Los Angeles braces for weekend of 'No Kings' protests
Los Angeles and other major cities across the nation are girding for widespread demonstrations against the Trump administration Saturday as the federal government expands its aggressive immigration enforcement crackdown beyond Southern California.
As President Trump prepares to celebrate his 79th birthday with an unprecedented military parade in the nation's capitol, many around the country will be gathering for "No Kings" demonstrations to voice their opposition to Trump administration policies.
At least a dozen different groups are planning to protest in the Los Angeles area Saturday, following eight consecutive days of downtown demonstrations that have condemned federal operations aimed at chasing down and capturing undocumented immigrants at their jobs and on city streets.
According to government officials, there are hundreds of Marines and National Guard troops in the area who will defend federal properties and immigrant enforcement operations. The federalized troops arrived in the area earlier in the week, after protests turned violent and left Waymo automomous cars burning and downtown properties smashed and covered with anti-Trump and Customs Enforcement graffiti.
On Thursday, tensions between federal immigration officials and California politicians reached new heights when Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a Department of Homeland Security press conference where Sec. Kristi Noem was speaking.
Addressing reporters after the news conference, Padilla called upon people to peacefully protest the Trump administration's actions.
'There is a lot of concern, there is a lot of tension, there is a lot of anxiety,' Padilla said. 'I encourage everybody to please peacefully protest, just like I was calmly and peacefully listening to that press conference and preparing, attempting to ask a question.'
The raids have targeted Home Depots, churches, farms, retail centers and other locations. They have also stoked concerns among local officials that the operations are forcing immigrants to hide and will ultimately hurt the local economy.
As immigration actions continue, Los Angeles Police Department officials have reported increasing success in quelling violence and property damage in the city's core, thanks in part to an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew imposed this week.
The curfew, which has been imposed indefinitely, encompasses the downtown Civic Center, including City Hall, the main county criminal courthouse, LAPD headquarters and federal buildings.
Times staff writers Nathan Solis, Andrea Castillo, Laura J. Nelson, Marie Sanford and Richard Winton contributed to this report.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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