Downtown LA 'No Kings' protests
Thousands gathered for 'No Kings' rallies in downtown Los Angeles yesterday, leading to police dispersal and arrests in scenes that briefly disrupted central LA — a reminder of the city's active civic landscape. Tech events and campus recruiting in LA may factor in this local volatility over the short term. (abc7.com)
Organizers told attendees the downtown march would begin at Gloria Molina Grand Park at 2:00 p.m. and listed speakers including Jodie Sweetin, Dr. Melina Abdullah and Phyllis Bennis, with organizers estimating a local turnout of about 50,000 at the City Hall rally. After the main rally wound down, a smaller group moved to the Metropolitan Detention Center where police and federal agents said protesters attempted to tear down a chain‑link fence and threw rocks and bottles, prompting an unlawful‑assembly declaration and the use of tear gas. Video and on‑scene reporting showed LAPD on Tactical Alert forming a skirmish line on Alameda near Aliso Street, with more than a dozen people handcuffed against a wall as officers issued multiple dispersal orders. Caltrans crews preemptively placed security gates on on‑ and off‑ramps to the 101 Freeway in the downtown area on Friday ahead of the Saturday demonstrations, and traffic restrictions were enforced around the march route. Local authorities said nine juveniles were arrested and cited for failure to disperse and later released to their parents, and officials reported officers sustained minor injuries during the evening confrontations. The Los Angeles action formed part of a nationwide coordinated day of protest with organizers reporting more than 3,000 events across the U.S. and promoting March 28 as the largest single‑day mobilization to date; California organizers confirmed hundreds of planned local events. (nokings.org)
