Street Siege in LA: Immigration Protests Erupt into Riot as Rioters Trap CHP Below 101 Freeway

June 9, 2025 | John Kugler |
June 9, 2025 | John Kugler |

Downtown Los Angeles turned into a war zone this weekend as immigration protests spiraled into full-blown urban unrest—culminating in the federal deployment of the California National Guard by order of President Donald Trump.

By Sunday night, the LAPD declared all of downtown an unlawful assembly. Over 60 protesters had been arrested. Police officers were injured, patrol cars shattered, freeways overrun, and at least one Waymo autonomous vehicle was torched—engulfed in flames as its graffiti-covered shell symbolized the total breakdown of public order.

The spark: ongoing ICE raids across Southern California that reignited public outrage over immigration policy and civil rights. The flashpoint: the 101 Freeway, where demonstrators halted traffic, threw rocks at CHP and LAPD units below, and clashed with police amid clouds of tear gas and exploding fireworks.

Trump Escalates With Troops

President Trump, from Camp David, called the demonstrators “paid insurrectionists” and authorized the immediate deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to “restore law and order” in Los Angeles and other parts of California.

He further claimed protesters were “troublemakers” who “must face consequences.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom, calling the deployment “unlawful,” demanded the federal order be rescinded, accusing Trump of “inflaming tensions” and “hijacking state sovereignty.”

Newsom appeared on the ground Sunday alongside LAPD and sheriff officials, warning that “chaos from Washington” had provoked the current unrest.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass echoed the criticism. “Our city does not need to be torn apart,” she said at a press conference. She condemned both the violence by protesters and what she characterized as federal overreach.

“Deploying federalized troops is a dangerous escalation,” Bass warned. “There is clearly no plan, and clearly no policy—only a political agenda.”

101 Freeway Ground Zero

The focal point of Sunday’s chaos was the 101 Freeway, where protesters poured onto the pavement near the Metropolitan Detention Center. Commercial-grade fireworks, Molotov cocktails, and rocks were hurled at officers.

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said officers were “under direct attack,” citing injuries from motorcycle strikes and fireworks. At least two officers were seriously hurt when motorcyclists attempted to breach a police skirmish line.

Southbound lanes of the freeway remain shut down. California Highway Patrol units were targeted from above as rioters on the overpass threw debris and shouted anti-ICE slogans. The rear window of a police vehicle was smashed, and footage showed demonstrators clashing with law enforcement under a thick haze of smoke and flashbangs.

Militarization and Political Fallout

U.S. Northern Command confirmed that 500 U.S. Marines were placed on standby for deployment to Los Angeles. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in coordination with the White House, declared the move necessary to protect federal assets.

Meanwhile, the FBI is actively seeking suspects believed to have instigated violence during the protests—including a man accused of throwing rocks at federal officers in Paramount. A $50,000 reward has been offered.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the federal crackdown, calling it “a cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division.” She compared the National Guard deployment to earlier Trump-era policies aimed at provoking confrontation rather than resolving crisis.

California Governor Gavin Newsom fiercely rejected the federal action, formally requesting the withdrawal of troops and calling Trump’s order a “serious breach of state sovereignty.”

“We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved,” Newsom said.

“This is a purposefully inflammatory move that will only escalate tensions.”

Newsom joined LAPD and LA County Sheriff officials on the ground to coordinate local response and underscore that California “does not consent to a federal occupation.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also condemned the deployment of troops:

“Deploying federalized troops is a dangerous escalation. There is no plan, no policy—only chaos.”

Still, she warned rioters:

“If you’re going to take over a freeway, you will face consequences.”

Symbol of the Mayhem: A Burning Waymo

Perhaps the most symbolic image of Sunday night came when a Waymo autonomous vehicle—an icon of corporate tech optimism—was set ablaze in downtown Los Angeles. Graffiti scrawled across its white shell, it burned near the detention center as police pushed protesters back with non-lethal munitions.

No one inside. No one steering. Just a ghost car engulfed by the rage of a society at the edge.

Civil Breakdown in a City Already Fractured

By late Sunday, entire sections of downtown were sealed off. LAPD declared tactical alerts and extended shifts. Temple Street. Alameda. Main. Aliso. Spring. First. Arcadia. All effectively shut down. Residents and businesses were warned to shelter in place.

The images—flaming vehicles, federal troops on standby, freeway standoffs—evoked not only the George Floyd protests of 2020 but the Watts riots and Rodney King unrest before that. But this time, it wasn’t sparked by a video or a single killing. This was deeper. Broader. About borders, labor, fear—and who controls the street.

While the federal government framed the crackdown as law enforcement, local officials warned the real danger was political theater.

“The people of Los Angeles don’t want a militarized zone,” Newsom said. “They want leadership, not occupation.”

References

LA protest: Thousands of anti-ICE protesters block 101 Freeway, streets in downtown Los Angeles (8 June 2025) https://abc7chicago.com/post/la-protest-thousands-anti-ice-protesters-block-101-freeway-streets-downtown-los-angeles/15858620/

Police on horseback continue to push protestors away from the 101 overpass. Many injured, as protestors and police face off in tense altercation. Explosions were launched at the police on horse. Los Angeles, CA (8 June 2025)
@AnthonyCabassa_
https://x.com/AnthonyCabassa_/status/1931913587054064017

Live blog covering President Trump’s activities and related news, including context on domestic protests (8 June 2025) https://cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-presidency-news-06-08-25

Protestors have the over pass and have LAID WASTE to police cruisers on the free way below | LA riots (8 June 2025)
@camhigby
https://x.com/camhigby/status/1931897792513085843

This is the other side of the over pass. ENTIRE FLEETS of California Highway Patrol vehicles are being annihilated by LA rioters (8 June 2025) https://x.com/camhigby/status/1931898138673221890

Protestors are now attempting to catch police squad cars on fire (8 June 2025) https://x.com/camhigby/status/1931905837234315326

Protestors continue lighting tinder and throwing it at demolished police squad cars. The one below briefly caught fire before police trapped under the underpass extinguished it (8 June 2025) https://x.com/camhigby/status/1931906345957204161

Anti-ICE protests stop traffic on California’s 101 Freeway (8 June 2025) https://msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/anti-ice-protests-stop-traffic-on-california-s-101-freeway-241145925830

LA immigration protests live updates: All of downtown Los Angeles declared an unlawful assembly (8 June 2025) https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/la-immigration-protests-live-updates-trump-deploys-2000

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