Thousands of protesters gathered outside Los Angeles City Hall on Friday during the national general strike opposing the Trump administration, advocating for abolishment of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Later that day, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center and faced off with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), ordering the city on tactical alert.
The crowd rallied outside of City Hall at 1 p.m. for an hour before marching down Cesar Chavez Avenue to Boyle Heights, which is approximately two and a half miles from the Civic Center.
The street and destination is significant to Chicano history. Historically, Boyle Heights was a melting pot of ethnicities and a haven for immigrant families. The street is named after famed Civil Rights and Chicano Activist Cesar Chavez.
Many of the local businesses closed for the general strike or gave out food and refreshments to protesters. The community has been a recent target for ICE operations, with several street vendors and residents having been detained.
Tension and anger has flared towards immigration enforcement and the Trump administration due to the recent ICE killings in Minneapolis, as well as the continued raids and arrests across Los Angeles County.
A clash ignited between hundreds of protesters and DHS officers outside the Metropolitan Detention Center where ICE holds detainees. The officers were pushed back into the building’s parking garage. Protesters pushed a large red dumpster in front of the garage’s entrance in an attempt to block their exit, despite the volleys of tear gas, pepper spray and less-lethal rounds from the federal officers.
Later, LAPD swept through the street and pushed the crowd away from the detention center, making several arrests. An unlawful assembly was called and the city was put on tactical alert to requisition more officers to disperse the protest.
Despite the wave of law enforcement, the protest continued into the night as they marched throughout the downtown area.
