Freeways blocked, cars on fire: LA protests against immigration raids and National Guard deployment

• On the ground:  witnessed police using flash-bangs and tear gas to disperse crowds, with some hitting protesters, as well as protesters setting self-driving cars on fire. Police have declared all of Downtown Los Angeles an unlawful assembly area after arresting dozens over the weekend.

• Troop deployment: About 300 National Guard troops are on the ground after President Donald Trump deployed them to protect federal personnel and property. It’s the first time a president has called in the National Guard without a state’s request or consent in decades. Also prepared to deploy are 500 Marines.

• Trump vs Newsom: California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state will sue the Trump administration over the deployment, which he and LA Mayor Karen Bass have called inflammatory.

• Why are there protests? Authorities and demonstrators are clashing for a fourth day after immigration raids in the city. Intelligence analysts believe protesters are motivated by immigration raids, deployment of the National Guard, and agitators who fit profiles of “professional rioters.”