Los Angeles Mayor Bass Addresses Anti-ICE Protests: 5 Arrested, 30 Cited Among 30,000 Demonstrators
June 15, 2025 – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass reported that five arrests were made and 30 citations issued during Saturday’s massive “No Kings” protests, which saw an estimated 30,000 people take to the streets in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. The demonstrations, centered in downtown Los Angeles, were part of a week-long wave of unrest following President Donald Trump’s deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city, a move Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized as escalating tensions.
The protests, sparked by ICE operations targeting over 100 immigrants, including workplace sweeps in areas like LA’s fashion district, have led to clashes with law enforcement, vandalism of 23 businesses, and injuries to both officers and protesters. Bass, speaking on Fox News, emphasized that the unrest was confined to a few square miles of the 502-square-mile city, rejecting comparisons to the 1992 Rodney King riots. She blamed Trump’s immigration crackdown for provoking the chaos, noting its economic toll on industries reliant on immigrant labor, such as construction and restaurants.
A curfew was enforced in a one-square-mile downtown area from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., with Bass warning that violators would face arrest. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reported using less-lethal munitions to disperse crowds throwing rocks and bottles. Despite the arrests, Bass described the protests as “overwhelmingly peaceful” in some contexts, a claim disputed by critics on X who pointed to attacks on law enforcement.
Bass, joined by 30 regional mayors, called for an end to ICE raids, labeling them “political theater rooted in fear.” The protests have spread to cities like New York and Austin, amplifying national debates over immigration policy.
