Law enforcement officers clashed with protesters in Los Angeles for a third day on Sunday after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to stamp out demonstrations against raids on suspected illegal immigrants.
Officers and Guardsmen fired tear gas, smoke-filled canisters and rubber bullets at protesters near a detention centre in downtown LA during the protests, which were largely peaceful through the day. By late afternoon, some protesters managed to halt traffic on the 101 highway near City Hall, snarling traffic and prompting officers to fire a barrage of flash-bang devices.
The deployment of National Guard troops on Sunday prompted Gavin Newsom, California governor, to accuse the Trump administration of a “serious breach of state sovereignty”. It was the first time since 1965 that a US president has deployed a state’s National Guard without being asked by the governor.