Police used batons, tear gas, and “non lethal” projectiles to disperse “No Kings” protesters on Saturday.
On Saturday morning tens of thousands of protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles as part of the nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations. Organizers estimated there were over 40,000 people in the crowd. Protesters carrying signs denouncing Trump as well as Mexican, Palestinian, and U.S. flags (sometimes upside down) marched through the streets. They demanded “ICE Out of LA” and denounced Trump’s authoritarian maneuvers, including sending the National Guard to the city. The marches were at once political and festive, and National Guard soldiers could even be seen posing for pictures with protesters.
In the afternoon, as the marches came to an end, thousands spread out across downtown to continue the protests — some to the immigration detention center, others to the federal building, and others surrounded City Hall. Around 4pm, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) issued a dispersal order, but kettled people in so they could not leave. Then, the sheriffs and cops fired tear gas and pushed the protesters, unprovoked. They trampled an elderly man with their horse and then clobbered him with their batons and fired round after round of less than lethal projectiles at the crowd.
