Los Angeles protests: Riot police enforce curfew as demonstrations spread across US
The protests, in response to immigration enforcement raids, have now taken place in several cities beyond LA, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington, Seattle and Las Vegas.
Wednesday 11 June 2025 20:28, UK
A curfew has been enforced in Los Angeles as demonstrations against Donald Trump's immigration crackdown spread to other cities across America.
Mayor Karen Bass said restrictions were in force in downtown areas of from 8pm to 6am local time (4am to 2pm UK time) until further notice as officials attempt to "stop the vandalism and stop the looting".
She confirmed that a local emergency had been declared as "we reached a tipping point", with 23 businesses looted on Monday night.
The protests are in response to raids carried out by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) and demonstrations have spread to several cities, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Oregon, Seattle and Las Vegas.
Police in Los Angeles swiftly enforced a downtown curfew on Tuesday night, deploying officers on horseback and arresting 197 people.
Jim McDonnell, the chief of the LA Police Department, described the curfew as a "necessary measure to protect lives" as "unlawful and dangerous behaviour" had been escalating in the last few days.
Residents, people who are homeless, those travelling to and from work, credited media as well as public safety and emergency personnel, were exempted from the curfew.
The curfew covered a one-square mile section of downtown LA that included the area where protests have happened since Friday. The city of Los Angeles encompasses about 500 square miles.
US President Donald Trump has activated 4,000 National Guard troops - the federal reserve force - to protect ICE officers carrying out raids as well as federal buildings in LA, despite objections by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the deployments unnecessary, illegal and politically motivated.
Mr Trump also sent 700 marines, who were expected to start operating in the LA area on Wednesday, according to the US Northern Command.
Read more from Sky News:
Eyewitness: Furious immigrants vow to 'defend' LA
What we know about the LA immigration raids and protests
Explainer: Who is Gavin Newsom?
State officials said Mr Trump's response was an extreme overreaction to mostly peaceful demonstrations, with California senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla saying the domestic mobilisation of active-duty military personnel should only happen "during the most extreme circumstances, and these are not them".
Mr Trump defended his decision in a speech to soldiers at the army base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, saying his administration would "liberate Los Angeles".
"Generations of army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed by invasion and third-world lawlessness," Mr Trump said.
"What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and on national sovereignty, carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags."
Gavin Newsom launched a blistering response in an address on Tuesday evening, saying the deployment of the National Guard without consulting Californian officials was a "brazen abuse of power by a sitting president".
He said it "enflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers and even our National Guard at risk".
"That's when the downward spiral began. He doubled down on his dangerous National Guard deployment by fanning the flames even harder - and the president, he did it on purpose," Mr Newsom said.
Newsom takes the fight to Trump
California Governor Gavin Newsom's televised address to the nation felt presidential as he took the fight to the man in the Oval Office, with a series of scorching putdowns.
He made a compelling case that Donald Trump's extraordinary decision to send troops to LA against his wishes had put the country on the brink of authoritarianism.
He spoke the day after the Pentagon announced 700 marines were being deployed to join 4,000 National Guard troops ordered to the streets of LA by Trump.
But there has been no evidence so far that local law enforcement is being overwhelmed by the size or might of this resistance movement.
The head-to-head between Trump and Newsom is a compelling one.
The governor is known to harbour presidential ambitions for 2028 and is something of a MAGA bogeyman.
Newsom presides over a blue state, the biggest in the country, and is growing his brand with a podcast and - now - Trump has effectively put him in the national spotlight by bringing this political battle to his door.
The governor accused Mr Trump of choosing escalation and "theatrics over public safety", as the situation was "winding down" before the president deployed the troops.
Mr Newsom added: "When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commandeer the National Guard, he made that order apply to every state in this nation.
"This is about all of us, this is about you. California may be first, but it clearly won't end here; other states are next. Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes."
Homeland Security said on Monday that ICE had arrested 2,000 immigration offenders per day recently, which significantly exceeds the 311 daily average in the fiscal year 2024 under former president Joe Biden.