"Arrest People In Masks": Trump's New Mandate As Los Angeles Burns

US President Donald Trump has ordered law enforcement authorities to arrest the protestors wearing masks as tensions in Los Angeles escalated on Sunday amid mass demonstrations over the immigration crackdown. Trump on Sunday banned the use of masks at protests as he praised National Guard--a standby military usually controlled by state governors-- for doing a great job after two days of violence and unrest in Los Angeles. 

"ARREST THE PEOPLE IN FACE MASKS, NOW," the US President said in a post on his Social Truth platform. 

Earlier, Trump said that "from now on, MASKS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to be worn at protests," though it's unclear if the federal government has the authority to make such a decree. Demonstrators have been wearing masks to avoid facial identification by the security forces and protect themselves from the fumes emitted by both fireworks and police munitions.

The President also deployed California National Guard troops to the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday to help quell a third day of protests over Trump's immigration enforcement, even as the state's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom called their deployment unlawful.

National Guard troops were stationed around federal government buildings, as demonstrators torched cars and scuffled with security forces in Los Angeles--America's second-biggest city-- over federal immigration raids. 

The protests began following federal raids in a city with a large Latino population on Friday. Los Angeles police declared several rallies to be "unlawful assemblies", alleging that some protesters threw concrete, bottles and other objects at police. 

Several self-driving cars from Alphabet's Waymo were set ablaze on a downtown street on Sunday evening, video footage showed.

"Arrests are being initiated," the police department wrote in a post on social media. Los Angeles police deployed officers on horseback to attempt to control the crowds.

Meanwhile, California Governor Newsom blamed US President Trump's threat to deploy Marines to the demonstrations in Los Angeles for the "escalating situation".

In a post on X, Newsom said Trump's move came "despite protests already being managed by the LAPD".

"Los Angeles: Remain peaceful. Don't fall into the trap that extremists are hoping for," he added.