Vehicles of the California Highway Patrol, some of them damaged, are lined up along the 101 Freeway on Sunday after officers cleared protesters from the area in Los Angeles, California. Tensions escalated in the city as thousands of people took to the streets in response to United States President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard to quell immigration raid protests.

A protester is detained in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, following immigration raid protests on Saturday night.

A heavy cloud of smoke and the acrid stench of burning metal lingered over downtown Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, as protesters clashed with law enforcement officers for a third day during a large-scale demonstration over immigration policies and deportations.

The downtown area, punctuated by the wail of sirens, helicopters circling overhead and sporadic explosions of police flash-bang grenades, transformed the usually bustling city into what some described as an "apocalyptic" scene.

The protests, sparked by recent immigration raids and detentions conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, escalated after demonstrators attempted to block a major intersection near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown LA, where many detainees are being held.

After protesters began throwing objects and attempted to push through police lines, law enforcement officers in riot gear responded with tear gas, batons and rubber bullets.

Amid the chaos, at least three self-driving Waymo vehicles were vandalized and set ablaze. Demonstrators smashed the vehicles' windows before setting them on fire. Flames quickly engulfed one vehicle as onlookers chanted slogans, many capturing the fiery scene on their phones.

Videos shared on social media showed the charred remains of the self-driving vehicles smoldering as night fell on the city.

Around the Metropolitan Detention Center and the LA City Hall, tension escalated as protesters squared off against authorities including mounted police. Demonstrators hurled debris such as fragments of concrete, rocks, glass bottles and fireworks at the officers. Some protesters threw objects repeatedly, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Armed officers held their ground until the crowd surged forward. The authorities then deployed crowd control weapons including rubber bullets and tear gas, which eventually forced the protesters to retreat.

The charred remains of cars, spent tear gas canisters and shards of glass littered the streets.

"This is not just about immigration," said one protester, identified only as Luis, who held a sign that read, "Let our neighbors go through US". "This is about who gets to belong in this country. This government doesn't represent the people anymore. America was built by immigrants, and we should be opening our doors, not shutting them," Luis added.

'Seeking a better life'

Nearby, a student from the University of California, Los Angeles, who identified herself as Maya, said: "It's heartbreaking. Families are being torn apart. People come here seeking a better life, and instead they're met with raids and fear. It's not fair."

One middle-aged LA resident said: "They're workers. They come here to work. We depend on them in construction, in agriculture, in our restaurants. And now we're turning our backs on them? That's not the America I know."

The protests mark the latest flashpoint in a broader national debate over immigration enforcement.

During his term, former US president Joe Biden had directed federal immigration authorities to prioritize deportations involving individuals with serious criminal records and reduce the scale of deportations.

However, since returning to office for a second term earlier this year, US President Donald Trump has reversed many of those policies. His administration has reinstated ICE operations, widened the scope of deportation targets to include those with minor or no criminal history, and expanded federal enforcement powers.

The Trump administration has deployed approximately 300 National Guard troops to LA under the authority of Title 10 of the US Code, without approval from California Governor Gavin Newsom. Legal scholars and civil rights groups have questioned the legality of the deployment.

Newsom called the National Guard deployment "unlawful" and said it was a "manufactured crisis".

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded that "it's a bald-faced lie for Newsom to claim there was no problem in Los Angeles before President Trump got involved", according to reports.

The National Guard troops were deployed specifically to protect federal buildings, including the downtown detention center where the protesters were concentrated, according to The Associated Press.

Governor Newsom warned that federal interference undermines California's sovereignty. "This is not about protecting public safety. ...This is about creating a political spectacle," he said, urging Trump to rescind the order.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called for a retreat of federal forces. "What we need right now is de-escalation, not militarization," she said.

Bass and Newsom both said that local law enforcement was prepared to manage the situation.

However, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said that officers had been "overwhelmed" by the protesters, who he said included agitators who regularly show up at demonstrations, AP reported.

McDonnell told a media briefing on Sunday evening that people have a right to protest peacefully, but the violence he had seen was "disgusting", and the protests were getting out of control.

Dozens of arrests

Several dozen people were arrested during the protests over the weekend.

Former vice-president Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in the November presidential election, called the federal crackdown "authoritarian overreach", while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also condemned the National Guard deployment, saying it is a misuse of federal power against people exercising their constitutional right to protest.

Despite the escalating violence, protesters insisted they will continue to mobilize. "We're not afraid, "one demonstrator shouted through a bullhorn near the federal building. "This is our city, and we're fighting for our future."

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that at least 27 arrests were made late Sunday. In addition, the California Highway Patrol arrested 17 protesters who had blocked traffic on the 101 Freeway.

renali@chinadailyusa.com