Los Angeles Unrest Intensifies as California National Guard Deployed Downtown; Governor Slams Trump for "Deliberate Incitement" | WPN World People News

As a series of raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sparked growing protests, the California National Guard began deploying in downtown Los Angeles early on the 8th. The deployment, personally ordered by President Trump without the consent of California Governor Gavin Newsom, marks a rare instance of federal intervention in local security matters in recent decades.

Trump's decision to send federally controlled National Guard troops into the nation's second-largest city triggered fierce backlash at the local level. Governor Newsom sharply criticized the move as “deliberate incitement,” accusing the president of disregarding states' rights and local autonomy, and of intentionally deepening social divisions.

According to the Associated Press, National Guard personnel have been stationed at the federal government complex in downtown Los Angeles, near several recent protest hotspots, including the Metropolitan Detention Center. In the past two days, protests and clashes involving hundreds have erupted throughout the city, with tensions running high in some areas.

Agence France-Presse reported that more protests are expected in Los Angeles. Organizers have called for a “mass mobilization” in front of City Hall at 2 p.m. on the 8th. Earlier that morning, in the Compton area, soldiers clad in combat gear and carrying automatic weapons were seen on the streets, with camouflaged military vehicles patrolling the area — a scene that many found shocking.

Trump had earlier announced plans to deploy around 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, citing what he called the failure of Governor Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass to respond effectively to recent unrest. He emphasized that the federal government has a responsibility to "maintain order," though critics argue that this military intervention may further inflame social tensions and deepen public distrust.