LA protests live: Trump demands ‘bring in the troops’ after dozens arrested and reports of looting

California Governor Gavin Newsom has escalated his war of words with Donald Trump’s administration over its handling of this weekend’s tensions in Los Angeles by challenging the president’s border czar Tom Homan to arrest him.

Homan had told the media on Saturday that he was prepared to apprehend “anybody” who interfered with the illegal immigrant crackdown in the city being carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, not excluding Newsom or Mayor Karen Bass.

“It’s a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job,” he said.

The Democrat shot back on X on Sunday by saying: “Trump’s border czar is threatening to arrest me for speaking out. Come and get me, tough guy.”

Joe Sommerlad has the details:

After the National Guard began descending on LA at the behest of Donald Trump Sunday morning, California Governor Gavin Newsom formulated a plan to “clean up” the president’s “mess.”

“Let’s get this straight,” Newsom tweeted late Sunday.

“1) Local law enforcement didn’t need help. 2) Trump sent troops anyway — to manufacture chaos and violence. 3) Trump succeeded. 4) Now things are destabilized and we need to send in more law enforcement just to clean up Trump’s mess.”

Dozens of people were arrested on Sunday as hundreds of protestors descended outside ICE’s offices in San Francisco.

While the demonstration began peacefully near Sansome and Washington streets, police say it devolved into violence.

Protestors then marched to Market and Kearny streets before another, smaller group went on to Montgomery Street, where police say they “refused to comply” with a dispersal order.

Approximately 60 protesters, including juveniles, were arrested after a group began to “commit crimes ranging from assault to felony vandalism and causing property damage.”

One protester was carrying a firearm, police said.

Two officers were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Donald Trump invoked Title 10 of the US Code, a federal law defining the role of the U.S. Armed Forces, in his June 7 order to federalize members of the California National Guard.

The demonstrations, involving hundreds of people, were described by Trump as interference with federal law enforcement, even suggesting they could be a “form of rebellion” against the US government.

Is the president allowed to deploy troops to the protest? Read more:

There were still reports of violence and protests in downtown Los Angeles late on Sunday evening after the LAPD cleared most of the area.

Police said a phone alert had been sent to people in the Civic Center area after declaring the assembly unlawful. The department is also investigating reports of looting nearby.

Donald Trump Jr has attempted to make light of the ongoing tensions in Los Angeles by calling for the city to “Make Rooftop Koreans Great Again!”

Donald Trump’s eldest son posted a meme on X of a Korean-American business owner inspecting a rifle on a rooftop in reference to the Los Angeles riots of 1992, which erupted in response to the acquittal of four Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers caught on video beating Black motorist Rodney King.

The angry scenes that ensued saw some members of the local Asian diaspora take up arms to defend their businesses from looters and vandals.

Joe Sommerlad has more:

As fiery clashes erupted in Los Angeles on Sunday, California Governor called on Vice President JD Vance to “stop fanning the flames.”

Vance reshared Donald Trump’s Truth Social post, calling on federal agency heads to “take all such action necessary” to “liberate Los Angeles from migrant invasion.”

“This moment calls for decisive leadership. The president will not tolerate rioting and violence,” Vance wrote on Sunday evening.

“Decisive leadership?,” Newsom responded.

“You didn’t even know when your own National Guard was deployed on the ground. Stop fanning the flames.”