Federal agents took groups of people suspected of immigration law violations into custody at several places near downtown Los Angeles on Friday, as protesters clashed with authorities and agents tossed at least a dozen flash-bang grenades into the crowds.

There were reports of raids being carried out in the downtown L.A. Fashion District and other areas, including Pico-Union and Cypress Park. Angelica Salas of the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights said there were at least seven immigration raids held across the region Friday, many of them at workplaces, including a doughnut shop. She said 45 people were detained in the various operations.

Mayor Karen Bass and local law enforcement and government officials strongly objected in public statements, noting that L.A. is a sanctuary city.

By Friday evening, the protests were still going strong, with about 200 demonstrators marching to the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building downtown. At one point, someone hurled a chair into a driveway, and a law enforcement officer shot pepper balls into the crowd.

Earlier, Adam Lerman, 54, a protest organizer, watched as people who were being detained in the Fashion District were loaded into a van. He likened some of the accompanying vehicles as those seen in a war zone. “Two or three looked to be full-sized military Humvees, things you’d expect to see in Fallujah (or) Afghanistan,” Lerman said.

In the Westlake District on Friday morning, agents from what appeared to be multiple federal law enforcement agencies were seen escorting men in handcuffs into vehicles outside a Home Depot at 1675 Wilshire Blvd.

People gather at such stores looking for temporary work, and agents may have taken the opportunity to confront them as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. He is waging what is being called the most extensive deportation effort in U.S. history.

Later Friday morning, another raid took place at an Ambiance Apparel store along Towne Avenue in the Fashion District near downtown Los Angeles. A crowd of people and some protesters gathered outside the store as the operation was being carried out, most of them taking photos or videos with cellphones. Several people wearing FBI vests were seen standing by outside the store.

In the afternoon, a throng of federal agents amassed at what appeared to be an Ambiance clothing warehouse or corporate headquarters building near 15th Street and Santa Fe Avenue in the South Los Angeles area.

Dozens of protesters also gathered at that location, and at one point, agents had to shove protesters out of the path of a van that was being driven into the building’s parking lot. At least one protester was taken to the ground and arrested as the crowd gathered, prompting more shoving by agents to keep the group at bay.

The unidentified person was later seen being given medical treatment, apparently having been pepper-sprayed in the eyes.

Salas said the raids were “random sweeps” conducted without warrants, and those arrested were simply racially profiled.

There was no immediate comment from Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the operations.

The Service Employees International Union California issued a statement saying the union’s president, David Huerta, was “injured and detained” during one of Friday’s raids.

“SEIU California members call for the immediate release of our president, David Huerta, who was injured and detained at the site of one of today’s ICE raids in Los Angeles,” the union’s executive director, Tia Orr, said in a statement. “He is now receiving medical attention while in custody.

“We are proud of President Huerta’s righteous participation as a community observer, in keeping with his long history of advocating for immigrant workers and with the highest values of our movement: standing up to injustice, regardless of personal risk or the power of those perpetrating it.”

An FBI spokeswoman said specific details about immigration operations and arrests must come from Homeland Security Investigations as the lead agency, but she offered the following statement on the FBI’s posture regarding immigration arrests:

“The FBI is supporting our partners at the Department of Homeland Security in their immigration operations all over the country, as directed by the Attorney General. The FBI is accustomed to providing investigative and technical assistance to our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners on a regular basis.

“As we have been asked to do, we are sending agents to participate in these immigration enforcement efforts. That includes assisting in cities where major operations are already underway and where we have special agents embedded on operational teams with DHS. Our help may vary depending on what DHS needs, such as SWAT operators, who can support high-risk arrest operations, and other resources such as intelligence analysts and technical support working from command posts.”

Several hours after the raids began, what appeared to be at least two dozen people were led out of a Fashion District building in handcuffs and loaded into white vans and driven away, escorted by troops in the street in tactical gear. Some spectators could be seen throwing objects at the vans, while others ran into the street.

At one point, a protester placed his hands on a white SUV that was being driven from the scene and tried to maneuver in front of the vehicle, but fell to the ground and was nearly run over. The driver of the SUV came to a quick stop, then backed up and sped away.

The person on the ground stood up a short time later and did not appear to be seriously injured.

“No firmé nada,” organizers chanted over a megaphone towards the group of people being detained in the Ambiance Apparel parking lot, warning people not to sign anything. Federal agents used a flash-bang grenade to clear the road when three vans with detained people tried to leave the area.

At around 1:45 p.m., some five federal vehicles began leaving the downtown area, with over 100 protesters trailing the vehicles. Federal agents deployed about a dozen flash-bang grenades to disperse the crowd.

Protesters threw eggs at the armed federal agents. One agent blocked an egg with his shield.

Earlier Friday, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell issued a statement in response to the raids.

“Today, the LAPD became aware that ICE was conducting operations in the city of Los Angeles. I’m aware that these actions cause anxiety for many Angelenos, so I want to make it clear: the LAPD is not involved in civil immigration enforcement,” McDonnell said. “While the LAPD will continue to have a visible presence in all our communities to ensure public safety, we will not assist or participate in any sort of mass deportations, nor will the LAPD try to determine an individual’s immigration status.

“Since 1979, our policy has barred officers from initiating police action solely to determine a person’s immigration status. The department remains focused on critical issues like crime reduction, enhancing public safety, and improving the quality of life for all Angelenos. I want everyone, including our immigrant community, to feel safe calling the police in their time of need and know that the LAPD will be there for you without regard to one’s immigration status,” he said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna also insisted that his agency did not take part in any immigration actions.

“The Sheriff’s Department does not enforce civil immigration laws, nor do we ask about an individual’s immigration status when responding to call for service. Our focus and priority remain on enforcing state and local laws to ensure safety and well-being of our diverse communities throughout Los Angeles County,” Luna said in a statement.

“We deeply value diversity, inclusion and public trust within our communities and we want our residents to know that when they call for help, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will respond, investigate, and protect everyone — regardless of a person’s legal status.

At the end of Friday’s Los Angeles City Council meeting, Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez said her office had received reports throughout the morning “about swift and aggressive immigration raids and enforcement.”

“My team and I have been in contact with community members and rapid response organizers since early this morning in my district,” Hernandez said. “L.A. is a sanctuary city, and we’ve made it clear that we will not cooperate and use our resources for ICE and federal immigration enforcement, but that doesn’t stop them from showing up. Now we’re seeing their tactics quickly escalate.”

She urged residents to be prepared and know their rights if they are contacted by law enforcement or federal agents.

Bass issued a statement saying she was “deeply angered” by the raids.

“This morning, we received reports of federal immigration enforcement actions in multiple locations in Los Angeles,” Bass said. “As mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place … My office is in close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations. We will not stand for this.”

Bass indicated she will hold a meeting Monday with local immigrant-rights organizations to discuss the raids.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis called the actions “deeply disturbing.”

“The individuals detained are hardworking Angelenos who contribute to our local economy and labor force every day,” Solis said in a statement. “It is also horrifying that ICE targeted Skid Row to intimidate some of our most vulnerable residents. Trump said he would go after criminals, not innocent hardworking people contributing to our economy and supporting their families.”

City News Service contributed to this report.