Close Menu
WTX News
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London
    • Jamie Overton replaces Saqib Mahmood in England XI for third ODI
    • Sure! Here’s the text without the site name, category, date, and full stops: “It blew my mind as a kid” TV fans reveal best sci-fi series ever
    • Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area
    • Mauricio Pochettino ‘shocked’ by Daniel Levy’s Tottenham exit
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    WTX News
    • Live News
      • US News
      • EU News
      • UK News
      • Politics
      • COVID-19
      • Business
      • Tech zone
    • World news
      • Middle East News
        • UAE News
        • Palestine News
      • Europe
        • Italian News
        • Spanish News
      • Africa news
      • South America
      • North America
      • Asia
    • News Briefings
      • UK News Briefing
      • World News Briefing
      • Live Business News
    • Sports
      • Football News
      • Tennis
      • Women’s Football
    • MY World
      • Climate Change
      • In Review
      • Expose
      • Special Reports
        • Conscience Convoy
        • Rohingya Report
    • Entertainment
      • Insta Talk
      • Royal Family
      • Gaming News
      • TV Shows
      • Streaming
    • Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • Fashion
      • Cooking recipes
      • Luxury
      • Money Saving Expert
    • Travel
      • Culture
      • Holidays
    • Sign Up
      • Log In
    WTX News
    • Live News
    • World news
    • News Briefings
    • Sports
    • MY World
    • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Sign Up
    Home - UK News - Downtown LA is a scene of pandemonium and lawlessness

    Downtown LA is a scene of pandemonium and lawlessness

    Downtown LA is a scene of pandemonium and lawlessness

    Downtown LA is a scene of pandemonium and lawlessness

    • WTX News Editor
    • June 9, 2025
    • 7:13 am
    • No Comments

    Cliff Notes

    • Protests in Downtown Los Angeles escalated from peaceful demonstrations to violent clashes as tensions rose following President Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops without state consultation.
    • The National Guard was ordered to guard federal buildings amidst ongoing protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions, leading to significant unrest in the area.
    • Responding to the chaos, local law enforcement used tear gas and rubber bullets, while critics accused Trump of provoking the violence to stoke further division.

    Downtown LA is a scene of pandemonium and lawlessness | US News

    .

    A shirtless man waving a Mexican flag stands atop a burning car in the heart of Los Angeles, as another man throws a traffic cone into the flames and some play drums and shout chants in opposition to immigration officials.

    In the background, city hall can be glimpsed through a haze of thick black smoke.

    The downtown district of one of America’s biggest cities was a scene of pandemonium and lawlessness as protests, which had previously been mainly peaceful, turned ugly.

    Critics of Donald Trump said the president’s extraordinary decision to deploy National Guard troops, defying the wishes of the state’s governor, had inflamed tensions and stoked emotions.

    Image:
    A protester throws a cone into a burning fire in LA. Pic: Reuters/Daniel Cole

    The 101 Freeway, the main highway cutting through the downtown area, was also closed down for much of the day as police and protesters faced off, with flash bang devices sending some people scattering.

    Bottles and other projectiles were hurled towards police, who responded by using tear gas and rubber bullets.

    It was this chaos, his critics say, that Donald Trump wanted to provoke.

    Image:
    California Highway Patrol officers try to dodge rocks being thrown. Pic: AP/Ethan Swope

    Trump’s decision to call in 2,000 National Guard troops, several hundred of whom were on the streets of LA on Sunday, was taken without consultation with the California governor and LA mayor, and marked an extraordinary escalation by the president.

    The military arrived on Sunday morning and was ordered to guard federal buildings, after two days of protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

    As part of Trump’s closed border policy, ICE has been ordered to find, detain and deport as many illegal immigrants as possible, and it was these raids that stoked the first signs of protest on Friday into the weekend.

    Image:
    Smoke rises as the National Guard clashed with protesters in downtown Los Angeles.
    Pic: Reuters/Daniel Cole

    By midday Sunday, the military was surrounded by protesters outside the Metropolitan Detention Centre in downtown LA. It was here that many immigrants had been held before being shipped off to detention facilities.

    The walls and floors are covered in expletive-ridden graffiti, reading f*** ICE.

    The Los Angeles police soon split the crowd and drove a wedge between the National Guard and the crowd.

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has called Donald Trump’s acts those of a “dictator, not a president”.

    Image:
    A police officer fires a soft round in Los Angeles. Pic: AP Photo/Eric Thayer

    Image:
    Los Angeles Metro Police officers strike protesters during unrest in the downtown area of the city.
    Pic: Reuters/Daniel Cole

    He’s formally requested that the Trump administration withdraw the National Guard. The White House say the military will remain there until order is restored. Five hundred marines are still on standby.

    Los Angeles Police Department police chief Jim McDonnell, asked whether the National Guard was needed, said: “This thing has gotten out of control.”

    He said that although the LAPD would not initially have requested assistance from the National Guard, the disorder had caused him to reevaluate his assessment.

    Image:
    US correspondent Martha Kelner is reporting from Los Angeles

    Several people were arrested.

    Sky News witnessed a young woman, who called herself Gabriella, riding her motorbike at speed towards a line of police officers.

    One of the police officers used his arm to push her off the bike. She said she was protesting because her “people were being rounded up.”

    Politicians on both sides of the aisle condemned the violence, but some vehemently disagreed about what actions led to the escalation.

    Advertisment
    News Headlines
    Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London

    Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London

    Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area

    Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area

    Save 70% on VIP subscription
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    Advert by Sponsors
    More from WTX News
    The latest gaming news - with game reviews and tips and tricks. updated 24 hours a day.
    The latest gaming news
    Hot off the press!
    • Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London September 6, 2025
    • Jamie Overton replaces Saqib Mahmood in England XI for third ODI September 6, 2025
    • Sure! Here’s the text without the site name, category, date, and full stops: “It blew my mind as a kid” TV fans reveal best sci-fi series ever September 6, 2025
    • Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area September 6, 2025
    • Mauricio Pochettino ‘shocked’ by Daniel Levy’s Tottenham exit September 6, 2025
    wtx news brings you the latest news, a UK news briefing, Sports analysis, and premier league news with a special round-up of Business and crypto updates
    Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok Instagram

    News

    • World News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • EU News
    • Business
    • Opinions
    • News Briefing
    • Live News

    Company

    • About WTX News
    • Register
    • Advertising
    • Work with us
    • Contact
    • Community
    • GDPR Policy
    • Privacy

    Services

    • Fitness for free
    • Insta Talk
    • How to guides
    • Climate Change
    • In Review
    • Expose
    • NEWS SUMMARY
    • Money Saving Expert

    News delivered to your inbox

    Copyright WTX News 2025

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.