles, as protesters clash with law enforcement in the streets surrounding the federal building during a protest following federal immigration operations in Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025. Demonstrators torched cars and scuffled with security forces in Los Angeles on June 8, as police kept protestors away from the National Guard troops President Donald Trump sent to the streets of the second biggest US city. (Photo by RINGO CHIU / AFP) (Photo by RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images)
Demonstrators wave flags from a wrecked car, standing beside burning Waymo vehicles (Picture: Getty)

Los Angeles has been rocked by violent protests, with Donald Trump calling for soldiers to bring the city under control.

Rioters blocked off a major road and set self-driving cars on fire as police used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd.

British photographer Nick Stern, 60, from Hertford, was among those shot: he had his thigh pierced by a rubber bullet while taking pictures on Saturday evening, and told Metro how he passed out from the pain and needed surgery.

The unrest was sparked by sweeping immigration raids, part of the pledge by the president to arrest some 3,000 suspected illegal migrants every day.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to Trump’s deployment of the National Guard, against the wishes of California’s state governor.

The situation calmed down somewhat by yesterday evening, with police declaring an unlawful assembly, which means they can arrest those who do not leave.

A man waves a Mexican flag as smoke and flames rise from a burning vehicle during a protest against federal immigration sweeps, near Los Angeles City Hall in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 8, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson
A man waves a Mexican flag as smoke and flames rise from a burning vehicle near Los Angeles City Hall (Picture: Reuters)
A burnt US flag is seen on the ground amid clashes with law enforcement in the streets surrounding the federal building during a protest following federal immigration operations in Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025. Demonstrators torched cars and scuffled with security forces in Los Angeles on June 8, as police kept protestors away from the National Guard troops President Donald Trump sent to the streets of the second biggest US city. (Photo by RINGO CHIU / AFP) (Photo by RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images)
A burnt US flag is seen on the ground amid clashes with law enforcement (Picture: Getty)
A protesters throws a smoke canister on the 101 Freeway nears the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
A protesters throws a smoke canister on the 101 Freeway nears the metropolitan detention center of downtown Los Angeles yesterday (Picture: AP)
A police officer's face is covered in pepper spray outside the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)
A police officer’s face covered in pepper spray outside the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles (Picture: AP)

Some of those remaining hurled objects at police from behind a makeshift barricade, and others threw chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles parked on the closed southbound 101 freeway.

Officers ran under an overpass to take cover.

The protests in LA, a sprawling city of four million people, were centred in downtown several blocks.

The Guard was deployed specifically to protect federal buildings, including the detention centre where protesters concentrated.

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Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers were ‘overwhelmed’ by the remaining protesters. He said they included regular agitators who appear at demonstrations to cause trouble.

Several dozen people were arrested throughout the weekend of protest. One was detained on Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police, and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers.

Mr Trump responded to Mr McDonnell on Truth Social, telling him to arrest protesters in face masks.

‘Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!! he wrote.

epaselect epa12165691 Police officers take cover as activists shower rocks and fireworks onto their vehicles during protests sparked by immigration raids in Los Angeles, California, USA, 08 June 2025. US President Donald Trump has deployed 2,000 National Guard troops, despite not receiving a request from the state of California for any additional assistance, following large protests against ongoing immigration enforcement raids in the Los Angeles area over the last couple of days. EPA/ALLISON DINNER
Police officers take cover as activists shower rocks and fireworks onto their vehicles (Picture: EPA)
 Los Angeles Police Department officers arrest a protester in front of the LA Federal Building on June 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Tensions in the city remain high after the Trump administration called in the National Guard against the wishes of city leaders following two days of clashes with police during a series of immigration raids. More protests are scheduled for today. (Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images) (Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
Police officers arrest a protester in front of the LA Federal Building on June 8 (Picture: Getty)
Members of the Los Angeles Metro Police clash with demonstrators during a protest against federal immigration sweeps in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Members of the Los Angeles Metro Police clash with demonstrators during a protest against federal immigration sweeps (Picture: Reuters)

Starting in the morning, the troops stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields as protesters shouted “shame” and “go home”.

After some closely approached the guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street.

Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully.

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Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until state patrol officers cleared them from the roadway by late afternoon.

Nearby, at least four self-driving Waymo cars were set on fire, sending large plumes of black smoke into the sky and exploding intermittently as the electric vehicles burned. By evening, police had issued an unlawful assembly order shutting down several blocks of downtown Los Angeles.

Flash bangs echoed out every few seconds into the evening.

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom requested that Mr Trump remove the guard members in a letter on Sunday afternoon, calling their deployment a “serious breach of state sovereignty”. He was in Los Angeles meeting local law enforcement and officials.

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