“All DTLA businesses or residents are requested to report any vandalism, damage or looting to LAPD Central Division so that it can be documented by an official police report. Please photograph all vandalism and damage prior to clean up,” it said on X (formerly Twitter).
They spit, we hit: Donald Trump United States President Donald Trump has warned of strong law and order in Los Angeles as the protests increase against the immigration raids stating if the protestors “spit” on the officers, they will get “hit” by them.
“I told them, nobody’s gonna spit on our police officers. Nobody’s gonna spit on our military, which they do – it’s a common thing. They get up to them this far away and then they start spitting in their face. That happens, they get hit very hard,” Trump told reporters, as per PTI.
“If we see danger to our country and to our citizens, we’ll be very, very strong in terms of law and order. It’s about law and order,” he added.
VIDEO | On protests in Los Angeles over the immigration issue after citizens from 12 countries were banned, US President Donald Trump (@POTUS) (@realDonaldTrump) says, “Stand in the way of law and order, yeah, they will face charges… We’re gonna be watching it very closely.… pic.twitter.com/j4LRZm3nT2
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 9, 2025
He also asked the forces to arrest the people in masks in a post on Truth Social.
Protestors clashed with security forces in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday (June 8) following president Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops in response to the ongoing immigration raids.
Demonstrators torched vehicles, blocked major roadways, and faced off with the law enforcement authorities in the city’s most intense unrest since the latest crackdown began on Friday, June 6, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The protests have entered their fourth consecutive day, driven by widespread anger over arrests by federal immigration officers. Authorities claim those detained include undocumented migrants and gang members, as per AFP.
The daylight operations have triggered backlash in the liberal-leaning city, home to a significant Latin American population. Thousands of protestors have gathered in the city against the police officials, as per the associated Press (AP).
State-Federal tensions rise
California Governor Gavin Newson criticised Trump’s actions describing them as a violation of the state’s authority.
Read more: Trump deploys National Guard as Los Angeles protests against immigration agents continue
“We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved,” Newsom wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He called the move a serious breach of state sovereignty. “Rescind the order. Return control to California,” he added.
Protests on June 8 saw at least three Waymo self-driving cars set on fire and two others vandalised. Traffic on a key freeway was disrupted for over an hour before being cleared by the California Highway Patrol using flash-bangs and smoke grenades, as per AFP.
Heavy security presence and arrests
Federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security had a brief confrontation with a group of protestors at a detention facility. However, the bulk of the clashes involved local police.
By afternoon, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers had cordoned off areas around federal buildings to separate protestors from members of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
LAPD confirmed 56 arrests over the last days and reported minor injuries to three officers, AFP reported.
Read more: Trump’s travel ban on 12 countries goes into effect early Monday
Trump defends use of force
President Trump, when questioned, remained defiant on the matter. “You have violent people, and we are not going to let them get away with it,” he told reporters. “I think you’re going to see some very strong law and order,” he said, as per AFP.
“We’re looking at troops everywhere. We’re not going to let this happen to our country,” he responded to a question about invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow the military to be used as a domestic police force.
Democrats, including former vice president Kamala Harris, condemned the move as “a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos,” as per AFP.
