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By Marni Rose McFall
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A video has gone viral on social media which appears to show a protester being stomped by police on horseback in Los Angeles, amid escalating violence.
Newsweek has reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) via email for comment outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
Protesters have been demonstrating against Donald Trump administration's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the city. Hundreds of protesters and federal immigration authorities in riot gear have clashed for three nights running.
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The clashes highlight deepening conflicts between sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration policy, as Trump has implemented sweeping changes through executive orders and utilized the wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expand deportation authority.
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What To Know
One version of the video, which has also aired on TV, has been shared on X, formerly Twitter, by the account @hearinladotcom and shows a person lying on the ground in the road surrounded by police, some of whom are on foot while others are on horseback.
Content warning: this video contains violent scenes which could be distressing to some viewers.
One horse first appears to kick the man. Another horse then appears to walk over the man, stomping him in the process. Shortly after this, the man tries to stand up, but he is then grabbed by a police officer and thrown to the ground.
The post was captioned "LAPD used horses to stomp on a man on the ground," and has been viewed 157,600 times at time of writing .
A video was also shared by the account @paultao, which shows a different angle of the apparent stomping. The two videos shared online appear to have been filmed from different devices and different angles but show the same scene and are being widely circulated online. The exact context of the video isn't clear.
Self-described independent reporter Talia Jane @tailiaotg posted on X that a person had been trampled by an LAPD horse on TV, though the video footage she shared appears to be of a different incident, albeit at the same location. She then followed up the post, writing that someone had allegedly thrown a Molotov cocktail, which prompted law enforcement to rush the sidewalk on horses.
Since the violence broke out, confrontations between protesters and law enforcement have seen protesters throwing rocks and allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at officers, who have responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Protests erupted on Friday amid reports of ICE raids in Los Angeles, resulting in multiple arrests. On Saturday evening, the president announced that he had authorized the mobilization of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles after reported violence against law enforcement, specifically federal ICE agents.
What People Are Saying
Talia Jane, a reporter on X: "looks like someone threw a molotov, prompting cops to rush the sidewalk. LAPD rushes 2 people holding onto each other trying to get out of the way - walking past the streak of flames, clearly not who threw it. LAPD uses horse to charge forward, push them down, trample them."
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote on X: "We will always protect the constitutional right for Angelenos to peacefully protest. However, violence, destruction and vandalism will not be tolerated in our City and those responsible will be held fully accountable."
California Governor Gavin Newsom posted on X following the National Guard announcement: "I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command. We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty—inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed. Rescind the order. Return control to California."
President Donald Trump on Truth Social on Saturday: "If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs, which everyone knows they can't, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!"
What's Next
City leaders have warned that further protests may follow. In a statement on Friday, Mayor Karen Bass said of the immigration enforcement operation: "It sows a sense of terror in the community. It's bad enough that it happened at this location, but the way this goes and spreads throughout the community, people are not sure where they are safe."
Residents have been told to avoid public areas amid fears of further unrest.
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