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Erin Burnett Outfront

L.A. Protests Grow, Police Make Arrets, Mayor Weighs Curfew. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired June 10, 2025 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[19:00:25]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: All right. Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett, live from Los Angeles, where the situation is unfolding right now outside the courthouse and detention center here in L.A.

Behind me, you can see protesters who are just walking up. They've been attempting to block one of the freeways here in L.A. and right behind where were sitting is now a complete line of police and LAPD who have just run. We were just running here in the two seconds before this show began to get into position to run, to block these protesters who are coming up on them now as the situation is unfolding.

Right now, we understand 4,000 National Guardsmen have been deployed. There are 700 Marines that have been deployed, and we have seen up to 50, 60 of those National Guard members today outside the Manhattan Detention Center. All of this situation unfolding.

Earlier, peaceful protests, lines of protesters, a line of law enforcement. And then what happened was a couple of bad actors in the crowd were throwing empty plastic water bottles. That resulted in some of the explosions. Then rubber bullets, and then the order for the crowd to disperse.

All of that, trying to push the crowd away from the detention center. And now where we are now, where you can see protesters and the police here. So right now, I'd say there's about 150 yards between the two as this is unfolding.

This all comes as a judge declined California Governor Gavin Newsom's effort on a temporary restraining order to stop President Trump from deploying the National Guard here in L.A. That has been denied. They had wanted a 14-day stay to try to work this out. We are moments away, possibly from a curfew that would impact the area in which we are standing right now.

We're going to be talking to the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, in just a few moments.

Kyung Lah and Nick Watt are here with me in L.A. You know, we've been running into each other in various places, covering this quickly unfolding story this afternoon.

And I want to start with you, Kyung.

I know we just saw a whole group of people and we see more now rushing this direction where there's police line is. But they were attempting to block the freeway. And I think you might be right over there. What are you seeing?

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: I'm just going to walk my team over just a little bit. You can see that I'm standing on the berm on the side of the freeway. And over here you can see LAPD, where they have been pushing the crowd that ran onto the freeway at one point blocking both sides of the 101 Freeway. The line of law enforcement, they've been successfully able to push them over and back onto the berm to try to reopen the freeway.

But what we've been watching, Erin, as you know, throughout the day, is that you have these skirmishes between protesters who are gathering in one spot and then finding pockets like this. You know, there's a -- there's a cut in the gate leading onto the freeway. And so, this crowd ran over this dirt patch and right down onto the freeway.

And so that then created a problem for the police department. They also had to figure out how to get onto the freeway. Reopen traffic, and then push everybody back up this area. There was -- this is -- this is the same crowd that was outside the federal detention center. And after they cleared the front, that pathway in and out of the detention center, declaring it an area that the public cannot stand in front of because of some problems earlier, this is where they ended up.

So here in just the last couple of hours, we've seen sort of the cadence of these protests that have happened over and over again here in Los Angeles since these ICE sweeps began, is that you then have this group that's been stuck in one area, and then they spread out through a certain portion of downtown Los Angeles.

And so that's what's happening here. We don't know what's going to happen at this point to this crowd. But given the heat, given the fact that they can't stay in the area, that they want, their anger now at law enforcement, you're watching what happens as this evening is going to continue to go on and on.

And let's take a look, a closer look now, Mike, if you can just give her a look at -- these are the same officers. These are the same officers that we've seen throughout the day having to deal with protesters. And they've created now a line to try to prevent them from going onto the freeway, because that is extremely dangerous.

We are heading into rush hour.

[19:05:00]

There are a lot of cars on the 101. This is a major hazard, not just for the public for safety, but also for just traffic, through one of L.A.'s most congested areas.

I want you to spend, Mike, if you could. Down that way, you can see the entire freeway has been blocked off. I don't know if we're going to be able to show you, given how crowded it is. Can you see -- can you see that area? See that is completely shut down this freeway all the way down through the bottleneck of Los Angeles? If you're familiar with the layout of downtown, it is completely shut down. At least going one way.

I'm actually seeing the CHP having some success reopening the other side of the 101 freeway. And so that is that -- that's some progress. You can see traffic moving on that side, but its just these officers on foot now holding back this crowd that had a short time ago, completely blocked off both sides of the 101.

So -- and this happened in just seconds very, very quickly. So, Erin, as we watch all of this happen, people are starting to move again. So now this crowd moves on and the question becomes -- where are they heading next? We'll follow them. And just see.

BURNETT: Yeah. All right, Kyung, thank you very much.

And it is as Kyung is capturing it so well. Just these waves of people on the other end. Basically, the one on one is as Kyung is talking about, is essentially right behind us. That's what's down there. That's now gridlock as this crowd is moving back and forth.

And here we are with these lines of police preparing for crowds to gather here as people sort of run there and run back really like waves.

Retired LAPD detective Moses Castillo joins me now. I know you were on the Los Angeles police force for nearly three decades. Also, retired Lieutenant Colonel Rachel VanLandingham, former judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force.

So, both of you know this perilous moment that we're in and what we're looking at.

So, Detective, can I just start with where we are right now? You see, these waves of people flooding? They're blocking the highway right behind us. Lines of police here. The mayor talking about a possible curfew that would affect essentially these few blocks in which we are in that could take place -- we're going to talk to her in a few minutes at any time. Is that needed right now?

MOSES CASTILLO, RETIRED LAPD DETECTIVE: Yes, I think it's needed. And I think LAPD is taking a more proactive approach today. They're being more aggressive in putting a stop to these unlawful assemblies before it gets out of control.

BURNETT: So, Lieutenant Colonel, let me ask you, you know, moving quickly and being more aggressive, they certainly have. We have witnessed that ourselves, being more aggressive. These orders for dispersal, for example, saying everybody has to move.

Have you seen a change in how they're operating?

LT. COL. RACHEL VANLANDINGHAM (RET.), U.S. AIR FORCE: We haven't seen a change in how the National Guard and Marines are operating. But I do think we've seen a change in local law enforcement and the LAPD, absolutely.

BURNETT: Yes. So, detective, let me ask you, President Trump says that the military is here and we understand that they're on the ground. Right. We talked about those 2,000 National Guard. Few hundred of them were here yesterday.

We're now told that, you know, there's up to 4000 of them. Thousands are on the ground. Also, of course, the marines. He said today that they are there to, quote/unquote, protect the LAPD.

Now, where were standing right now, this is the LAPD and Los Angeles County and other Los Angeles police. Do they need the protection of federal forces?

COSTELLO: Well, I think the president may not understand the actual role of the military. They cannot do any hands on when it comes to confronting people. Their only hands-on is when they're in military combat. Here, it is more supportive role. I think it was more of a preventative measure if anything else.

BURNETT: So, Lieutenant Colonel, I'm curious -- were you surprised at the effort for a temporary restraining order from Governor Gavin Newsom was denied, right? A judge could have said, sorry, National Guard, you can't be here. LAPD can handle it.

That got denied.

VANLANDINGHAM: That was denied, and I was not surprised at all. It's a really high bar for a preliminary injunction where Governor Newsom would have to show a substantial likelihood of success. And because of the statute that President. Trump is relying on, at least to federalize the National Guard gives great discretion for the president to respond. And I don't think the courts are going to -- were going to side with the governor.

BURNETT: So, Detective, where does this go from here? I just want to describe what we saw earlier. Right? We saw a peaceful protest. And then you see a few specific actors, some of which seem familiar to other days, right? People who are coming back start throwing things and an explosion. Maybe some of these improvised fireworks.

Suddenly, you see the rubber bullets fly, and there's a lot of tension. In that case, it was the National Guard. It was ICE, and it was CBP, but it immediately escalated very quickly. And as the days go on, it feels more tense in that regard. The stakes seem higher.

COSTELLO: Yes. I wish that the president, President Trump, will tell the American public that he's pushing, pushing the button, pushing, pushing pause on these raids, because obviously it's creating more chaos than what it's worth and more violence. I think if he pauses it and reassesses and talks to all the stakeholders and find out what's the best approach moving forward, I think we will see that things calm down.

[19:10:09]

BURNETT: So, these raids that are happening and they're happening everywhere here we are hearing about them. We are seeing them. They are happening at Home Depot. They are happening in church parking lots. They are happening on the street with vendors. They're happening at farmers markets. They are happening everywhere.

And we are now also seeing protests tonight in New York. We are seeing protests in Chicago. You know, far from being something that's just a few blocks of Los Angeles that was manageable, which this feels like it is, it seems to be metastasizing.

VANLANDINGHAM: Yes, it is. And I think that's something that could be dangerous, spiral dangerously out of control if we're not careful, because American people have the right to peacefully protest under the First Amendment and to push back in the courts and to peacefully protesting. But by inciting violence, which by adding National Guard and marines that are not needed in a situation, there's that potential for it to spiral.

And I'm afraid that the president may threaten or actually do that in other cities, that he would replicate sending in the guard, sending in the military when local law enforcement had it under control.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you both so very much. I appreciate it.

And joining us now, the lieutenant governor of California, Eleni Kounalakis.

Lieutenant Governor, I appreciate your time.

As we are watching this situation unfold, and it is still hot out. It is still hot. It is not yet dusk. And we will see what happens as dusk descends. We'll see if there's going to be some sort of a curfew, as the mayor of Los Angeles had indicated, there may be. She's going to be with me in a moment. We'll see what she says.

But what is the state's next move now that the temporary restraining order that Gavin Newsom tried to get to stop the National Guard and Marines from being deployed has been denied by a federal judge?

LT. GOV. ELENI KOUNALAKIS (D), CALIFORNIA: Well, thanks for having me. First and foremost, watching these scenes -- I just want to remind the general public that anyone who goes out and is protesting in a way that is not peaceful law enforcement, that is --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm still with you. I will --

KOUNALAKIS: -- state, and local and regional law enforcement will it -- will hold people accountable. But as far as the court case goes, you know, this is a case that is going to make its way through the system. The preliminary injunction was not granted, but the judge did order a hearing for Thursday.

So, this is going to be heard on Thursday. Both sides will make their arguments. And the governor, the attorney general, the state of California feels very strongly that the use the calling of the National Guard by President Trump without the agreement of the governor is not legal.

So, Lieutenant Governor, we understand that President Trump has called up 4,000 National Guard, 700 marines, and now the words to describe those National Guard is not just mobilized, but that they're actually on the ground.

Today, just moments ago, I saw, say, 50 or 60 National Guard as well as ICE and CBP, all present outside this detention center. Do you know how many of the 4,000 National Guard are here in Los Angeles fully deployed?

KOUNALAKIS: I don't know the full, you know, force posture. But what you saw, 50 members of the guard who are around the federal buildings. That is not what people are seeing on the screen. The law enforcement that is handling this and has been for the last few days, is Los Angeles Police Department, the CHP and the Sheriff's Office. Those are the officers.

And as you can see, they're very well-trained. They're very well- equipped. They're absolutely capable of handling this kind of unrest. And for that reason, there is -- there is no justification for calling the National Guard or the marines.

BURNETT: So, today, the House Speaker Mike Johnson, spoke out about the tension between Governor Newsom and President Trump, which in terms of just the basic of a personal relationship, appears to actually be at the core of much of what is playing out right now. And whether President Trump plans to arrest or wants to arrest Governor Newsom. Here's what the house speaker had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I'm not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested, but he ought to be tarred and feathered, I'll say that. I mean, look, he's standing in the way of the administration and the carrying out of federal law, right? He is applauding the bad guys and standing in the way of the good guys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Lieutenant Governor, what's your response to that? He should be tarred and feathered, and he's standing in the way of enforcing federal law.

KOUNALAKIS: Well, that is absolutely not true. And one thing about Governor Newsom is that he is not afraid to stand up to the speaker, to stand up to the president, to file these lawsuits, to lead the state of California, and to stand up for what is right and fair, and certainly to stand up for rule of law, which it is.

[19:15:17]

As you can see, the speaker and the president and, you know, their language, their rhetoric of revenge and disrespect, I believe the American people deserve much better than that. It does not serve our people to have a speaker who uses that kind of violent rhetoric. It's just unacceptable.

BURNETT: All right, Lieutenant Governor, I appreciate your time. And thank you very much. Lieutenant Governor of California.

Next, a district attorney here in Los Angeles is going to be with me on the scene here outside the detention center, federal buildings in Los Angeles.

I will also be speaking to the Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, at the center of all of this. She will be my guest in just a few moments.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:20:34]

BURNETT: All right. We have new video into OUTFRONT. This is of our own Nick Watt briefly being detained earlier today. He was detained for a few minutes. And Nick is with me now.

And, Nick, you know, I want you to tell exactly what happened, because you and I were right there when there was an altercation. Then there were the rubber bullets fired. There were the explosions, the foam canisters. There was all the fear and panic.

And there was, you know, figuring out which side of the police line you were going to be on. You ended up on the side of the line where it ended up with a detention. So what happened?

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, we ended up in between the two lines of L.A. police officers that were trying to come together to make some arrests. Now, this protest had been peaceful and stationary.

Then, a bus arrived at the detention center we believe carrying detained people. That sparked the issue. Some bottles, plastic bottles were thrown at the National Guard. They then returned fire with non- lethal or less lethal rounds.

And that's when this dispersal order, this dispersal order was given. This was deemed to be an unlawful gathering. We, as I say, were caught in between the two lines and were met by the police who said we were not allowed to leave. We were detained along with all of the protesters who were trying to get out as well.

Now, what we're doing now is these protesters are now walking. I don't know where they're going. I don't think they know where they're going, but they have left the detention center because they were told to. They then briefly blocked the 101 Freeway, and now they're moving around the area.

You can see some of the graffiti from issues previous nights. There is a heavy police presence. We've seen a lot of police motorcycles, a lot of police cars heading towards the detention center. And as you say, listen, there might be a curfew, a focused curfew on part of the city tonight to stop what has happened the past few nights from happening again.

But as I say, it was peaceful until a couple of bad actors threw stuff at the National Guard. Thats when it kicked off. Thats when we ended up being briefly detained -- Erin.

BURNETT: All right. Nick, and thank you very much.

I just want everyone to understand. I mean, nick and I have been standing together and as he's emphasizing, and I think its really important that it was peaceful. There were a couple of bad actors. It escalated very quickly, and it was frightening.

Then we saw these lines of police coming together. We said to one of the L.A. police officers in that line, you know, do you want us to be pushed in front of you or go behind you? And he said, just make a choice and make it fast. So, we made the choice to film them coming by.

Just to make it very clear, it is so fluid. You don't know which side of the line is going to be on the side of the line, where suddenly you're detained and suddenly you aren't. And that's the nature of this situation, as we're seeing, see, some of these police vehicles going by now, possibly heading up to some protesters that we can see there in the distance.

Nathan Hochman joins me now, former Republican, now independent, the district attorney here in Los Angeles.

District attorney, I am standing here on the fifth night of protests. As we are watching this unfold. It's still hot. The sun is still high. But that's going to change here over the next hour or two.

Do you see the need for an enhanced military presence tonight? Do you see the need for a targeted curfew?

NATHAN HOCHMAN, LOS ANGELES DISTRICT ATTORNEY: So here's what the district attorney's office has done in connection with local law enforcement. We have said unequivocally that we will fiercely defend the right of every peaceful protester to protest and assemble in accordance with the law.

But when their actions cross from protected speech into illegal conduct, that's when we will go ahead and arrest, prosecute and punish people.

Now, with respect to the amount of force that is needed and the law enforcement that is there, the LAPD has 8,000 officers, the sheriff has 9,000 officers. CHP and 45 other local law enforcement agencies are in this county, with probably an additional 10,000 officers.

So I believe we have the law enforcement capabilities to deal with any civil unrest that has erupted so far, and hopefully, it's actually been lessening a bit each and every day.

BURNETT: All right. So we're just watching as you can see I'm going to turn -- we're going to turn now with this to watch.

[19:25:00]

You just saw that entire line of bulletproof vests out to police and they are running -- sorry. They are running. They are running towards the highway. And the protesters down there, district attorney.

Do you believe that the situation is more under control tonight than it has been on other nights, or is it impossible for you to tell that right now?

HOCHMAN: Well, we'll see how the night progresses, but each night, it has actually gotten more under control because law enforcement's ranks have been bolstered. They are getting more intel on how to deal with the lawful protesters. and I want to actually point out the numbers that we're dealing with. We have 4 million people who live in Los Angeles City. We have 11 million people who live in Los Angeles County.

So, it is a very, very small percentage of the people who are legitimately protesting, maybe in the thousands and even a smaller percentage of them, maybe in the hundreds that are engaging these criminal acts.

But from the D.A.'s perspective, we're sending an unequivocal warning message to anyone who wants to engage in these criminal acts. Whether it's lighting a Waymo on fire, whether it's attacking police officers, whether it's ransacking and looting businesses or engaging in this type of graffiti, this felony vandalism that we are going to arrest you, prosecute you, and punish you in accordance with the law.

And so, this warning message is being sent out to everyone listening. Go ahead and peacefully protest, but do not cross that line into criminal conduct.

BURNETT: Yes, and I understand you know, the criminal conduct such that we have seen. And I want to be very clear, district attorney, we have seen peaceful protests. We have seen a few bad actors who have thrown things at police and done things that are unlawful that they should not be doing. The majority of people have not been doing that.

But when Trump today comes out and blames Governor Newsom, and I want to quote district attorney what he said, he said, quote, causing a lot of death. He blames Gavin Newsom for causing a lot of death -- that's a direct quote -- during the protests.

Do you have any idea what the president is talking about?

HOCHMAN: So, I am not going to get in the middle of a political squabbles between the president, the governor, the mayor, or anyone else in politics.

As a district attorney, I have a job, and that job is to keep people safe here in this county, working with law enforcement, whether its local law enforcement or even federal law enforcement. We're going to work as a team to keep people safe.

And again, as you pointed out, the number of bad actors proportionally are very small, but they have huge impacts in the city. We're going to go after the bad actors, whether they get arrested in the last four days, whether they get arrested in the weeks or months to come.

The advantage we have is that this is being filmed at probably a record level. We have more social media video of who is doing these bad acts and probably any other time in Los Angeles County history.

So, we're coming after the bad actors while still protecting the legitimate protesters.

BURNETT: All right, District Attorney, I very much appreciate your time. Thank you so much.

And we did just see all of those police in riot gear, bulletproof vests, just rushing. There was a about 30 or so of them. So, we showed that to you on camera. As you can see, police here gathering, there's a line of protesters you can probably see over my shoulder on the other side of police there.

So we've ended up sort of on one side of a police line to give you a sense of how dynamic the situation is. You're talking about an urban environment. You're talking about street corners. That's how you can get stuck in between lines of officers very quickly.

We're going to take a brief break. When we come back, the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, at the center of so much of this, and with the biggest decision to make in this breaking news moment, and that is whether she will impose a curfew on the specific area of Los Angeles tonight. It's a crucial decision. She's going to be with us in just a couple of moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:33:46]

BURNETT: Breaking news, these are live pictures, aerials of the protests here in Los Angeles, where we are covering the unfolding situation. Even here along the freeway, sort of every entrance point, there is a mass, as I can see, even with my eyes here from the ground of police and protesters on every overpass. That's the situation as they are trying to break up these crowds.

It's hard to see when you're in one specific situation, the overall picture. Those aerials give you a bit of a sense of what we're seeing here on the ground in Los Angeles, and it all comes as President Trump today was speaking in front of America's soldiers. During that speech, he took the time to attack California's governor as well as the mayor of Los Angeles, both Democrats. It was a highly political speech.

Just hear what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're incompetent, and they paid troublemakers, agitators and insurrectionists. They're engaged in this willful attempt to nullify federal law and aid the occupation of the city by criminal invaders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Kristen Holmes is OUTFRONT live outside the White House.

Kristen, we're going to be with the mayor of Los Angeles in just a moment, because obviously, what the president just said there is pretty incredible. He's saying that the mayor and the governor of this state are paying troublemakers, agitators and insurrectionists to conduct these acts, which is a pretty incredible statement to make.

[19:35:06]

What else is he saying, Kristen?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, and, Erin, we did ask for clarity on those comments because like much of what Donald Trump says, it wasn't entirely clear if he was blaming them or also, as you said, saying that they were paying him. We were trying to sort through what that sentence actually even meant.

Donald Trump has taken almost every opportunity he can to talk to reporters about what's going on in Los Angeles. A lot of what he said seemed to be this idea that he was doubling down on the fact that he had called the marines, and that he called the National Guard. And at one point when he was at Fort Bragg, also using what almost seemed like legal terminology to defend his actions.

Of course, as we know, there have been multiple lawsuits now brought against Trump for calling in the National Guard. At one point during that speech, he said that people were infiltrating and operating in federal buildings, that they were taking control of federal property. He said that they were mobbing police. He called it a rebellion and invasion. He said multiple times they had to stop this invasion.

Now, of course, one of the things we know is that he is going to continue to pin this on immigration because his team, his White House team and his administration believes that's still a winning issue for them. If they say this is all because people are trying to stop his mandate, that's what he calls it, on these mass deportations.

But we heard him really double down on all of the notions here, particularly this idea against Gavin Newsom fighting back against these Democratic lawmakers and saying that he had the right to be here.

And, Erin, one of the things that stuck out to me was that he almost said that he was setting an example, or sounded like he was saying he was setting an example with what was going on in Los Angeles, saying to people when he was in the Oval Office earlier, if you plan on rioting again, or if you plan on stopping these ICE raids again, I can guarantee that you that you'll be met with the full force or even more force than what you're seeing in Los Angeles, so trying to set a precedent here.

BURNETT: Kristen Holmes, thank you very much, live from the White House.

And as promised, now, we're joined by the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass.

And Mayor Bass, I very much appreciate your time.

Here we are, just next to the 101 Freeway lines of police. We've seen some tactical gear units moving. I was there earlier today when the peaceful protest turned not peaceful because of a couple of bad actors that caused it to escalate very quickly and caused that dispersal order. Do you feel that you have the situation under control? If you were to have no national guard, no CBP, none of them here, would the LAPD have the situation fully under control?

MAYOR KAREN BASS (D), LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The LAPD would have the situation fully under control, because you must know that the LAPD does not operate in isolation. We have a sheriff department. We are a county with 88 cities in it. There are multiple local police departments that weigh in for mutual aid.

And as of right now, the only mission of the National Guard is to protect the federal building. So, they are not helping with crowd control or anything like that. And frankly, I don't think they need to be helping.

We will be talking about a curfew shortly, and I think that that will assist. But (AUDIO GAP) Marines and 2,000 National Guard members are needed in our city. Unfortunately, the way this is, is projected around the country. It looks as though there is civil unrest happening all over the city.

Now, the violence and the vandalism is absolutely awful and will be prosecuted. But I have to tell you that this is a few streets in downtown Los Angeles. This does not even engulf the entire area of downtown.

BURNETT: And that is certainly what we have seen and experienced with our own eyes. Mayor, there, you did just say, though, a curfew and that you think that is going to make a difference. So, it sounds to me like you are announcing a curfew.

I mean, what does that exactly mean? I mean, where does it -- where does it -- is it going to be taking effect? And when as it's 4:38 local time?

BASS: Let me just tell you that as soon as we are done, I'm meeting with the chief of police. We've been working on it all day, and we should be prepared one way or another to make an announcement before nightfall. And it would go into effect.

BURNETT: Before nightfall? BASS: Yeah. Yes.

BURNETT: Okay, so it will go into effect tonight if you if you choose to, to pull the trigger on that. Can I just make sure I understand because you were very clear to emphasize that this doesn't even engulf all of downtown L.A. Would the curfew extend to all of downtown L.A. and more broadly, or would it be very narrowly tailored to these blocks that I'm standing in around the federal buildings?

BASS: Well, that is exactly what my discussion with the police chief will be in the next few minutes. But I can tell you the initial thinking is it would not engulf all of downtown Los Angeles.

[19:40:02]

BURNETT: All right. Well, we will see. And obviously that would be very significant. So just to be clear, we can expect a decision on that from you then. It sounds like you and the police chief in the next half hour or so, because the sun is starting to set.

BASS: I'm not really, but yes, I think you would hear from us in the next hour.

BURNETT: Okay. In the next hour.

So, in that time frame, I just want to give you a chance to respond to what president Trump said today. And I know you've been in meetings all day. You may not have heard some of it, but he gave a prolonged speech at Fort Bragg in which he talked about what's happening here in Los Angeles and when he was referring to you, Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom.

I'm going to quote it because I don't know if you were fully connected and you could hear it, but he said -- I'm quoting him -- they are incompetent. And they paid troublemakers, agitators and insurrectionists. They are engaged in the willful attempt to nullify federal law and aid the occupation of the city by criminal invaders.

I wanted to give you a chance to respond to that.

BASS: Wait. Wait, wait a minute. Are you telling me that he said we paid for the violence to take place? Is that what you just said?

BURNETT: I'm just quoting to you what he said. It is, as our Kristen Holmes reported, sometimes unclear exactly what exactly he means or is saying, but that is the quote of what he said.

BASS: Well, let me just say it is absolutely absurd that either myself or the governor would be supportive in any way, shape or form to the vandalism and the violence that is taking place in our city. I guess he has not heard any of my comments or any of my press conferences, because I have been abundantly clear that what is happening on our streets is unacceptable when it is criminal behavior, people will be arrested and prosecuted.

And I have also said to the people that are committing the vandalism, don't be -- don't think you're off scot-free if you sleep at home tonight because you might be at home tonight, but I can't guarantee you you will be home tomorrow.

Investigations take place. There is tons of video and you will be pursued and arrested. So, I don't know how much (AUDIO GAP) a clear statement that this behavior will not be tolerated.

The other thing I said is, is that I don't believe that anybody that vandalized the city supports immigrants, so don't use immigrants (AUDIO GAP) the hands of the administration that I believe would like to roll out troops across the city, and I do not want to see that happen.

BURNETT: All right. Mayor Bass, we very much appreciate your time. Thank you so very much.

And you heard the mayor of Los Angeles there with the breaking news, is that she is going to be meeting with the police chief here and anticipates a decision about a curfew, which would take place tonight, within the next hour.

And that would put you right in the realm of sunset and making sure that they don't have people out after dark. You heard her view that she would specifically tailor it to apply to certain parts of downtown L.A., and not beyond that, but were going to see what they announce here over these next minutes, within this next hour, which would be a shift in this story and an important one if there is a curfew here about to take place in L.A.

We're going to take a brief break because it is now not just Los Angeles where I'm standing, but also other major cities. This is the second biggest city in America. Well, guess what? In the biggest city in America, New York, there are now protests. There are protests in Chicago. And these protests are now spreading across the country.

We're going to go live to New York and Chicago right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:47:53]

BURNETT: All right, welcome back. We're covering the breaking news, the protests here in Los Angeles where we are anticipating a decision any minute regarding a curfew here in Los Angeles, which would take effect tonight as darkness falls where we are.

So, as we anticipate that decision coming any moment clear that the mayor of Los Angeles supports it. Weve got live pictures of protesters in New York and Chicago filling the streets.

In fact, new video just into OUTFRONT of a car in Chicago moving through a protest. It appeared to push a few sign holders there in the protest in Chicago before then speeding away. So unclear exactly what we were seeing there.

Also, large protests underway in New York city protesting Trump's deportations and the use of ICE officers with those ice raids.

Shimon Prokupecz is OUTFRONT in New York City. Whitney Wild is OUTFRONT in Chicago.

I want to begin, though, with you, Shimon, in New York. And what are you seeing there?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Erin, one of the largest protests that this city has seen in quite some time, this protest has stretched for blocks from each side of the avenues from Sixth Avenue. We're now on Hudson Street, and we've been going for about nearly two hours.

And you can see people are holding signs saying ICE out of New York City. We've seen flags of Mexico, we've seen the Palestinian flag, and really just a convergence of different issues and different concerns that people here in New York City have.

Also, they all first gathered at around 5:00 Eastern here at Foley Square, which is right outside the federal building and ICE offices. And they then marched for about several blocks, and then they veered off onto another street, Varick Street, where there are more ICE offices and the immigration courts. And they stood there for several minutes, chanting and getting together.

And all of the traffic in the area was completely shut down. And it was the first time that we had seen the NYPD start to mobilize, start to gather, to try and figure out how to get the street back open.

[19:50:01]

But the demonstrators here left, and this is where we are now on Hudson Street. We are now marching towards a park where they plan on stopping, and we'll see if that continues.

But what is so significant here, Erin, certainly, I've covered a lot of protests here the last several years. This is one of the largest demonstrations, certainly, that we've had here in New York City.

As for the NYPD, they are letting them they are allowing them to take over the streets to march. Of course, the goal is to have them essentially tire out and then stop. But we're not seeing any kind of show of force. We're not even seeing NYPD in the middle of the crowd.

Most of them, when they do appear, they're on the outside of the group, and they're just allowing them to continue now to march. And they've been going for well over two hours now, Erin.

BURNETT: All right. Shimon, thank you very much, going to be covering this from New York tonight.

And let's go to Chicago, where Whitney Wild has been covering the protests there.

Whitney, we saw that video of the car just moments ago. But what are you seeing where you are right now? WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're here at

the federal plaza. This is right outside the federal courthouse here in downtown Chicago. This is a really common place where people protest. It's quiet at the moment, Erin.

But this is where that very large protest had stepped off. That was around 5:30. They made their way down the most iconic location in Chicago, Magnificent Mile, right down Michigan Avenue. And, Erin, as you can see from those aerial video, that really gives you a sense of the scale here, because this protest was massive, it took up the entire side of Michigan Avenue.

It also started to sort of edge into oncoming traffic the other way, what we're told by people who were at the very center of organizing this is that that crowd is about to come back to federal plaza, where they will continue this protest. But as you had mentioned, the -- this has been a peaceful protest. The major incident here was that car that appeared to clip a few protesters that was at Wabash and Monroe.

So we're going to continue to try to figure out what happened there. If that driver was arrested, what the intention for that driver was. Erin, a lot of open questions here. But for the most part, despite the scale here and it is a noisy protest, there have been no major incidents aside from that car that that appeared to have driven, you know, into or near that protest -- Aaron.

BURNETT: Whitney Wild, thank you very much in Chicago.

And we'll be back here with the breaking news here in L.A., watching the protests here and the possibility of the breaking news of a curfew any moment.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:56:45]

BURNETT: All right. Welcome back.

We're looking at these live images here out of Los Angeles. Pictures of the fifth day of protests. Various street intersections here throughout downtown L.A., over the freeway.

You're seeing groups of protesters and police. We've seen tactical units. We are awaiting news on whether there's a curfew. But president Trump just moments ago, making it clear how long that he intends to keep the military in Los Angeles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: If there's peace, we get out. If there's even a chance of no peace, we stay there until there's peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: This comes as Trump made it clear today his intention to use the military for political purposes.

Tom Foreman is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of marines have been called to Los Angeles by President Trump, who insists only military muscle can contain the trouble.

TRUMP: If we didn't send out the National Guard, and last night, we gave them a little additional help, Los Angeles would be burning right now.

FOREMAN: But local officials say police were already dealing with sporadic violence around the largely peaceful protest, which they say were spurred by the White House's desperate and clumsy quest to increase deportations.

BASS: People have asked me, what are the Marines going to do when they get here? Thats a good question. I have no idea.

FOREMAN: It underscores Trump's longstanding interest in using the U.S. military, even against Americans.

For example, when Black Lives Matter protesters rose up in 2020, Trump reportedly considered deploying troops and asked his then defense secretary, can't you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something? Trump denies such tales.

But just last fall, when asked about potential election unrest, he said.

TRUMP: We have some very bad people. We have some sick people. Radical left lunatics, and I think they're the -- and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard or if really necessary by the military.

FOREMAN: He has stretched norms by sending thousands of troops to America's southern border, by planning a massive parade of military force, and by ignoring former chairman of the joint chiefs, Mark Milley, who said standing beside Trump for a photo op against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter protest, was a mistake.

MARK MILLEY, FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS: That's fundamental to the health of this republic. You never want the military in actual politics.

FOREMAN: To be sure, there are a few rarely used ways a president can call troops to enforce domestic law, including the insurrection act, aimed at stopping uprisings against government authority.

But Trump did not cite that and send help when his followers attacked the U.S. Capitol in 2021 trying to overturn the election he lost. Instead, he pardoned all those protesters on his first day back in office. Still in Los Angeles, where the protesters opposed him, Trump is keeping that car on the table.

TRUMP: If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke. We'll see.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: The last time the Insurrection Act was invoked was in the 1992 L.A. riots. I was there, and I will assure you, they were much bigger, much broader spread much more violent than probably all of the unrest we see right now.

Bottom line is, when it was imposed them, it was with the agreement of the president, the governor and the mayor all acting together -- Erin.

BURNETT: Yeah, something we are not seeing at all right now.

Tom Foreman, thanks so very much to you. We'll be here through the night reporting. We'll see if that curfew is announced in just a few moments.

In the meantime, thanks for watching.

"AC360" begins now.