By Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Nationwide protests against President Donald Trump, tensions in the Middle East amid Israel's strikes on Iran and expected rainy weather in Washington on Saturday could dampen spirits at a military parade on the U.

The DOJ has ramped up prosecutions of anti-raid protesters in major cities as officials invoke 2020 unrest to justify a tougher, faster federal crackdown.

Thousands of demonstrators chanted “ICE out of L.A.” amid protests against immigration raids. A California challenge to Trump’s L.A. military deployment moves to a courtroom Thursday.

U.S. President Donald Trump can keep his deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles, according to a court ruling, as protests against immigration raids look set to enter their second week in the strongest backlash since his return to power in January.

The power of the US military will be sharply on display this weekend – on two different coasts and in two very different ways.

An escalating clash pits a Republican president looking to fulfill his mass deportation goals against a Democratic governor with White House aspirations hoping to mobilize opposition.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged to "liberate" Los Angeles on Thursday at a press conference that was dramatically interrupted when federal agents dragged a Democratic U.S.

Trump credited the military for stopping Los Angeles from turning into a “crime scene” Thursday, while Newsom has said the troops’ presence inflamed protests.