Unrest in Los Angeles Escalates as Trump Deploys Marines Without Local Consent
After nights of vandalism, clashes, and protests over immigration raids, the White House sends in National Guard troops and a Marine battalion—fueling fears of federal overreach and deepening tensions
An ugly night of vandalism, burglaries and clashes in downtown Los Angeles left city officials struggling to get the upper hand after three days of scattered unrest over immigration raids. The Los Angeles Times reported that some businesses were vandalized and burglarized overnight downtown, concluding hours of unrest that saw Waymo cars burned, police cruisers crushed with rocks and electric scooters, and various forms of vandalism downtown and in the Civic Center. While most of the problems occurred within a few blocks, they have taken on worldwide attention after President Trump deployed the National Guard to L.A. after clashes between immigration agents and protesters.
Roughly 500 Marines based out of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in California have been mobilized to respond to the protests in Los Angeles, according to three people familiar with the matter, and will join the National Guard troops that were activated by Trump over the weekend without the consent of California’s governor or the city’s mayor. The deployment of the full Marine battalion marks a significant escalation in Trump’s use of the military as a show of force against protesters, but it is still unclear what their task will be once in LA, the sources said. Like the National Guard troops, they are prohibited from conducting law enforcement activity like making arrests unless Trump invokes the Insurrection Act - CNN
In a televised interview with reporters Monday afternoon eastern time, President Trump suggested that California Gov. Gavin Newsom should be arrested. A reporter first told Trump that Newsom is “daring” border czar Tom Homan to come and arrest him, then asked the president if Homan should “do it.”
The reporter was referencing a Sunday night interview Newsom had done with MSNBC’s Jacob Soboroff, where Newsom did, in fact, dare Homan to arrest him.“I would do it if I were Tom,” Trump said, pursing his lips as he appeared to consider the question. “I think it’s great.”The White House is not actively discussing or planning Newsom’s arrest. But Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told The Times in an interview Monday that the governor would be vulnerable to charges if he “obstructed” the Trump administration’s efforts - LA Times
Mexican officials say at least 42 Mexican nationals were detained during the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that occurred over the weekend.
During a Monday morning press conference in Mexico City, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned two things: the violent acts that were committed during protests in Los Angeles and arrests that occurred during the anti-ICE protests — arrests that she described as human rights violations.
Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a charity vessel that had tried to break a naval blockade of the war-torn Gaza Strip on Monday and the boat with its crew of 12, including activist Greta Thunberg, is now heading to a port in Israel. The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there. However, the boat was boarded during the night before it could reach shore, the FFC said on its Telegram account. The Israeli Foreign Ministry later confirmed that it was under Israeli control. "The 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are expected to return to their home countries," the ministry wrote on X. All passengers were safe and unharmed, the ministry later added. "They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over." Among the 12-strong crew are Swedish climate campaigner Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. "The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2 a.m.," Hassan posted on X. A photograph showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing life jackets, with their hands in the air. The yacht is carrying a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. The Foreign Ministry said it would be taken to Gaza. "The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," it wrote. - Reuters
Russia and Ukraine exchanged several busloads of prisoners of war under the age of 25 on June 9, sparking what are expected to be days of emotional scenes in both countries as the massive swap continues under an agreement reached last week at talks in Istanbul. Family members and supporters hugged the returning prisoners in an exchange that when finished is expected to see at least 1,200 from each side cross the border back to their country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who hours earlier expressed doubts about a successful outcome, confirmed the swap was ongoing, saying it "will continue in several stages over the coming days." While those returning home brought tears of joy to those receiving them, the returnees also provide a crucial source of information to relatives of those still missing or not included in the exchange - RFE/RL
Hundreds gathered at Maidan Square in Kyiv on Saturday in a powerful demonstration of pain and longing — a response to the devastating impact of Russia’s ruthless full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This raw footage captures emotional moments from the protest: from heartfelt speeches to silent displays of grief. Families of missing soldiers are calling for urgent action from the Ukrainian government, demanding answers and accountability in the search for their loved ones lost in action.
Equipped with high-visibility vests and lamps, a group of Dutch citizens has been carrying out their own checks at the German border, prompted by dissatisfaction with the current migration policy. The participants, who number around a dozen according to local media reports, decided to take matters into their own hands and have been engaged in border checks, videos of which have been circulating on social media. They have been applauded by right-wing politician Geert Wilders, whose PVV party withdrew from the Dutch coalition government last week after it refused to adopt his migration proposals. The same day, Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced he was also stepping down, slamming Wilders' decision to leave the coalition as "irresponsible and unnecessary" - Euronews
ABC News on Sunday suspended senior national correspondent Terry Moran after he sharply criticized White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on the social media platform X, the latest flash point in the long-running clash between the Trump administration and the network. “Miller is a man who is richly endowed with the capacity for hatred. He’s a world-class hater,” Moran wrote in the post, which was published early Sunday and later deleted. “You can see this just by looking at him because you can see that his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment. He eats his hate.” Moran’s post was shared widely on X by conservatives, including press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who wrote that it was “unhinged and unacceptable.” The White House had contacted the network about the post, she said. Vice President JD Vance also criticized Moran for what he described as an “absolutely vile smear” and said he should apologize to Miller. By late Sunday morning, the network took action, suspending Moran for violating rules about neutrality in news reporting - Washington Post
Hong Kong has brought in more than 800 minibus drivers from mainland China as part of a temporary solution to the city’s labour shortage, with operators hopeful the scheme will be extended to help plug gaps in the ageing workforce. Minibus companies made the appeal after authorities reiterated that importing labour was only a “short-term” fix and that the workers were not meant to stay in the city in the long run. The government launched the labour import scheme in 2023 for three sectors that had been hard hit by manpower shortages. The transport sector has been allowed to recruit up to 900 minibus drivers. The Transport Department said it had approved the applications that it received from operators before March of last year. About 830 drivers had arrived in the city as of April this year, with 800 having completed their training and received driving licences. The workers were given two-year contracts. But minibus operators said they hoped the scheme would be extended to allow the imported drivers to remain employed for as long as possible - SCMP
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