Police in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo district declared an unlawful assembly on Monday night amid escalating tensions during protests against ICE.
Officers responded with rubber bullets and tear gas, leading to chaos as protesters faced heavy law enforcement presence.
The demonstration began outside the federal immigration building near Olvera Street, gathering hundreds of participants who chanted for a peaceful protest.
Despite their intentions, clashes erupted as law enforcement, backed by local agencies, ICE, and the National Guard, utilized crowd control measures that transformed the area into a volatile scene reminiscent of a war zone.
In retaliation, some demonstrators began throwing water bottles at officers clad in riot gear, while one individual engaged in a drive-by shooting with a paintball gun, striking a National Guard member.
Tensions heightened further when a man identified as a Trump supporter was attacked by protesters, prompting warnings that he may have been armed with a knife.
However, the majority of protesters consistently denounced acts of violence and reiterated their commitment to a peaceful demonstration.
As law enforcement pushed protesters eastward, the size of the crowd began to diminish.
Yet, as darkness fell, approximately one thousand individuals gathered again at the intersection of Second Street and San Pedro, accompanied by the smell of fresh spray paint marking anti-ICE slogans on nearby walls.
Excitement surged in the area as cars and mini-bikes performed donuts at intersections, contrasting the tension in the atmosphere.
Later in the night, protesters encountered a police line again, utilizing large plastic restaurant signs to create makeshift barricades against law enforcement.
Occasionally, fireworks were launched toward police, creating dangerous sparks above the tense crowd and prompting panic among frontline protesters.
Local journalist Fernando Haro recalled his experience on the frontlines, documenting the escalating situation when reinforcements arrived for the police.
Without warning, the first canister of tear gas was deployed, igniting panic among demonstrators.
Haro vividly described the jarring sounds of rubber bullets smashing into bodies, along with the ricochet of those that missed their intended targets, contributing to the chaotic environment.
Suddenly, another tear gas canister exploded at Haro’s feet, causing immediate pain and rendering his vision blurry.
As he regained his sight, he noticed that many protesters had been forced into smaller groups, driven out of the area by the pervasive tear gas.
Some demonstrators attempted to resist the police advance by flipping over dumpsters to create barricades and tried to quell the tear gas with water, but law enforcement persisted in their approach.
By approximately 11 p.m., officers began indiscriminately firing rubber bullets across the area from distances exceeding fifty feet.
People scrambled to find cover, whether inside vehicles or behind obstacles as gunfire erupted.
Haro described ducking for safety as bullets whizzed overhead, with some striking nearby poles and others narrowly missing fellow journalists.
Soon, the crowd’s numbers dwindled as it became increasingly challenging to find shelter from the persistent barrage.
With tears stinging his eyes and disorientation clouding his mind, Haro managed to escape the tumultuous scene, all while pondering what the future holds for protests in Los Angeles.
image source from：https://patch.com/california/los-angeles/it-was-mostly-peaceful-protest-then-tear-gas-rubber-bullets-came
