Protests that sprang up in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement raids are continuing to spread across the country.
From Seattle to Austin to Washington, D.C., marchers have chanted, carried signs, and snarled traffic through downtown avenues and outside federal offices. While many protests were peaceful, a few resulted in clashes with law enforcement.
National Guard troops briefly detained civilians in Los Angeles, their commander said on Wednesday.
Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, who oversees the National Guard troops and U.S. Marines deployed to the Los Angeles area, confirmed the National Guard had temporarily detained protesters, but then turned their custody over to local law enforcement.
Sherman said continued protests gaining traction nationwide in the coming days may increase the activity expected of the National Guard.
"We are expecting a ramp up," Sherman said. "I’m focused right here in LA, what’s going on right here. But you know, I think we’re, we’re very concerned."
Activists plan even larger events in the coming days, with “No Kings” events scheduled across the country on Saturday to coincide with President Donald Trump’s planned military parade through Washington. There are more than a thousand protests planned from coast to coast, organizers say.
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While protests have been largely peaceful, there have been incidences of violence and vandalism in multiple cities. There have been arrests in at least dozen cities, including more than 300 in Los Angeles since Saturday.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency for the city Tuesday and instituted a daily curfew that's expected to last through the weekend. Parts of the city's downtown are off-limits for everyone except emergency and medical personnel, residents, workers, and credentialed media.
"The extensive, widespread nature of the vandalism — we've reached a tipping point," Bass said.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he is deploying the state's National Guard in anticipation of protests in his state.
"Peaceful protest is legal. Harming a person or property is illegal and will lead to arrest," he said, adding that the Texas National Guard "will use every tool and strategy to help law enforcement maintain order."
"Right now in California, what we're doing is working," U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said of the administration's response. "By bringing in the National Guard, by bringing in the Marines to back them up, to protect our federal buildings, to protect the highways, to protect the citizens."
