Protesters clashed with U.S. law enforcement officers in Los Angeles on Sunday during the latest demonstrations against immigration raids that swept across California over the weekend, Reuters reports.
The clash came after agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal law enforcement agencies raided several locations in southern California on Friday, which sparked mass protests.
Washington vowed on Saturday to continue the raids despite opposition from local communities and officials. U.S. President Donald Trump took extraordinary action on Saturday by calling up 2,000 National Guard troops to quell immigration protests in the Los Angeles region.
On Sunday, crowds of demonstrators took to the streets in Los Angeles, calling for the withdrawal of National Guard troops, arguing that their arrival would only escalate tensions.
In downtown Los Angeles, protesters faced off with National Guard soldiers in front of a detention center, where the detained immigrants kept knocking on windows.
Tensions rose as police officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, leading to several arrests.
“You all told us to come here for opportunity, we came and then now it’s like, oh, you have to leave. But when I was the working class, you all loved me, right? But now that we’re too many people, what’s the issue? ” said Regina, a protester.
“We’re here protesting for our families that are being separated in our neighborhoods and we want justice,” said Sophia, another protester.
She further argued that the arrival of National Guard troops only makes things worse.
“They’re just making it worse. It’s just making us not trust our own government. They’re throwing things at us. We’re just in an unsafe space,” she added.
The protesters also criticized ICE for targeting immigrants who are hard-working and have contributed to the community.
“It’s a fight for our community. LA wouldn’t be what it is without us. There is no need for it. I’m a victim of the fires in Altadena and they didn’t help at all. They didn’t even let us go back to our home,” said Giselle, a protester.
