More shocking footage has surfaced from the Los Angeles riots, with one particularly gruesome clip showing the moment a man is repeatedly trampled by LAPD horses.
What began as a string of peaceful protests over the recent actions of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday of last week (June 6), quickly descended into a chaos that led to President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard in an attempt to suppress the demonstrations.
At the time of writing, the protests themselves – and any associated acts of vandalism, violence or public disorder – appear to have petered out, but the turbulence that played out in LA over the weekend will live long in the memory.
LA riots
Disconcerting scenes and disturbing footage has been beamed around the world over the past few days, while the Trump administration and those who hold the seats of power in California (including Governor Gavin Newsom and LA mayor Karen Bass) continue to collide.
One particularly eye-opening moment came on Sunday, June 8, when reporter Lauren Tomasi, U.S. correspondent for News Nine, was shot by a rubber bullet fired by the LAPD whilst on air.
Reporting live from 257 E Temple Street, Tomasi described how the LAPD was “moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters.” Just moments later, the chaos hit close to home — Tomasi herself was struck by one such bullet.
“You just f**king shot the reporter,” cried a bystander at the time.
Of course, the incident involving Tomasi – shocking though it most definitely was – couldn’t lay claim to being the only incident of violence that made people sit up and take notice.
Shock incidents
Another incident of note was to be seen in a clip that went viral on social media, one showing a man wearing a backpack lying in the road, surrounded by police both on foot and on horseback.
The video in question sees the individual kicked by one horse, stamped on by another, and then beaten over the head with a tool wielded by a separate, mounted, officer.
The man manages to get back to his feet and back away, only to be returned to the ground by another office in the midst of the carnage. As per reports, officers were forced to resort to more aggressive tactics after they had Molotov cocktails and rocks thrown in their direction.
On Saturday night (June 7), President Trump revealed that he had authorized the mobilization of 2,000 National Guard troops after violence against ICE agents. California governor Gavin Newsom claimed late yesterday (June 9) that he had been informed that federal officials were deploying another 2,000 troops, while federal authorities said around 700 marines would also be sent.
What do you make of the chaos that has unfolded in LA over the last few days? Let us know in the comments box.
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