Pandemonium in Los Angeles: Intense faceoff between riot police and anti-ICE protestors, all updates here

Los Angeles turned into a complete tension zone after protestors and police clashed against each other on the streets on Friday. According to an NY Times report, armed police agents in tactical gear threw flashbang grenades at the protesting crowd. These agents were also armed with military-style rifles and were combing the area after protests broke out following the arrest of nearly 44 people in the city in raids conducted by ICE.

Federal agents conduct sweeps, face protests

In another show of force related to immigration sweeps, federal agents landed at a Home Depot where day laborers regularly gather in search of work. The raid at the clothing wholesaler began at approximately 9:15 am in the Fashion District. The location is less than two miles from the LA City Hall, says a NY Times report.

During the protests, dozens of federal agents were seen arriving in armored trucks and unmarked vehicles, wearing tactical gear and green camouflage. They were met by an angry and protesting anti-ICE crowd, and the show of force by the federal forces almost immediately began. Moreover, a Live Reuters video showed Los Angeles Police Department officers lined up on a downtown street wielding batons and what appeared to be less-than-lethal tear gas rifles that looked like shotguns. They were seen facing off with demonstrators after authorities had ordered crowds of protesters to disperse.

A Reuters report on the incident reads, "Early in the standoff, some protesters hurled chunks of broken concrete toward officers, and police responded by firing volleys of tear gas and pepper spray. Police also fired flash-bang concussion rounds. It was not clear whether there were any immediate arrests."

“Impromptu demonstrations had also erupted at some of the raid locations earlier in the day. One organized labor executive, David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union of California, was injured and detained by ICE at one site, according to an SEIU statement,” the Reuters report continued.

LAPD spokesperson Drake Madison stated that police on the scene had declared an unlawful assembly, meaning that those who failed to leave the area were subject to arrest, according to a report by Reuters.