If you’re doomscrolling or watching the national news, you might think Los Angeles is permanently engulfed in a cloud of tear gas. It’s a valid question to ask: are riots still going on in LA? Honestly, the answer depends entirely on who you ask and which neighborhood you’re standing in.
If you are looking for the massive, city-wide burning of 1992 or the peak intensity of the June 2025 anti-ICE raids, the short answer is no. Things have cooled off from that boiling point. But if you’re asking if there is still tension, active protests, and the occasional chaotic "tactical alert" from the LAPD, then yeah, things are still pretty spicy.
The Hangover from June 2025
To understand why people are still asking about riots in LA today—mid-January 2026—you have to look at what happened last summer. It was brutal. When the federal government initiated mass deportation raids in the Fashion District and Westlake, the city didn't just protest; it exploded.
We saw "Operation At Large CA" turn neighborhoods into what felt like occupied zones. Federal agents with FBI and HSI patches were clashing with crowds outside Home Depots and the Metropolitan Detention Center.
According to House Resolution 516, which was recently agreed upon in Congress, those events were officially labeled as "violent riots." We’re talking about:
- Molotov cocktails thrown at deputies.
- Over 560 arrests in a single surge.
- Federal buildings graffitied and dozens of officers injured.
That trauma hasn't just vanished. Even though the National Guard—which Trump federalized against Governor Newsom’s wishes—was finally pulled back in late December 2025 following a Supreme Court ruling, the presence of federal authority still feels like a heavy blanket over the city.
What’s Happening Right Now (January 2026)
So, what about today? Is it safe to go to DTLA?
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Basically, the "riots" have shifted into localized, high-intensity protests. Just a few days ago, on January 11, 2026, a massive "Free Iran" rally in Westwood turned chaotic when a U-Haul truck drove through a crowd of demonstrators on Veteran Avenue. It wasn't a riot in the traditional sense, but when you have protesters swarming a truck, punching the driver, and police issuing dispersal orders to hundreds of people, it looks and feels the same to someone watching on the news.
Then you have the ongoing friction with ICE. On January 7, an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in her car. That incident didn't stay quiet. It drew hundreds of people into the streets of LA and even sparked vigils as far away as Minneapolis.
The LAPD’s own daily logs show how active things still are. Just look at the "Newton Division" or the "77th Division" reports from this week:
- January 11: K9 contact with hospitalization during a civil disturbance.
- January 12: A driver was arrested after trying to ram a box truck into a protest in West LA.
- January 15: Multiple "Law Enforcement-Related Injuries" reported during crowd control.
It's a weird vibe. You can be eating a $15 avocado toast in Santa Monica and be totally fine, while three miles away, people are getting tear-gassed because a federal raid went sideways.
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Why the "Riot" Label is Complicated
Kinda funny how the word "riot" is used these days. For some, a riot is any time more than ten people block a freeway. For others, it’s not a riot unless there’s looting.
In LA, the term is often a political football. Fox News recently ran a segment called "DHS takes victory lap," claiming they’ve arrested over 10,000 "criminal illegal aliens" since June despite the "violent rioters." Meanwhile, local activists like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) argue that the "riots" are actually desperate acts of community defense against "racially-motivated raids."
Attorney General Rob Bonta has been vocal about this, essentially saying the federal government's aggressive tactics are what's actually "escalating" the violence. It's a chicken-and-egg situation. Does the protest cause the riot, or does the police response turn a protest into a riot?
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Is it Safe to Visit?
If you’re planning a trip, don't cancel your flight. Los Angeles is a massive, sprawling county. Most of the civil unrest is hyper-localized to specific areas:
- Downtown LA (DTLA): Specifically around the Federal Building and the Metropolitan Detention Center.
- Westlake/MacArthur Park: A historic flashpoint for immigration protests.
- Westwood: Frequently hosts large-scale international solidarity protests (like the recent Iran rallies).
You’ve gotta be aware of "Tactical Alerts." When the LAPD goes on a tactical alert, it means officers stay on duty past their shifts to handle a growing situation. If you see a line of black-and-whites heading toward a specific neighborhood, maybe just head the other way.
Actionable Steps for Staying Informed
Instead of just wondering if riots are still going on, you can actually track the situation in real-time. Here is how you stay ahead of the chaos:
- Check the LAPD Online Newsroom: They post "NR" (News Release) codes for major incidents daily. If you see "NR26" followed by "civil disturbance," something is up.
- Follow Independent Journalists: On platforms like X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram, look for "FreedomNewsTV" or local hashtags like #LAProtest. They usually have live footage before the major networks even arrive.
- Monitor "Mobilize.us": This is where many of the larger groups (like WH Indivisible or SF Valley Brigade) post their meeting times. If you see a 10,000-person rally planned for a Saturday in Woodland Hills, you know to avoid that traffic.
- Understand the Legal Landscape: The Supreme Court’s December 23 ruling was a huge win for the state, but federal-state tension is still at an all-time high. Keep an eye on the "Insurrection Act" headlines—if that gets invoked, the rules of the game change entirely.
Los Angeles isn't "burning," but it is definitely smoldering. The 2025 raids left a scar that hasn't healed, and with federal enforcement still ramping up, the cycle of protest-to-skirmish is likely our new normal for the foreseeable future.
To keep yourself safe and informed, make it a habit to check the City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department alerts before heading into high-density areas.