Activists have been holding continuous protests outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles for over two weeks, opposing the mass deportation agenda implemented by President Donald Trump’s administration.
Since July 11, protesters have organized day and night shifts to maintain a 24-hour presence, keeping a watchful eye on the vehicles entering and exiting the Department of Homeland Security’s local headquarters adjacent to the facility.
One protester, who identified himself as Eddy, expressed frustration with traditional protests that occur when government officials are not present. “We’re tired of protests at City Hall on a Saturday when there’s no one inside. What is the point of that?” he stated.
He emphasized the significance of their location, explaining, “This is the building where we see the actual evil happening. This is where we can see when they try to hide them, loading women and children into buses in the middle of the night.”
The escalating protests garnered attention when demonstrators captured video footage of handcuffed children and adults being escorted from a parking lot into the detention center.
According to Eddy, the protests have remained largely peaceful, focusing on sharing literature, art, live music, and meaningful conversations among participants. He noted that the demonstration’s evolution has been organic, with community members generously donating tents, canopies, food, medical supplies, and generators to support their cause.
In the evenings, Jersey, an architect by day, joins the night watch to monitor the detention center’s activities. “I’ve been active doing ICE watch, documenting, and just really trying to protect the community from these illegal operations – because we don’t really know who’s picking up our community members,” stated Jersey, whose background as a child of immigrants fuels their activism.
Many raids in Los Angeles County have been conducted by unidentified masked individuals, who detain individuals without warrants or inquiries.
The increased attention to the protests prompted authorities to erect fences and barriers around the facility to conceal their actions, but participants remain undeterred. Eddy articulated the group’s purpose, saying, “We want to disrupt. That’s the whole point of protesting. We want to make these people’s lives a little miserable. They’re [expletive] doing evil.”
He acknowledged that while they sometimes attempt to de-escalate tense situations, they do not aim to control the expression of anger among protesters.
Tensions flared recently when demonstrators clashed with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
Eddy reported that LAPD officers have been aggressively dismantling their makeshift shelters, removing tarps, tents, canopies, and even attempting to confiscate a bubble machine.
“LAPD is trying to shut us down,” he claimed, referencing the police’s use of Ordinance 41.18, a controversial law that prohibits sitting, lying, or sleeping in public spaces, as well as storing personal belongings in the public right-of-way.
Jersey highlighted how this legislation, originally designed to address homelessness, is now being wielded against activists as a means of suppressing their constitutional rights.
Participants allege that both federal and local authorities have employed aggressive tactics to disperse protesters, including kettling methods, physical force, and the deployment of non-lethal weaponry such as flashbangs and pepper spray.
On a recent Friday night, protesters blocked a road at Aliso and Alameda streets around 10 p.m., leading to police intervention by 1 a.m. the following day.
According to an LAPD news release, officers responded after federal officials requested assistance due to claims of trespassing and violence from the protesters.
Police reported that as they arrived, they were confronted by a large group, which included an individual wielding a rope with metal bolts.
Errant individuals within the protest failed to comply with dispersal orders, resulting in several arrests on charges ranging from assault with a deadly weapon to resisting or obstructing officers.
Increasingly, various organizations and demonstrators consciously prioritize marching past the detention center as part of their events.
Amina Gonzalez of RefuseFascism.org described their “March for Humanity,” which began at La Placita Olvera, passed the detention center, and culminated at Hollenbeck Park.
During the stop at the detention center, they read aloud the names of numerous individuals who have reportedly been impacted by ICE actions.
Gonzalez remarked on the widespread anger surrounding the ongoing situation, stating, “People are really angered over the fact that this is continuing to happen, which is why [the detention center] has become a symbol for people to come and express their discontent over what is happening by this fascist Trump regime in a sanctuary city like Los Angeles.”
The march occurred amidst a conflict with the city regarding a permit application for a protest scheduled for July 17, which was denied.
“This is a violation of the Constitution,” Gonzalez asserted, insisting that exercising their rights is paramount.
In a response sent via email, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated, “The Trump Administration is committed to keeping the promises President Trump made to the American people: enforcing federal immigration laws and deporting criminal illegal aliens. The opinion of an organization founded by self-proclaimed communists is irrelevant.”
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