Four days of battle royale: What's happening in Los Angeles?

BarcelonaThe city of Los Angeles has experienced four nights of chaos and clashes that highlight the discontent among certain sectors of the American population over the immigration policy of the Donald Trump administration. The protests began over the weekend to express their opposition to the raids against immigrants that have been taking place since the New York magnate returned to the Oval Office last January. But tensions have intensified after the government stepped up repression and mobilized up to 4,000 National Guard troops to quell the demonstrations.

During Monday night's protests, officers fired rubber bullets and tear gas at the crowd. The government's repressive response has led to demonstrations in support of the protests in some twenty cities across the country, including New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Austin, according to US media. We review the developments in Los Angeles as of Tuesday.

The protests began last Friday, June 6, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided predominantly Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles, looking for people suspected of being undocumented immigrants. One of the operations was in the textile district, where they fired at agents, before being dispersed with pepper spray and non-lethal ammunition. Hundreds later gathered outside the Los Angeles Federal Building, where the immigrants were allegedly being detained, calling for an end to anti-immigration raids in the city. The raids were also dispersed violently. The city's borders, which include federal and municipal buildings, are where most of the demonstrations have taken place in recent days.

The following day, the demonstrations continued, both downtown and in the greater Los Angeles area. One protest took place in Paramount, a predominantly Latin American city, due to rumors that immigration agents were planning a raid on a Home Depot hardware store in the area. Police made arrests and again used riot control ammunition and tear gas. It was Saturday afternoon when Trump signed an order to deploy 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles. to protect federal agents conducting the raids, over the objections of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass. The protests escalated, and more clashes erupted during the evening, with some protesters throwing Molotov cocktails at officers and setting a car on fire.

Early Sunday, the first group of nearly 300 National Guard troops arrived and deployed to the detention center where illegal immigrants are taken after arrest, and to two other locations in the city. In addition, 500 troops were "ready to deploy" to a base about 125 miles outside Los Angeles. More than a dozen Homeland Security officers in riot gear joined the National Guard troops at the detention center, where hundreds of protesters gathered. Sunday's protests were largely peaceful, but some protesters fired fireworks at officers under a Highway 101 overpass and set fire to several Waymo self-driving taxis.

Near the Los Angeles Federal Building, police fired non-lethal rounds to control protesters, who had set up a barricade. By midnight, police had dispersed all the protests.

Finally, this Monday night marked the fourth day of protests and clashes, with officers using rubber bullets and other tactics to remove protesters. The Trump administration has ordered the entry of marinas in Los Angeles, with around 700 expected to arrive this Tuesday. In addition, the Pentagon has confirmed the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to the city. This decision brings to around 4,000 the number of National Guard troops mobilized by the federal government to quell the protests.

Meanwhile, the government has intensified raids against suspected undocumented immigrants, further fueling outrage among protesters and Democratic leaders, who have expressed concern about a national crisis.