Thousands of people gathered in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday and blocked part of the 101 Freeway to protest President Trump’s strict measures on illegal immigration and his tough removal policies.
Waving Mexican and Salvadoran flags, protesters gathered near City Hall just before noon, stopping traffic at Spring and Temple streets. Drivers honked their horns and showed support. Protesters played a mix of old and modern Mexican music from a speaker, and some danced in the street wearing traditional flower headdresses.
The protests went on into the night. After a citywide alert was announced around 7 p.m., Los Angeles police officers were sent downtown in riot gear, wearing helmets and carrying batons and non-lethal weapons, as stated by Tony Im, a spokesman for the LAPD.
Near Union Station, cops lined up to block the protesters and push them away, he said. As of 10 p.m., there have been no reports of any captures or injuries. Police stayed at the location because “there are still areas we are dealing with.”
Videos shared on social media after 10 p.m. showed cops asking protesters to leave.
Trump has announced a crisis at the southern border and issued several executive orders to change the immigration system, including a promise to deport millions of illegal individuals. Protesters told The Times that their acts were the reason they gathered in downtown.
By 1 p.m., the number of protesters grew to several thousand. Some held signs that said, “MAGA — Mexicans always get across,” “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” which was a nod to the state’s farm workers, and “I drink my horchata warm because f— I.C.E,” referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
Nailah Esparza, 18, said this was her first protest and she found out about it from TikTok videos about a week ago. She held a sign in Spanish that said, “No more I.C.E. raids, no more fear, we want justice and a better world.”
Esparza, who is Mexican American, said, “It was really important, so we decided to show our support for the young people.” “We really care about what we’re doing here.”
Another protester, who went by Rey to keep his identity private, held up a sign that said, “Trump eat caca!” “Be careful of the Nazis.” He said he opposed Trump’s immigration policies during his first time in office.
Rey, who is Mexican American, said, “We thought we were finished with his administration.” “Now we have to do this all over again.”
The protest was mostly peaceful, and some clever street vendors took the opportunity to sell bacon-wrapped hot dogs, ice cream, churros, beer, and even shots of Patron tequila.
Things escalated when the driver of a silver Mustang started doing doughnuts at a normally busy crossing near City Hall. Soon after, a few police cars came as dozens of protesters walked onto the nearby 101 Freeway, while hundreds more crowded overpasses, waving flags and holding signs.
The cops were not very visible at the start of the protest, and they didn’t move in on the protesters as many of them went onto the freeway. A part of the road near the 110 road interchange was closed around noon and stayed shut until after 4 p.m., according to officials.
On Sunday afternoon, Im said the department had enough staff to manage the protests but didn’t provide specific information about the staffing.
Shortly after the freeway takeover started, the smell of burning tires filled the air as trucks and bikes revved their engines loudly on an overpass. People cheered and took pictures while car horns blared, police sirens wailed, and helicopters flew above.
By 8 p.m., the protesters were gone and the 101 Freeway was open again, as reported by the California Highway Patrol.
In his first days as president, Trump promised the biggest deportation effort ever in U.S. history. He declared a national emergency at the southern border and sent in troops.
His executive orders greatly reduce legal ways to enter the U.S., strengthen efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and encourage strong actions to capture and remove people living in the U.S. illegally. Some of the orders have been taken to court, and supporters say more may follow soon.
About 11 to 15 million people living in the U.S. are undocumented aliens, with over 2 million of them in California.
This includes people who entered the country illegally, those who stayed past their visa expiration, and those who asked for protection. It does not include people who came to the country through brief humanitarian programs or those with temporary protected status, which allows them to live and work in the U.S. temporarily due to disasters or conflicts in their home countries.
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