Demonstrations against ICE more peaceful; U.S. moves to deploy 700 Marines.

People protesting recent federal immigration raids face off with police in downtown Los Angeles on Monday. David Crane - staff photographer.

By SCOTT SCHWEBKE, SEAN EMERY, CHRISTINA MERINO, SIERRA VAN DER BRUG AND TERESA LIU | STAFF WRITERS

A day after weekend clashes between law enforcement officials and demonstrators in Los Angeles, and the reported deployment Monday of 700 Marines to assist National Guard units already in place, thousands of people returned to protest while an extraordinary confrontation between federal and state leaders over governance of public safety in the nation's second-largest city intensified.

The bulk of protesters Monday gathered around a complex of federal buildings on Aliso, Los Angeles and Alameda streets. As of late afternoon, the demonstrations had remained peaceful, a far cry from the unrest that rocked downtown Los Angeles on Sunday night and led to at least 40 arrests.

In a news conference late Monday afternoon, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell addressed the deployment of the Marines to Los Angeles, saying that doing so without coordination poses risk.

"The introduction of a federal military personnel without direct coordination creates logistical challenges and risks confusion during critical incidents," McDonnell said.

He added that the LAPD has "decades of experience" managing large-scale public demonstrations and is confident in its ability to do so "professionally and effectively."

As of Monday afternoon, the department was on tactical alert and in "a state of partial mobilization," enabling it to reallocate officers rapidly, extend watch hours, defer days off and hold shifts over as needed.

Mayor Karen Bass said there were no reports of violence or vandalism at the time of the briefing but acknowledged widespread fear following five Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids across the region, including one near her grandson's school.

"I can't emphasize enough the level of fear and terror that is in Angelenos right now," she said.

Bass condemned vandalism and stressed that accountability would follow any criminal activity tied to protests.

"You can't possibly be supporting immigrants and vandalize our city," she said. "Understand that if you do that, and it is 100% unacceptable, you will be arrested."

The mayor also called on federal officials to halt the immigration raids, blaming President Donald Trump for fueling unrest.

"We need to stop the raids," she said. "They should not be happening in our city. It is not warranted, and the only thing it does is contribute to chaos. This was chaos that was started in Washington, D.C. And again, I don't think our city should be a test case, a laboratory."

Law enforcement agencies remained on high alert. The LAPD issued another citywide tactical alert, allowing it to keep officers past their normal shifts to respond to unrest. Several hundred additional officers were being brought in from other departments in Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. And, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom, nearly 400 California Highway Patrol officers were being sent to the area.

The protests had already raged over three nights, ignited by a series of ICE raids and heightened by Trump federalizing and sending in California National Guard Troops over the objections of state and local officials.

Earlier Monday, federal officials made the unprecedented move to deploy 700 Marines from Twentynine Palms. Military officials said the Marines would "seamlessly integrate" with federalized National Guard troops tasked with protecting federal facilities and personnel.

Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned the move, describing it as "un-American" and saying Marines "shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president." McDonnell said the LAPD had been given no notice of the Marines being deployed, describing it as a significant logistical and operational challenge.

On Monday evening, Newsom announced on X that Trump was sending 2,000 additional National Guard troops to Los Angeles, despite the troops sent Saturday evening not being fully deployed in the city.

"I was just informed Trump is deploying another 2,000 Guard troops to L.A.," he wrote. "The first 2,000? Given no food or water. Only approx. 300 are deployed - the rest are sitting, unused, in federal buildings without orders.

"This isn't about public safety," he added. "It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego. This is Reckless. Pointless. And Disrespectful to our troops."

On Sunday, Newsom expressed his disagreement with the decision to deploy the National Guard in fundraising emails and on his social media, calling the move a "provocative show of force."

A day earlier, Los Angeles police went on tactical alert, declared an unlawful assembly in the area of Alameda Street between Second and Aliso streets, and battled with more than 1,000 demonstrators who marched from Boyle Heights to the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building.

But later Sunday night, shortly after 9 p.m., the LAPD declared an unlawful assembly downtown, ordering people to leave the area. Video showed dumpsters and other items set on fire in the middle of streets.

By midnight, activity had slowed significantly from earlier in the day, although there was still a significant police presence and scattered demonstrators downtown.

At one point earlier Sunday, the 101 Freeway through downtown was completely shut down. With the influx of protesters near the Little Tokyo/Arts District Metro station, trains bypassed it, and the LAPD asked that it be kept closed.

Arrests were reported as some protesters threw bottles and other objects at officers and attempted to breach police lines. Two people riding motorcycles were detained after they allegedly attempted to breach a skirmish line atAlameda and Temple streets and injured two officers, according to the LAPD.

Video also showed protesters at one point surrounding a police vehicle that appeared to be trying to drive through the crowd, with at least one person throwing an object at the car.

LAPD officials said demonstrators halted vehicles on Main Street north of Arcadia Street downtown and ignited cars. Three self-driving vehicles were believed to be burned, with explosions sounding as the cars were destroyed.

By 7:30 p.m., police declared an unlawful assembly for the entire Civic Center area and closed traffic on Spring Street between Temple and First streets, where demonstrators had used chairs from Gloria Molina Grand Park and other objects to block the street.

Shortly after that, video from the scene showed California Highway Patrol vehicles pelted by rocks and debris, including a street sign, on the southbound side of the 101 Freeway. The vehicles appeared severely damaged by a crowd gathered on the overpass, and at one point, one patrol car was briefly on fire. Motorists continued to drive on the northbound side of the freeway.

The LAPD said Sunday night there had been 10 arrests so far by their department related to the day's protest. Another 17 people had been arrested on the freeway by the California Highway Patrol, they said.

Three LAPD officers had been injured, the LAPD said, but they were treated at the scene and didn't need to be taken to the hospital.

Staff writers Ryan Carter, Linh Tat and Mona Darwish, the Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.