A heavy cloud of smoke and the acrid stench of burning metal lingered over downtown Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, as protesters clashed with law enforcement officers for a third day during a large-scale demonstration over immigration policies and deportations.
The downtown area, punctuated by the wail of sirens, helicopters circling overhead and sporadic explosions of police flash-bang grenades, transformed the usually bustling city into what some described as an "apocalyptic" scene.
The protests, sparked by recent immigration raids and detentions conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, escalated after demonstrators attempted to block a major intersection near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown LA, where many detainees are being held.
