USA: Assembly declared ‘unlawful’ in all downtown Los Angeles, Trump says ‘Bring in the troops’
HRWF (09.06.2025) – Demonstrators protesting federal immigration raids have been gathering for several days in downtown Los Angeles. Bypassing the prerogatives of the (Democrat) Governor, President Trump opted for escalation, sending 2,000 National Guard members to crack down on the protest.
- Crowds gathered in downtown Los Angeles and Boyle Heights Sunday for a third straight day of protests over recent immigration raids.
- A march that began Sunday in Boyle Heights arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where the LAPD later declared an unlawful assembly.
- A group of people walked onto the 101 Freeway in downtown LA after police moved them away from the federal building.
- Another protest began Sunday afternoon outside Los Angeles City Hall.
- About 300 National Guard members arrived in Los Angeles Sunday morning after two days of protests.
- President Trump moved to send 2,000 National Guard members to crack down on unrest and guard federal property in Los Angeles.
- Demonstrators protesting federal immigration raids clashed with authorities Friday and Saturday in Los Angeles and the community of Paramount.
- Governor Gavin Newsom (Democrat) announced a plan to sue the Trump administration over the deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles.
Latest events: Monday 9 June
June 9, 5:00 a.m. EDT – At least 60 people were arrested in San Francisco after police reportedly clashed with a group of protestors who gathered to show solidarity with the Los Angeles protestors and oppose the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and deployment of national guard troops to quell protests.
4:00 a.m. EDT – In a post on his Truth Social platform Trump mentioned the LAPD’s comments from the press conference about reassessing the situation about bring in the national guard, and wrote “He should, RIGHT NOW!!! Don’t let these thugs get away with this.”
In follow up posts Trump wrote: “Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS,” and “ARREST THE PEOPLE IN FACE MASKS, NOW!”
3:30 a.m. EDT – The LAPD told reporters at a late night press conference that it had arrested 10 people on Sunday, bring the day’s total tally to 27 after adding to the California Highway Patrol’s 17 arrests.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters that he was aware of the “deep fear and anxiety” among the immigrant community, and said the department is “committed to transparency, accountability, and treating every Angeleno with respect, regardless of their immigration status.”
When asked about the need for National Guard presence, McDonnell told reporters, “tonight this thing has gotten out of control” but he would have to know more about their intended role before making that determination and added: “we got to make a reassessment.”
2:30 a.m. EDT – Los Angeles Police Department said an “UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY” declaration has been issued “for the area of the Civic Center part of Los Angeles” and said people with with “Cell Phones in the area…have received the alert.”
1:30 a.m. EDT – According to the New York Times, a man tried to aim his van at protesters near a gas station in downtown Los Angeles, but it is unclear if any people were harmed.
The LAPD later told the Times that it had detained the van driver, and noted “multiple charges to follow.”
12:30 a.m. EDT – The Los Angeles Police Department has announced that gatherings at Downtown Los Angeles have “been declared as an UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY,” as it ordered people to “leave the Downtown Area immediately.”
Photo credits: Wikimedia