Protests erupt in Los Angeles as police confront anti-ICE protesters amid immigration raids
Officers lined up on a downtown street with batons and tear gas rifles, confronting demonstrators after being ordered to disperse the crowds
Helmeted police in riot gear turned out on Friday evening in a tense confrontation with protesters in downtown Los Angeles, after a day of federal immigration raids in which dozens of people across the city were reported to have been taken into custody.
Video showed Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers lined up on a downtown street wielding batons and what appeared to be tear gas rifles, facing off with demonstrators after authorities had ordered crowds of protesters to disperse around nightfall.
Early in the stand-off, some protesters hurled chunks of broken concrete toward officers, and police responded by firing volleys of tear gas and pepper spray. Police also fired “flash-bang” concussion rounds. It was not clear whether there were any immediate arrests.
An LAPD spokesperson, Drake Madison, said that police on the scene had declared an unlawful assembly, meaning that those who failed to leave the area were subject to arrest.
Television news footage earlier in the day showed caravans of unmarked military-style vehicles and vans loaded with uniformed federal agents streaming through Los Angeles streets as part of the immigration enforcement operation.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents targeted several locations, including a Home Depot in the city’s Westlake District, an apparel store in the Fashion District and a clothing warehouse in South Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles City News Service (CNS).