Riots aimed at stopping federal immigration enforcement have spread to the city of Santa Ana, California as unrest in nearby Los Angeles enters its fourth day.
Hundreds of people took to the streets in Santa Ana on Monday after reports of federal immigration enforcement operations in the city, according to a report from ABC 7 Los Angeles. Roughly 200 people — many of whom were waving Mexican flags — could be seen advancing on Santa Ana Boulevard and Flower Street before surrounding a federal building around 5 p.m. local time.
Footage obtained by CBS Los Angeles shows mobs of rioters tossing fireworks and other projectiles at a small group of federal agents and local police stationed outside the building. The outlet further reported that periodic explosions had been heard throughout the afternoon and noted that the disturbances were very similar to those observed in nearby Los Angeles.
Other rioters could be seen smashing up police vehicles and clashing with federal agents.
Shortly before 6 p.m. local time, the Santa Ana Police Department responded to the scene and started to move rioters away from the federal building alongside federal agents. Police deployed tear gas, smoke and other less-than-lethal munitions in order to get the crowd away from the building.
Aerial footage shared by CBS Los Angeles shows federal agents sprinting towards a rioter suspected of tossing projectiles at police lines. The man was subsequently tackled to the ground and handcuffed by agents dressed in tactical gear.
Outside California, violence erupted in Austin, Texas when a mob of anti-ICE protesters made their way to a federal building and proceeded to deface it. Footage Obtained by Texas Scorecard reporter Joseph Trimmer shows Austin Police officers deploying mace and tear gas while rioters set up makeshift roadblocks using electric scooters.
Police declared an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse shortly before 9 p.m. local time. Hundreds of additional protesters gathered outside the Texas State Capitol building in downtown Austin.
