Summary

Media caption,

LA protests are ‘full blown assault on peace’, Trump says

  1. Solidarity protest marches through New Yorkpublished at 00:21 British Summer Time

    Gary O'Donoghue
    Chief North America correspondent, reporting from New York

    This has been one of the largest demonstrations in New York over the last few days - held in solidarity with what is going on in Los Angeles, organisers say.

    Federalist Square - home to ICE in New York - was this evening filled with protesters who listened to speech after speech condemning the actions of ICE and politicians. They're now marching through the streets.

    Those condemnations are not just for the Trump administration, but for Democrats as well. Many protesters carry banners calling for the removal of ICE from New York.

    One of the organisers I spoke to said they wanted to call on everyone in New York to support their cause. Another member of one of the organising groups who spoke to me off the record said they were concerned that in the future, as protests grew, some fringe groups might try to disrupt and to use the events for violence.

    Donald Trump has said he wants to see the kinds of ICE enforcement action that have taken place in Los Angeles spread to other cities. New York certainly thinks that it could be next.

  2. What the National Guard has been seen doing in Los Angeles areapublished at 23:55 British Summer Time

    Christal Hayes
    Reporting from Los Angeles

    An armed National Guard troop stands by a vehicle in front of a sign that says "federal building".Image source, BBC/Christal Hayes

    I stopped by a federal immigration office here in Santa Ana, which lies just south of Los Angeles. That office houses several federal offices - including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

    Armed National Guard troops are stationed outside the building and blocking access to the area and the street.

    There was a protest in this area yesterday, which caused some violence and arrests.

    Trump has said the deployments of these troops to the region has helped quell unrest. Democrats and local officials across the area say the troops aren’t needed - especially the addition of deploying Marines.

    On the ground here across the LA area, the only places I’ve actually seen National Guard has been outside federal buildings or offices where immigration agents are set up. They have been standing guard outside buildings with guns and Humvees.

    I have not seen any troops making arrests or patrolling streets. That’s been all on local and state authorities.

  3. Number of protestors and law enforcement growing by ICE detention centrepublished at 23:47 British Summer Time

    Semira Robinson
    Reporting from Los Angeles

    A line of police line up on a road which appears to be closedImage source, Semira Robinson/BBC

    Protestors and law enforcement are clashing in front of the Edward R Roybal Center and Federal Building where migrants detained by ICE are being held.

    The group of demonstrators has been growing steadily since early this afternoon.

    Several massive convoys of dozens of LAPD officers have arrived over the past two hours. That's in addition to the National Guard already present since this morning.

    We've seen authorities use stun grenades and pepper spray to disperse the unwavering crowd.

  4. White House calls California governor's emergency motion 'pathetic'published at 23:32 British Summer Time

    Rachel Flynn
    Reporting from Washington DC

    Just before we heard that a federal judge had denied California Governor Gavin Newsom's emergency motion, I got a response from the White House, which I had earlier reached out to for comment.

    In the response, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly calls Newsom's emergency motion "pathetic".

    "Gavin Newsom should march back to his Attorney General’s office to prosecute the anti-ICE rioters who burned property and looted businesses in Los Angeles," she says.

    "It’s pathetic that Newsom is more focused on saving face than protecting law enforcement and holding criminals accountable," the deputy press secretary adds.

    "As the president said, Newsom should thank him for restoring law and order," the reply ends.

  5. Small LA protest declared unlawful assembly as more police arrivepublished at 23:17 British Summer Time

    Carl Nasman
    Reporting from Los Angeles

    Dozens of police walk in a line across the road in sunny LA, next to two police carsImage source, Carl Nasman/BBC

    We’re monitoring a standoff between LAPD and a relatively small gathering of protesters in front of the Federal Building in Downtown LA.

    The demonstration began peacefully and mostly without incident.

    A large contingent of police with less lethal weapons have now arrived - in scenes that are very similar to Monday’s action to clear protesters.

    The protest has been declared an unlawful assembly. It’s likely we will soon see more clashes and potentially arrests.

    It feels like today, patience is wearing thin. And authorities are much quicker to act than in previous days.

  6. Judge denies California’s request to block troops from raidspublished at 22:57 British Summer Time

    A federal judge has denied California Governor Gavin Newsom's emergency motion, which asked for Trump to be immediately blocked from using the Marines and National Guard for immigration raids in LA.

    While this delays Newsom's plans to get federal troops out, it doesn't take it off the table.

    Instead, US District Judge Charles Breyer set a hearing for Thursday afternoon, giving the Trump administration time to respond to California's motion.

    Breyer's order also gives Newsom's side an opportunity to submit more arguments.

    Newsom filed the emergency motion earlier today as part of his lawsuit against the Trump administration. The governor claims sending federal troops to LA illegally usurped California's sovereignty, violating Constitutionally protected states right.

  7. Why burning the flag is protected speech in the USpublished at 22:46 British Summer Time

    Sakshi Venkatraman
    Live reporter

    Speaking about the demonstrations in LA, President Trump condemned those who are burning the American flag in protest.

    "People who burn the American flag should go to jail for one year," he said.

    It's a significant statement, as flag burning has been explicitly protected as free speech for decades.

    It was the subject of a 1984 Supreme Court case, when Texas man Gregory Johnson was arrested for setting fire to a flag in protest of then-President Ronald Reagan's policies. Texas argued the act was illegal, but Johnson maintained it was symbolic speech.

    In a 5-4 decision, the Court agreed with Johnson, enshrining flag burning as a protected activity.

    Trump's desire to make it illegal and carry a jail sentence would be an overhaul of that landmark decision - and would likely present many legal challenges.

  8. Trump repeats claim that LA 'would be burning' without federal troopspublished at 22:15 British Summer Time

    Donald Trump is seen speaking in front of a large military rally, and a large screen behind him also shows him speaking in the picture. He wears a maroon coloured hat - different from his traditional red Maga cap - that seems to match the red berets worn by the military personnel in the crowd.Image source, Getty Images

    Donald Trump says he's going to use "every asset at our disposal to quell the violence and restore order right away".

    The president says he's not going to wait for a governor who is "never going to call and watch cities burn", referring to California's Gavin Newsom.

    "If we didn't do this, LA would be burning to the ground," he says, again comparing it to the Los Angeles wildfires in January.

    Trump made the same claim in a post on Truth Social earlier today, and then repeated it again during an Oval Office press conference.

  9. 'We will liberate Los Angeles' - Trumppublished at 22:06 British Summer Time

    Continuing in his remarks about the Los Angeles unrest, President Trump says "this anarchy will not stand" under his administration.

    He says he won't allow federal agents to be attacked, or an American city to be "invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy", as he stresses "that's what they are".

    "We will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean and safe again."

    The president says he wants to applaud the "courage and strength" of federal troops "standing guard" to protect buildings and personnel.

    He says they're protecting ICE agents and LA police, before the president goes on to claim that the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department - Jim McDonnell - said the city "really did need federal help".

    For context: On Monday night, McDonnell said the deployment of Marines to the city created logistical challenges and risks confusion, and that LA authorities have "decades" of experience managing large scale public gatherings.

  10. President hits out at previous administration's immigration policiespublished at 21:56 British Summer Time

    The president continues to address the recent unrest in Los Angeles by attacking the previous administration's immigration policies.

    He says millions of illegal immigrants were allowed to come into our country by "stupid people".

    "Open border policy - the dumbest policy - even dumber than men playing in women's sports," Trump says.

    The police in Los Angeles were good, the president says, but they weren't aggressive like federal soldiers.

    Describing the protests, the president says that he's seen people carrying the flags of other countries and burning American flags. People who do that, he says, should "go to jail for one year".

  11. Trump: LA unrest is 'full-blown assault on peace and public order'published at 21:49 British Summer Time

    Donald Trump speaks in front of dozens of military men and women wearing red beretsImage source, Reuters

    Moving away from Los Angeles, let's turn our attention to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where Donald Trump has been addressing a military rally.

    The US president tells the crowd gathered there that he has deployed "thousands" of National Guard troops and Marines to protect law enforcement in the Los Angeles area.

    "Generations of army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed by invasion and third-world lawlessness," he says.

    "What you're witnessing is a full-blown assault on peace and public order."

  12. Newsom accuses Trump of planning to use National Guard for immigration raidspublished at 21:35 British Summer Time

    California Governor Gavin Newsom stands at a podium with the Governor of the State of California emblem in frontImage source, EPA

    We can now bring you some more details from California Governor Gavin Newsom's emergency motion - which he filed in federal court earlier today.

    As we reported a short while ago, Newsom's motion calls for the courts to block Trump's expansion of the military in Los Angeles and reasserts what he said in his lawsuit yesterday - that California's state sovereignty is being illegally infringed upon.

    Newsom also goes on to accuse the Trump administration of planning to use the National Guard to assist in immigration raids.

    Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta allege in the filing that the Department of Defense has expanded the Guard's power to include: "arresting and detaining immigrants and others who may be suspected or accused of interfering with ICE - a direct violation of the US Constitution."

    We have not heard from the Trump administration about whether this claim is true or how they plan to direct the federal troops in the city.

    In response to the motion, a White House spokesperson told the BBC that Newsom "should march back to his Attorney General’s office to prosecute the anti-ICE rioters who burned property and looted businesses in Los Angeles".

  13. Clean-up operation under way in Los Angelespublished at 21:14 British Summer Time

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass says business and faith leaders are coming together to "restore and repair" downtown Los Angeles.

    "This will be a major moment of unity for our city - stay tuned, Los Angeles!" she says on X.

    We're also starting to see some pictures come through on the wires that show people washing away graffiti that was spray painted onto the walls of buildings in LA in recent days.

    Three people dressed in casual clothing clean up graffitiImage source, Reuters
    Two men wearing high-vis jackets use a hose to remove graffiti from grey wallsImage source, Getty Images
  14. Non-profit leaders encourage undocumented people to stay homepublished at 20:50 British Summer Time

    Christal Hayes
    Reporting from Santa Ana, Orange County

    Some more details from the news conference in Orange County, where local officials have been discussing the recent immigration raids in the region and the protests that raged here in Santa Ana.

    Police here say demonstrators threw rocks and deployed fireworks and mortars at authorities. In response, police say they used rubber bullets and tear gas to end the civil unrest.

    We also heard from Marisol Ramirez, who helps lead a non-profit that advocates for marginalised communities.

    Ramirez encourages undocumented people to stay home and not leave their homes amid the uncertainty with immigration raids.

    "We are asking the community to stay indoors," she said.

    She said their organisation has a network of volunteers that is helping provide financial support or run errands for undocumented families, so they don't have to risk being detained by immigration enforcement.

    "If they cannot work, if they cannot step out of their homes, if they need groceries - we have a running list of volunteers who are ready," she told me.

  15. Dozens of people detained in immigration raids south of LApublished at 20:38 British Summer Time

    Christal Hayes
    Reporting from Santa Ana, Orange County

    Congressional presserImage source, BBC / Christal Hayes

    I'm here in Santa Ana, Orange County - just south of Los Angeles - where Congressman Lou Correa has just finished speaking at a news conference.

    He told us he visited an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre in the city this morning and counted 31 people being processed. On Sunday, he says he also visited the centre and says he counted more than two dozen.

    Correa explains the exact number of raids taking place and people being arrested is hard to know and he blames federal authorities for not being more transparent and causing chaos in the region.

    He says all the detainees he saw were men. Two of the men he spotted this morning appeared to be dressed like they were pulled off a job site. The men were wearing white overalls with a paint company's name written on the front, which were covered in paint, he told me.

    The congressman says they "looked like they'd had gotten pulled off a job painting somewhere - they still had their painting outfit on".

    Members of Congress have tried in vain for several days to visit a similar ICE holding facility in LA. They have been denied entry to that area.

  16. Newsom is 'standing in the way', senior Republican sayspublished at 20:27 British Summer Time

    Mike Johnson looks onwards past the camera. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He is wearing a white shirt and navy blazer. He is wearing brown-rimmed glasses.Image source, EPA

    US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has said US President Donald Trump was "absolutely right" to send National Guard troops to Los Angeles and "to clean up for the governor's failures".

    Speaking earlier today in Washington DC, the Republican Congressman said California Governor Gavin Newsom has beeing trying to "reinvent himself" over the "last several months", adding that's "pretty difficult to do" when your state is a "safe haven to violent criminal illegal aliens".

    "He's standing in the way of the the administration and the carrying out a federal law," he added.

    • As a reminder, the deployment of National Guard troops has previously been condemned by Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, who said they believe local police could handle the situation
  17. Mexico's President calls Noem's claims 'absolutely false'published at 20:11 British Summer Time

    Bernd Debusmann Jr
    Reporting from the White House

    Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has responded to US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's claims earlier today that she "encouraged" more protests in Los Angeles.

    "I'm informing her that this is absolutely false," Sheinbaum writes on X, along with a video of a news conference yesterday in which she called for protesters to remain peaceful.

    "We have always been against [violent protests]," she adds. "On the other hand, our position has and will be the defence of honest, hard-working Mexicans that help the US economic and their families in Mexico."

    Sheinbaum says that she is "sure that dialogue and respect are the best path to understanding between our two peoples and our nations, and that this misunderstanding will be clarified".

  18. More than 100 arrests made overnight - LA policepublished at 20:03 British Summer Time

    LA police officers stand in protective clothing and helmets on at a protest on Monday evening.Image source, Los Angeles Times / Getty Image

    The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) says 96 arrests were made yesterday for the "failure to disperse in the Downtown Los Angeles area".

    In a statement on X, external, it adds that between Monday evening and Tuesday morning local time there was also one arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, one for resisting arrest and one for vandalism.

    "Several businesses were looted during the evening, with 14 arrests made for looting," LAPD says.

    The force adds that two officers were injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment before being released.

    LAPD says crowds had started to disperse by 03:00 local time (11:00 BST).

  19. Newsom files emergency motion over Trump's deployment of Marines to LApublished at 19:52 British Summer Time

    California Governor Gavin Newsom just filed an emergency motion in federal court over Trump's deployment of the Marines and National Guard to LA.

    The motion asks that the court block Trump and the Department of Defense's expansion of the military presence in the city.

    This new emergency filing is part of the lawsuit Newsom filed yesterday, which claimed that Trump illegally usurped power in the state and violated its sovereignty.

    “The federal government is now turning the military against American citizens," Newsom says in a press release. "Sending trained warfighters onto the streets is unprecedented and threatens the very core of our democracy."

    "Donald Trump is behaving like a tyrant, not a President," he adds.

  20. What we heard from the LA mayorpublished at 19:43 British Summer Time

    For anyone just joining us or in need of a quick catch-up, here's a brief summary of what Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at her news conference:

    • Bass has called on the federal government to "stop the raids" being carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city - something that she said she would tell Trump in a phone call later today
    • The mayor told reporters that she thinks the Trump administrations actions in LA - which include deploying National Guard troops - are an "experiment to instil fear"
    • The mayor said the current situation was a result of Friday's immigration raids, which caused "fear" and "uncertainty" in LA families
    • Bass added that she doesn't believe people committing violence and vandalism during the protests "are really in support of immigrants, they have another agenda"
    • Unrest has been happening in a few blocks in downtown LA rather than the whole of downtown or the wide city, she said.
    • Bass said she has "no idea" what the US Marines that Trump has deployed will do when they reach the city, adding that the National Guard troops protecting the federal building in downtown LA are "not doing crowd control or anything like that"

    As a reminder, Trump told media in the Oval Office earlier described some people involved in the protests as "insurrectionists" and said that there would've been a "horrible situation" if he had not sent National Guard troops to LA.