LAPD Chief Says National Guard Is Not Helping Quash Protests But To Help ICE 'On The Immigration Front'

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said that National Guard troops deployed to the city are not there to quash the protests that have been taking place since Friday, but rather to help federal forces conduct immigration enforcement operations.

Speaking to CBS Mornings, McDonnell said the LAPD is capable of dealing with the protests. "We don't need the National Guard, and they are not here to help us right now," he added, claiming that "they are here to facilitate what the federal agencies are doing on the immigration front."

The officer went on to express concern about the military members engaging with protesters, especially considering the Trump administration is also deploying some 700 Marines to the area: "Anytime anybody comes into the city and we are not clear on what rules and responsibilities are, there's a concern." "I worry for our own people," he said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed the deployment of troops against his wishes in a statewide address on Tuesday, saying it was done "illegally and for no reason." "This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president enflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers and even our National Guard at risk," Newsom added.

Elsewhere, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, also a Democrat, implemented a curfew in downtown Los Angeles after five nights of protests in the city center, resulting in dozens of arrests.

Protests against the administration's policies have spread to other cities across the country, and are expected to continue during the next days. On Saturday, coalitions of pro-democracy, labor and liberal activists are arranging a full day of protests against the military parade that will take place on that day in Washington D.C.

Concretely, organizations will seek to make the case that Trump is hijacking the army celebration to venerate himself, NBC News reports.

"The goal is to deprive Trump of what he wants in this moment, which is a story about him being the all-powerful political figure of our time, and instead create a contrast with normal, everyday people demonstrating that power in this country still resides with the people," said Exra Levin, a co-founder of the progressive group Indivisible, who is helping organize what participants have dubbed a nationwide "No Kings" demonstration.

But regardless of the thousands of protests expected across the country, the president himself says he is unfazed, saying he has not heard about the scheduled demonstrations, while warning reporters that protesters this weekend will face a "very big force."

"And I haven't even heard about a protest," Trump added, "but you know, this is people that hate our country. But they will be met with very heavy force." Likewise, at a news briefing this week, a Secret Service official said thousands of agents and officers will be on hand to provide security.