700 Marines to join National Guard in Los Angeles as weekend protests loom

Los Angeles residents may begin seeing Marines in the area as soon as Thursday, with protection operations in coordination with the National Guard set to begin Friday.

The 700 Marines were reportedly sent by President Donald Trump to Seal Beach, which is south of L.A. County, to train for nonlethal weapons training—including hand-to-hand combat and crowd control.

Seal Beach training recently finished, and the Marines have moved to “familiarization” training alongside the National Guard in Los Angeles, a U.S. defense official told Fox News. 

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“They are finishing up training and transitioning to a mission-familiarization phase alongside the 79th IBCT,” the official said Thursday. “So it’s possible you’ll start seeing Marines in the L.A. area today. They have NOT officially begun operations yet.” 

More than 2,000 National Guardsmen are still stationed in L.A., as protests are expected to continue through the weekend.

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“No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump and the administration are slated to take place in thousands of cities across the U.S. on Saturday, as the nation’s capitol hosts a military parade for the Army’s 250th anniversary and Flag Day.

The protests also coincide with the president’s 79th birthday.

Though the Marines, acting under NORTHCOM’s direction, are only tasked with protecting federal property and law enforcement, the cost of the military endeavor has drawn criticism.

Officials estimated sending the Marines and National Guard to California will cost taxpayers about $134 million, taking away from the operations and maintenance budget.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing that the troops were necessary to keep the city and its residents safe.

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“[It’s] not about lethality. It’s about maintaining law and order on behalf of law enforcement agents who deserve to do their job without being attacked by mobs of people,” Hegseth said. “We are very proud that the National Guard and the Marines are on the streets defending the ICE agents, and they will continue.” 

Despite legal challenges by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Hegseth said there is “plenty of precedent” for the U.S. supporting law enforcement officers.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.