Some Marines from Camp Pendleton may be sent to Los Angeles following the the violence and confrontation this weekend between protesters and federal ICE agents which prompted President Trump to order 2,000 California National Guard troops to L-A, some of whom have already arrived.
That word came from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth who said Saturday night that he has placed U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton on alert.
Meantime 500 Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines based in Twentynine Palms are ready to deploy and provide backup to the National Guard troops on the ground in L.A., U.S. Northern Command said this evening.
The Marines, garrisoned at the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, about 150 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, are at the ready “should they be necessary to augment and support the DoD’s protection of federal property and personnel efforts,” NORTHCOM said in a statement. “high alert” to be deployed if needed.
Protest at Camp Pendleton
A protest unfolded Sunday afternoon outside the Main Gate of Camp Pendleton, where demonstrators gathered to denounce the use of the military against civil protests in Los Angeles. Dozens of San Diegans assembled outside Camp Pendleton’s Main Gate to voice opposition to the use of military force on American soil in response to the demonstrations. According to a protest organizer, the gathering is also meant to show support for service members. Demonstrators held signs reading “Protest is Patriotic,” “Support Our Troops,” and “Save Democracy.
Violent Protests in L-A
The situation Sunday evening in Los Angeles, hundreds of people were marching through into the downtown area, closing the U.S. 101 freeway, and setting several Waymo automated vehicles on fire not far from City Hall. There were no firefighters on the scene of the burning cars and dozens of protesters are swarming the vehicles, apparently unaware of the threat of explosion from lithium batteries that power the cars, or the toxicity of the smoke coming from the fires.
The Los Angeles Police Department declared an unlawful assembly Sunday afternoon and ordered the crowds to disperse, yet protesters were continuing to gather.
Governor Gavin Newsom arrived in L-A Sunday afternoon to oversee the state’s response to the ongoing immigration raids and protests. Newsom has asked the Trump administration to rescind the deployment of 2000 National Guard soldiers at the same time President’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, has threatened to arrest both Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass if they interfere with federal immigration enforcement. As Bass was appealing for calm, flash-bang explosions could be heard behind her.
A “Presidential Memorandum” posted Saturday on the White House website ordered the deployment of the National Guard in light of “numerous incidents of violence and disorder [which] … threaten to continue in response to the enforcement of Federal law by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other United States government personnel who are performing Federal functions and supporting the faithful execution of Federal immigration laws.”
The order states, in part that “The members and units of the National Guard called into Federal service shall be at least 2,000 National Guard personnel and the duration of duty shall be for 60 days or at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense.
VIDEO OF PROTESTS BELOW.
Los Angeles, CA. June 8, 2025 A car is on fire in front of the Old Plaza fire house on Los Angeles St. in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 8, 2025. (Luke Johnson/Los Angeles)