(Los Angeles) The police have made “excessive” use of force and deliberately “brutalized” demonstrators and journalists in Los Angeles during the demonstrations in June against the anti-immigration policy of Donald Trump, the NGO Human Rights Watch denounced on Monday.
“The police responded to the demonstrations which took place between June 6 and 14, 2025 against immigrant raids in California” using “excessive force and showing deliberate brutality,” said HRW in a statement.
“The police pulled tear gas, pepper balls, hard foam balls and deafening grenades directly on demonstrators, journalists and other observers, often at close range and frequently without having been caused,” said the NGO who talks about “dozens of people” injured.
The protest movement had broken out in reaction to a wave of arrests of immigrants, in an irregular situation according to the authorities, in this city to the strong Latin American population.
“The generalized raids against immigrants have terrorized the communities of Los Angeles and pushed thousands of people to descend to the streets to demonstrate,” said Ida Sawyer of HRW, quoted in the press release. According to her, the “aggressive response” of the authorities was to “violently repress the law of the public to express its indignation and that of the media to inform in complete safety”.
According to HRW, Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell, said in late June that his services would carry out a “complete evaluation” and take measures against any policeman who “did not comply” the established standards.
Photo Etienne Laurent, Agence France-Presse Archives
Police are facing demonstrators during a rally in Los Angeles, California, on July 4, 2025.
Largely peaceful, the demonstrations had however been marked by sometimes spectacular violence, with burned cars, the looting of shops, fireworks or the cut of a large fast way.
President Donald Trump had notably deployed the National Guard, in an showdown with the Democratic Governor of California Gavin Newsom.
In one of the dozens of cases documented by HRW, a police officer pulled on three people at very short distance and would have launched: “I will shoot you because you prevent me from concentrating. »»
Among the injuries identified are fractures, concussions, a amputated finger and serious eye damage.
An AFP photographer was touched in the face by a rubber bullet fired by the police. At least three other journalists were also injured.
