A series of unannounced sweeps by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in downtown Los Angeles on Friday drew sharp criticism from political officials and protestors, who described the enforcement efforts as “cruel and unnecessary” and said they instilled fear in the immigrant community.
Tensions remained high in downtown into the evening. The Los Angeles Police Department declared an unlawful assembly and ordered the about 200 demonstrators who still assembled outside the Los Angeles Federal Building to disperse around 7 p.m.
Police authorised the use of so-called less-lethal munitions around 8 p.m. after receiving reports of a small number of “violent individuals” throwing huge pieces of concrete at policemen. Soon after, a tactical alert was issued for the entire city.