US President Donald Trump defended the deployments of the troops, claiming Los Angeles would have been “completely obliterated” without them. Meanwhile protests have spread to cities like San Francisco, Austin and New York, with clashes reported in several locations. Read on:
1 / 7United States President Donald Trump has deployed 700 US Marines and an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, escalating tensions in a city already grappling with protests over intensified immigration raids. (Photo: The Associated Press)
2 / 7The move has been opposed by the local officials including Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom. It has sparked criticism for bypassing state authority and complicating local law enforcement efforts. (Photo: Reuters)
3 / 7The deployment follows an initial dispatch of 2,000 National Guard troops on Sunday, June 8, prompted by three days of protests against Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, which critics argue are tearing apart migrant families. The Marines are tasked with protecting federal property and personnel, including immigration agents. (Photo: Reuters)
4 / 7The protests which began on Friday, June 6, after federal authorities arrested over 40 people in workplace raids, saw significant violence on June 8, with crowds blocking freeways and setting self-driving cars ablaze. (Photo: AP)
5 / 7Monday, June 9’s, demonstrations were calmer, with thousands rallying peacefully at City Hall and hundreds protesting outside a federal detention centre. The release of labour leader David Huerta, arrested during Friday’s protests, bolstered morale among the demonstrators. (Photo: Reuters)
6 / 7However, tensions flared on June 9 evening as police used tear gas and non-lethal munitions to disperse crowds in Little Tokyo, detaining at least a dozen people. US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem vowed to intensify immigration operations, stating that ICE would double those efforts in response to protests. (Photo: AP)
7 / 7US President Trump defended the deployments, claiming Los Angeles would have been “completely obliterated” without them. Meanwhile protests have spread to cities like San Francisco, Austin and New York, with clashes reported in several locations. (Photo: Reuters)
