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By Shane Croucher and Chloe Mayer
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More than a dozen cops were forced to flee their vehicles and shelter beneath an underpass as their cars were pelted with rocks thrown by protesters in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The demonstrators were on the streets to march against a wave of immigration raids ordered by President Donald Trump. The group of California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers appeared trapped as they hunkered beneath the bridge while missiles rained down, including – at one point – an electric scooter.
The chaos erupted in a cacophony of noise, as cars on the other side of the freeways honked their horns, rocks smashed into vehicles, and explosions from flash-bangs or firecrackers rocked the area.
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Newsweek has reached out to California Highway Patrol by email seeking comment.
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Why It Matters
The incident, which unfolded on Sunday afternoon, occurred during increasingly violent protests against a series of immigration raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE], which have targeted businesses and day laborers as they gathered for work across the city.
Trump has deployed the National Guard to LA, sparking condemnation from California Governor Gavin Newsom who said the move was a "breach" of state sovereignty and was "intentionally designed to inflame the situation."
What To Know
Sunday brought a third day of tensions as police and protesters faced-off across the city. Some skirmishes involved the use of tear gas and rubber bullets by authorities, while elsewhere demonstrators torched cars and thew make-shift missiles at the authorities.
Crowds of demonstrators congregated on the 101 Freeway in downtown LA on Sunday afternoon. Throngs of people lined the streets above the freeway, many carrying home-made banners against the ICE raids.
At least 9 CHP vehicles were parked on the 101, close to an underpass advising of the upcoming exit for Alameda Street and Union Station. The cars lay in a field of debris; mostly rocks which had been hurled at the vehicles.
Several videos were posted online from the scene, including several on X (formerly Twitter).
One clip, posted by Cam Higby whose profile lists his name with the words "America First" and works as a reporter for the Today is America news site, shows the abandoned cars, which continue to be pelted with missiles.
At one point, officers are forced to extinguish flames from one the vehicles after it was set alight, while another lies next to it with its windscreen smashed.
The "police with fire extinguishers have been pushed back via rock throwing," Higby said, posting a clip of the incident on X.
Another journalist, Nick Sortor whose profile lists appearances on various media channels including Fox News, shared footage that was shot from a different angle. It showed at least 17 officers sheltering beneath the bridge, who were "cornered and are TRAPPED UNDER AN OVERPASS as violent insurrectionists launch rocks and explosives at them," he said.
The Freeway was shut down on Sunday, with CHP posting on X that there was a "Full Freeway Closure US-101 (Santa Ana Freeway) at Los Angeles St. all US-101 (SAF) on & off-ramps through downtown Los Angeles remain closed until further notice. Avoid the area."
But CHP later posted again an hour later to reveal that the "US-101 (SAF) at Los Angeles St. [is] now reopen."
What People Are Saying
The California Highway Patrol released a statement on Sunday revealing the agency was "deploying additional resources in Los Angeles to help maintain public safety on state highways and roadways. Our mission is to keep the peace. The CHP is aware of the federal immigration enforcement activity in Los Angeles County. We want to be clear: the CHP is not and will not be involved in these operations. Furthermore, we had no prior knowledge that they were scheduled to occur. The CHP aims to serve all Californians with professionalism, integrity, and respect. We are also committed to protecting the rights and safety of every person who lives, works, or travels on California's roadways."
Former Vice-President Kamala Harris, who lives in Los Angeles, agreed with Newsom that the National Guard deployment was "meant to provoke chaos." She added: "Protest is a powerful tool – essential in the fight for justice. And as the LAPD, Mayor, and Governor have noted, demonstrations in defense of our immigrant neighbors have been overwhelmingly peaceful."
But President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform: "A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals. Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations — But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve." He added that his administration would "take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots. Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free."
FBI Director Kash Patel said on X: "Just so we are clear, this FBI needs no one's permission to enforce the constitution. My responsibility is to the American people, not political punch lines. LA is under siege by marauding criminals, and we will restore law and order. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you."
What Happens Next
As a new week begins, authorities will be hoping for calm as the protests look set to continue amid heightened tensions.
In the meantime, the political recriminations are likely to rumble on, with partisan fingerpointing likely to continue amid further violence unfolding across LA streets.
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