Anti-ICE protests turn violent in Los Angeles
Anti-ICE protesters blocked the entrance to a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, and authorities responded with tear gas and less-lethal projectiles.
Protesters clashed with authorities outside a federal building during anti-ICE demonstrations in Los Angeles on Friday, January 30, making it clear that not all protesters will be deterred by spraying chemical irritants or orders to disperse.
But earlier in the day, a different scene unfolded on the streets of Los Angeles. It started with a demonstration planned outside Los Angeles City Hall, where USA TODAY Network spoke with “Hux” star Meg Stalter and others who gathered for the demonstration.
Soon it turned into a procession with hundreds of people walking through the city streets. This is the latest protest in Southern California by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Signs from demonstrators also made it clear that they were marching against President Donald Trump.
“The Hucks” star Meg Stalter also attended the demonstration outside Los Angeles City Hall, who told the USA TODAY Network that people were being brutally attacked and dragged from the city. That’s why strikes and protests are so important, but she knew not everyone could participate.
The Los Angeles demonstrations came as various groups called for a “national shutdown” on January 30, urging people to stay home from school, work and shopping in the wake of the shooting deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Preti, and as the federal government continues to crack down on immigration across the country.
Two days earlier, a federal immigration enforcement operation reportedly hit Boyle Heights, sparking renewed anti-ICE protests and demonstrators briefly occupying an intersection near Los Angeles.
LA marcher’s mother is at risk of deportation and says it will affect her son too
A woman walks through a crowd of marchers selling churros along Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard in Los Angeles. On the same street, two street vendors were cooking hot dogs in a distinctly Los Angeles setting.
Crystal Lopez, 30, was marching with her son on Friday, January 30th.
Lopez’s mother, Enedina Lopez, is at risk of deportation, Lopez told USA TODAY Network. Ms Lopez said this was “devastating” and had a huge impact on her 60-year-old mother, who had been in the US for almost her entire life.
“We went to lawyers and everywhere to see if we could keep her from being deported because she has a court date and she’s my son’s caregiver,” Lopez said. “My son is autistic. The most important thing for autistic children is daily life and the support of their loved ones. And grandma is one of the main characters. She is almost a mother to him.”
Lopez’s mother is actually the main support system in raising her son, she said.
“Why are we trying to deport an elderly woman here?” she said of the impact this would have on her son. “So why can’t we have the talent that’s actually the problem?”
What happened at the Los Angeles protests on Friday, January 30th?
Protesters and federal agents clashed near the Edward Roybal Federal Courthouse Building and the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. The situation further escalated at the loading dock, where many people forced their way into the vehicle entrance despite being warned twice by authorities to leave the federally controlled area.
What followed was a back-and-forth effort between protesters and federal officials to force the protesters to retreat. During the clashes, some type of chemical irritant was used repeatedly, prompting protesters to throw water bottles and block off the garage area of the loading dock with trash cans.
Just before 6 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department issued a dispersal order for the area of Alameda Street, including near the federal building, and authorities quickly moved in to push the crowd of protesters back across the intersection of Temple and Alameda streets in downtown Los Angeles.
By about 6:30 p.m., more Los Angeles Police Department vehicles had arrived at the intersection, but the intersection had become somewhat quieter due to fewer demonstrators and perhaps the presence of authorities.
However, by 7 p.m., protesters had not fully dispersed over a wide area, and people were still gathering near Alameda Avenue and Commercial Avenue as authorities attended.
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. please contact her pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
