Fact check: How much violence before Trump threatened to send troops in LA riots

1. Summary of the results

The violence before Trump's deployment of troops included several significant incidents:

• Approximately 470 protesters were detained or arrested near City Hall and federal detention centers ^[1]
• Multiple federal officers were injured during confrontations ^[2]
• Protesters threw rocks, Molotov cocktails, and other projectiles at police, set vehicles on fire, blocked freeways, and vandalized federal buildings ^[3]
• At least 23 businesses were looted, with damages estimated in the millions ^[3]

In response, Trump ordered 2,000 California National Guard troops without Governor Newsom's authorization, and 700 Marines were deployed to guard federal buildings ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements were missing from the original question:

• The protests were largely contained to a five-block stretch of Downtown LA, with most remaining peaceful ^[5]
• The current demonstrations were significantly less destructive compared to the 1992 LA riots ^[6]
• Law enforcement's response included firing munitions that injured both protesters and journalists ^[7]
• The Trump administration justified the deployment citing "credible threats of continued violence" ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

There are several sources of potential misinformation and bias:

• Foreign actors including Russia, China, and Iran were actively spreading false narratives about the demonstrations and violence levels ^[8]
• Right-wing voices were promoting conspiracy theories about the orchestration and level of violence ^[9]
• The question itself might suggest widespread violence, while the mayor characterized the unrest as limited to a few downtown streets ^[6]

Those benefiting from emphasizing violence could include:

• The Trump administration, justifying federal intervention
• Foreign actors seeking to portray US political instability
• Local law enforcement seeking to justify aggressive response measures
• Media outlets benefiting from sensationalized coverage of events