Los Angeles Mayor Bass Downplays June Unrest, Says Reported ICE ‘Riots’ Never Occurred

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday dismissed national reports that the city experienced “riots” during anti-ICE demonstrations in June, telling reporters that the events “never happened” and describing the unrest as limited to “a couple of incidents of vandalism and looting.” Bass also said she was unaware of a recent attack on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Texas and declined to outline any new measures to protect federal personnel in Los Angeles. Local law-enforcement records from the June disturbances show police officers were assaulted, five Waymo autonomous cars were torched and more than 100 people were arrested for looting in a single night, with additional detentions for arson and attempted murder over several days of civil disorder. The incidents prompted the deployment of National Guard troops requested by the Trump administration, a move later criticized by Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom. Bass argued that national media coverage overstated the scale of the violence, comparing it unfavourably to accounts of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which left 63 people dead and caused more than $1 billion in damage. Her latest remarks have reignited debate over how city officials depict public-safety threats and the appropriate response to attacks on federal agents.