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A relative calm in Los Angeles broke down on Sunday afternoon as federal authorities and National Guard troops clashed with demonstrators near a downtown detention facility, with tear gas and less lethal projectiles deployed to disperse the increasingly agitated crowd, CNN reported.
The situation escalated around 1 p.m. after President Donald Trump's deployment of armed troops- reportedly against the will of state officials, formed a skirmish line, using riot shields to push back demonstrators to make way for a convoy of law enforcement vehicles. According to CNN, the troops were heavily armed with M4 military rifles loaded with ammunition, an uncommon sight for crowd control operations in a U.S. city. In response to an object allegedly hurled at authorities, troops from the National Guard and US Homeland Security fired projectiles and released tear gas. Riot gear-equipped LAPD officers also arrived, dispersing the crowd using crowd control tactics honed since the 2020 protests following George Floyd's death, CNN stated. The protests had begun on Friday night in opposition to federal immigration raids across the Los Angeles area. The LAPD responded with dispersal orders and declared a citywide tactical alert, requiring on-duty officers to remain and prioritizing only urgent service calls. One particularly extreme incident occurred when a motorcyclist ploughed into a line of LAPD officers, injuring at least two. The individual was swiftly arrested by multiple officers. As the protests continued, demonstrators hurled commercial-grade fireworks at authorities. In one chaotic video, a mounted officer's horse was startled by fireworks and trampled a protester, while another officer struck the man with a baton. The footage showed contradictory police actions--one officer ordering the protester to stand up, only for another to tackle him moments later. Amid the protests, vandalism spread across downtown, targeting buildings, vehicles, and several self-driving Waymo cars. Protesters later moved onto the 101 Freeway, halting traffic as California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers attempted to clear them. From an overpass, some protesters hurled scooters and rocks at CHP vehicles. One demonstrator dropped a lit object onto a police cruiser, prompting officers to extinguish the flames. Rather than immediately escalate, officers reportedly attempted to deescalate the bridge situation by waiting, while using "L-formation" tactics on the freeway to guide protestors off in groups. The LAPD later declared downtown Los Angeles an unlawful assembly around 9 p.m. and worked through the night to disperse remaining crowds. Officials confirmed that dozens of arrests were made during Sunday's unrest. (ANI)
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