IN A STORMY weekend for US domestic politics, police and the National Guard arrested at least 56 people demonstrating in Los Angeles, California. On Friday, June 6, several groups took to the streets to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, which have grown in intensity and number over the past few months. According to CBS News, ICE recorded more than 2,000 arrests per day during Tuesday and Wednesday of the first week of June alone, a considerable increase when compared to the average of 660 that occurred in the first 100 days of Donald Trump's second administration.
The use of the National Guard to address a local situation like the protests in Los Angeles raised alarms from California governor Gavin Newsom, who accused the Trump administration of “creating a crisis.” Meanwhile, other civil society groups condemned the state response against protesters. “President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against recent ICE raids is deeply alarming,” Amnesty International wrote. “Armed troops have no place in our neighborhoods. This is not about protecting communities, but about suppressing dissent and instilling fear.”
During the scenes, protesters came face-to-face with National Guard and Los Angeles Sheriff's Office police officers. Both bodies were equipped with “nonlethal” weapons to disperse the protests. Among these devices are believed to be the PGL-65 (or P540) or the 37mm or 40mm Sage Deuce Projectile Launcher, “less lethal” ammunition launchers that law enforcement agencies have in their repertoire. Weapons such as those mentioned can launch tear gas grenades with a maximum range of nearly 500 feet. They can also fire kinetic impact grenades (rubber ammunition), “less lethal” fragmentation grenades (rubber balls that scatter when the munition explodes), stun grenades (explosions that cause loud noises and lights to disorient), and paint marker grenades (to mark demonstrators). According to media outlets such as CNN, police in Los Angeles have used stun guns and tear gas to disperse protesters.
