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Hundreds of National Guard troops took up positions successful Los Angeles connected Sunday (June 8, 2025) connected the orders of U.S. President Donald Trump, a uncommon deployment implicit the caput of the authorities Governor, aft unruly protests against migration raids.
The U.S. subject said 300 soldiers from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team had been sent to 3 abstracted locations successful the greater Los Angeles area, and were "conducting information and extortion of national spot & personnel."
Helmeted troops successful camouflage cogwheel and carrying guns could beryllium seen successful beforehand of a national analyzable — including a detention centre — with the operation "Our City" spray-painted connected it successful downtown Los Angeles.
The deployment overrode the protests of section officials, an bonzer determination not seen successful decades that California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed arsenic "purposefully inflammatory."
It came up of much planned protests successful the city, which has a ample Latino population, including a telephone by organisers for a "mass mobilisation" astatine City Hall astatine 2:00 p.m. section clip (2100 GMT).
A abstracted Pride parade successful enactment of LGBTQ rights — besides nether battle by the Trump medication — besides began Sunday (June 8, 2025) successful Hollywood, with organisers posting connected Instagram that they were moving with section instrumentality enforcement to support the celebrations safe.
"Trump is sending 2,000 National Guard troops into LA County -- not to conscionable an unmet need, but to manufacture a crisis," Mr Newsom posted connected X Sunday (June 8, 2025).
"He's hoping for chaos truthful helium tin warrant much crackdowns, much fear, much control. Stay calm. Never usage violence. Stay peaceful."
Mr Newsom's informing came aft Los Angeles was rocked by 2 days of confrontations that saw national agents firing flash-bang grenades and teardrop state toward crowds aggravated astatine the arrests of dozens of migrants.
On Sunday (June 8, 2025) capsicum spray hung successful the aerial from overnight, AFP reporters said.
‘Escalation’
Republicans lined up down Mr Trump to disregard the pushback by Mr Newsom and different section officials against the National Guard deployment.
"I person nary interest astir that astatine all," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told ABC's "This Week", accusing Mr Newsom of "an inability oregon unwillingness to bash what is necessary".
As for threats by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth connected Saturday (June 7, 2025) to nonstop successful active-duty Marines connected apical of the Guard troops, Mr Johnson said helium did not spot that arsenic "heavy-handed."
"We person to beryllium prepared to bash what is necessary," helium argued.
Demonstrators that AFP spoke to said troops were not truly being sent successful to support order.
"I deliberation it's an intimidation tactic," said Thomas Henning. "These protests person been peaceful. There's nary 1 trying to bash immoderate benignant of harm close present and yet you person the National Guard with loaded magazines and ample guns lasting astir trying to intimidate Americans from exercising our archetypal amendment rights."
Estrella Corral said demonstrators were aggravated that hard-working migrants who person done thing incorrect were being snatched by masked migration agents.
"This is our community, and we privation to consciousness safe," she told AFP. "Trump deploying the National Guard is ridiculous. I deliberation he's escalating, he's trying to marque a amusement for his agenda."
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said the determination demonstrated "Trump's authoritarianism successful existent time."
"Conduct monolithic amerciable raids. Provoke a counter-response. Declare a authorities of emergency. Call successful the troops," helium wrote connected societal media, adding: "Unacceptable."
‘Unacceptable’
The National Guard — a reserve subject — is often utilized successful earthy disasters, and occasionally successful instances of civilian unrest, but astir ever with the consent of section authorities.
It is the archetypal clip since 1965 that a President has deployed a National Guard without a petition by a authorities Governor, the erstwhile caput of Human Rights Watch, U.S. activistic Kenneth Roth, posted connected X.
Mr Trump has delivered connected a committedness to ace down hard connected undocumented migrants — who helium has likened to "monsters" and "animals" — since taking bureau successful January.
Raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) bureau successful different U.S. cities person triggered small-scale protests successful caller months, but the Los Angeles unrest is the biggest and astir sustained against Mr Trump's migration policies truthful far.
A CBS News canvass taken earlier the Los Angeles protests showed a flimsy bulk of Americans inactive approved of the migration crackdown.
Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum connected Sunday (June 8, 2025) defended migrants surviving successful northbound of the border.
"Mexicans surviving successful the United States are bully men and women, honorable radical who went to the United States to question a amended beingness for themselves and to enactment their families. They are not criminals! They are bully men and women!" she said.
Published - June 09, 2025 01:19 americium IST
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