Images from Los Angeles this week of demonstrators throwing rocks and police officers spraying tear gas mirror scenes of other recent confrontations between protesters and the authorities from around the world.

       Los Angeles has been convulsed by public outrage since the Trump administration launched a series of immigration raids on Friday. In response to the protests, President Trump called in the National Guard and the military. By Tuesday, 700 Marines were expected to be in the city, along with 4,000 Guard troops.

       For social scientists who study the intersection of protests, politics and law enforcement, the scenes unfolding in California broadly follow a script that has played out many times in many other countries. A strong government response to demonstrations that initially start peacefully, they say, often produce increasingly violent confrontations. In some instances, they add, leaders have used the prospect of civil unrest to use heavy-handed tactics or create pretexts to expand their grip on power.

       Here are three lessons from international protests, which experts say can help make sense of what is unfolding in Los Angeles.

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       1. Crackdowns shape optics, and optics shape uprisings. When states crack down on demonstrators, the images circulated online and in the news media of the resulting clashes shape the public’s understanding of what is happening.

       More on the L.A. Protests Labor Leader Released on Bond: Rallies across the country have been held in support of David Huerta, the president of the Service Employees International Union California, who was arrested and apparently injured during a protest over an immigration raid. He was released on a $50,000 bond.

       Lessons From International Protests: Social scientists who study protest movements say the scenes unfolding in California broadly follow a script that has played out many times in other countries. Experts say these lessons can help make sense of what is unfolding in Los Angeles.

       Inflamed Tensions: Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles said that the Trump administration and its immigration raids were to blame for inflaming tensions in the city. Bass struggled amid criticism of her initial response to the city’s fires, but the opposition to the raids have offered her an opportunity.

       California Lawsuit: The state of California filed suit against the Trump administration over its move to take control of the state’s National Guard and deploy troops to Los Angeles to protect immigration enforcement agents.

       Fake Images and Conspiracy Theories: Misleading photographs, videos and text have spread widely on social media as protests against immigrant raids have unfolded in Los Angeles, rehashing old conspiracy theories and expressing support for Trump’s actions.

       Such optics, experts said, play a critical role in either bolstering or undermining the actions of a government amid unrest.

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