Los Angeles is under siege as protesters seized control of the 101 Freeway and ramped up violent clashes with the National Guard, LAPD and ICE in response to President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal migrants.
Horrifying scenes showed authorities firing tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters as violence stretched into a third day and sparked a war of words between Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who accused him of inflaming tension.
Trump has sent in at least 2,000 National Guard troops and placed 500 Marines on standby, while the LAPD has authorized the 'use of less lethal munitions' to regain control of the city.
Extraordinary vision showed they face an up-hill battle on Sunday with at least 2,000 protesters commandeering both sides of the 101 Freeway, grinding traffic to a complete halt as they marched with flags and signs high above their heads.
Motorists stuck on the unmoving freeway were instructed to turn around in an effort to clear the traffic, as even more rioters gathered on overpasses and ramps.
In nearby Alameda and Temple, arrests are now underway as officers report 'people in the crowd are throwing concrete, bottles and other objects.'
At least two officers were injured after motorcyclists ploughed through rioters and ran straight over the top of authorities. Both of the riders have been detained by police as the officers are treated by medical personnel on the scene.
Elsewhere, officers were reportedly struck by fireworks as they worked to break up a violent crowd, while protesters were filmed brandishing 3D creations of Trump's severed head on a pole.
Extraordinary footage shows at least five Waymo self-driving cars being set alight and vandalized, prompting an indefinite shutdown of Los Angeles St north of Arcadia, and south of Alameda amid safety concerns about the lithium batteries.
One protester repeatedly smashed the driver side window of a Waymo which had been surrounded by demonstrators as flames engulfed another car nearby.
'Burn, burn, burn,' the protesters cheered.
At the Los Angeles City Hall, authorities on horseback were locked in a tense standoff with even more demonstrators, sparking fears from local law enforcement officers that they were in for a 'rough night.'
Further arrests have been made throughout the Civic Center area of Downtown LA.
Protesters gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center were warned that the LAPD incident commander had approved the use of 'less lethal munitions' to break up the crowd.
This came as authorities declared the area an 'unlawful assembly' and warned any protester who chose to stay would be subject to arrest.
The LAPD began issuing rolling dispersal orders and declaring some of the protests acts of 'unlawful assembly' as violence ramped up on Sunday afternoon.
Authorities issued a separate warning that the city has been placed on 'tactical alert', meaning all of the department's officers are now on notice that they could be called up for service at any given moment.
These officers will now join the 2,000 California National Guard troops Trump earlier deployed to Los Angeles to quell the protests, which he called 'a form of rebellion.'
Trump issued an extraordinary directive on Sunday vowing to 'liberate Los Angeles' from illegal aliens which have 'invaded and occupied a once great American city.'
A combined effort led by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi will restore order, Trump said.
He has directed his key personnel to 'to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots.
'Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday afternoon.
Trump lamented the current state of the city, expressing concern that 'a once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals.
'Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations
But he vowed 'these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve' as images emerge of troops on the ground in the downtown area of the city ready to defend the city from more violent demonstrations.
The president congratulated the National Guard on doing a 'great job' in the city in the early hours of Sunday morning, although they hadn't arrived yet.
But Governor Newsom shared a very different perspective just hours later, revealing he has urged Trump to 'rescind the order [and] return control to California.'
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