Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) claimed during a press conference Tuesday that there was “no violence” in Los Angeles amid ongoing anti-ICE protests, contradicting multiple confirmed reports of injuries, looting, and arrests across the city, as reported by The New York Post.

Waters, 86, made the statement while criticizing President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops and an additional 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles in response to the unrest.

“Nobody was shot, nobody was killed, get it into your head. Don’t think that somehow because they called out the National Guard there was violence. There was no violence. I was on the street, I know.”

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She continued, “And I went from downtown detention back out into the community, what happened in Paramount, what happened in Compton, what happened in Inglewood. Get it straight, and don’t just rely on what you’re being told or the few incidents you saw.”

However, multiple incidents captured on video and confirmed by news outlets paint a different picture. On Sunday, a photographer with the New York Post was struck in the head by a rubber bullet while covering a protest.

An Australian TV journalist and a New York Times reporter were also hit during demonstrations.

Early Tuesday morning, a man was found dead near an area where looting had taken place downtown. Authorities have not confirmed whether the death was directly linked to the protests.

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Some of the most destructive scenes occurred in the communities Waters referenced.

MAXINE WATERS: “There was NO vioIence on the streets of Los Angeles! I was there!”

This witch is the best example of why we need term limits.

She’s clearly senile. pic.twitter.com/Xn8pic6c8q

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 10, 2025

In Paramount, protesters threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at police, prompting officers to respond with rubber bullets, pepper spray, and smoke devices.

In Compton, video footage showed individuals breaking into a convenience store, smashing windows, raiding the register, and stealing merchandise and credit card terminals.

Elsewhere in Los Angeles, thousands of demonstrators shut down the 101 Freeway. The California Highway Patrol briefly reopened the road but closed it again after rioters began throwing bricks, scooters, and other objects at passing police vehicles, according to the LAPD.

Since Friday, nearly 60 people have been arrested in connection with the riots. The Department of Justice has announced it will pursue federal charges against anyone who attacks federal officers or damages government property.

Despite Waters’ remarks, some Democrats have acknowledged the extent of the unrest. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) posted on X:

“This is anarchy and true chaos. My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement.”

I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration—but this is not that.

This is anarchy and true chaos.

My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement. pic.twitter.com/pPYbvP6xR0

— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) June 10, 2025

Attempts to reach Waters’ office for further comment were not returned.

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