Who’s Really Behind the Chaos in Downtown L.A.? Unmasking the Agitators Disrupting Anti-ICE Protests

As protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enter their fifth day, Los Angeles finds itself at the center of a firestorm — both literally and politically. With a state of emergency declared and an LA curfew enforced in downtown L.A., officials and citizens alike are asking: Are these violent scenes the result of immigrant rights demonstrators, or are habitual agitators hijacking the movement?

On Tuesday night, Mayor Karen Bass enacted a strict 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. LA curfew across a one-square-mile area encompassing Skid Row, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and the Fashion District. The order follows a night of looting at 23 businesses, widespread graffiti damage, and a rash of violent outbursts that have stunned the city.

“This is not protest — this is destruction,” Mayor Bass said firmly. “Don’t claim to stand for immigrants while torching our city.”

The unrest began following a controversial immigration raid over the weekend, and while many peaceful demonstrators have rallied in defense of immigrant communities, law enforcement insists a more sinister group has infiltrated the movement. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell detailed shocking incidents from recent nights, including Molotov cocktails thrown at officers, commercial-grade fireworks launched at police, and even cinderblocks hurled as weapons. The city has announced LA curfew.

“These aren’t protesters,” said Jim McDonnell. “They’re masked, organized, and armed with tactics designed to inflict chaos. Some would call them anarchists. We know them as repeat agitators who follow civil unrest from city to city.”

Among the most disturbing images from Sunday night were burning Waymo driverless taxis, vandalized and torched near the Metropolitan Detention Center. Five vehicles were set ablaze, sending plumes of toxic smoke over the city and prompting an aggressive police response.

President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to California, without prior approval from the state or city, has only escalated tensions. The move has sparked conflict between local leaders and federal authorities, even as nearly 200 arrests have already been made, with LAPD announcing “mass arrests” for LA curfew violations late Tuesday.

Despite calls for calm, the atmosphere remains volatile. The clear divide between genuine demonstrators and disruptive opportunists is growing more pronounced each day.

The challenge now, as Mayor Karen Bass emphasized, is separating the voices demanding justice from those fueling destruction. “There are real immigrant families at the center of this,” she stated. “We can’t let their stories be drowned out by violence.”

As the LA curfew is expected to be in place for more nights. The city is at a crossroads, grappling not only with the future of immigration raids and enforcement but also with how it polices protests, distinguishes between activism and anarchy, and protects its communities in a time of crisis.