The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared the demonstration an “unlawful assembly.”
Law enforcement officers fired non-lethal munitions at protesters during clashes outside the federal building in Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025, following federal immigration operations. AFP
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Hundreds of people demonstrated in unison in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, chanting "shame on you," over the presence of the National Guard in the city, sent by President Donald Trump, following protests over immigration raids in the county.
The message remains the same as in recent days: the protesters—including entire families with young children—opposed the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the White House's escalation of pressure on Governor Gavin Newsom's power with the presence and actions of the military.
"My mother was undocumented, and today I come here to defend our people," Beatriz Feliz, who came with her 9-year-old son Randy, told EFE.
Protesters clash with authorities in downtown Los Angeles
Protesters clash with authorities in downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, after last night's immigration raid. (AP Photo/Jae Hong)AP
The mother, a U.S. citizen with Mexican roots, said she wants her son to learn to fight for his rights. “We cannot tolerate them wanting to militarize the city, wasting resources that should be invested in more important things.”
The demonstration, which began in front of Los Angeles City Hall, moved a mile to where about two dozen National Guard members were guarding the entrance to the federal building, which houses the ICE jail, and they were reprimanded for obeying the president.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared the demonstration an “unlawful assembly,” which allowed it to disperse the protesters, who at times threw confetti and the occasional water bottle at the police.
Pushed back by Los Angeles authorities, the protesters took to the 101 Freeway, blocking traffic for several hours. Police, for their part, used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
“As you can see, we're calm. We just want to express our anger about all this. We want to tell Trump that we won't tolerate him coming here to destroy families,” Isabella García, a 32-year-old therapist who came to march with several friends, told EFE.
With flags from different countries—including the United States—the protesters displayed the diversity of the community in the county, the most populous in the US, with around ten million inhabitants. It's estimated that nearly one million of these are undocumented, the vast majority of them workers.
For García, this is the “most important” message that should be sent to the White House: “Most immigrants are workers, not criminals.” That's why she carried a sign that read: “My dad works harder than you, President.”
Trump blamed the “radical left” on Sunday for being behind the protests in Los Angeles, assuring that from now on, masks will not be allowed at protests.
"He's a petty dictator. He won't be able to destabilize California. We're united here, and we're going to defend our civil rights, and one of those is the right to protest and the right to free expression," Pamela Smith, who attended the demonstration with her boyfriend, told EFE.
As of Sunday afternoon, the LAPD had not confirmed any arrests among the protesters and was trying to remove protesters from the freeway, a routine familiar to protesters who resort to blocking major thoroughfares to draw attention in a city crisscrossed by highways.
Members of the National Guard stand guard outside the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025.
Members of the National Guard stand guard outside the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025. AFP
For her part, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a press conference that Angelenos can count on her to defend them. The Democrat called for calm. "Los Angeles will always support everyone who calls our city home," she emphasized.
The mayor added that peaceful protests are a right "for everyone" in the United States.
Newsom also urged protesters to keep protests against the massive immigration raids peaceful: "Don't give Trump what he wants," she wrote on her Instagram account.
"Speak up. Remain peaceful. Remain calm. Do not use violence and respect law enforcement officers who are doing everything possible to maintain peace," added the Democrat, who is engaged in a standoff with the White House, which has threatened to cut funding to California, considered the world's fourth-largest economy.
Newsom responded by warning that Californians "pay the federal government's bills" by sending more than $80 billion in taxes. "Perhaps it's time."
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