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I spent this afternoon downtown observing the fifth day of Los Angeles protests against ICE raids targeting Southern California residents. This post is not a comprehensive account of the disruption and terror wrought on L.A. by federal raids, but a snapshot sharing some of what was taking place in downtown L.A. today.
DTLA Curfew Map. Click to enlarge.
Some of the latest developments, as of 6 p.m. last night, June 11:
Mayor Bass declared a downtown curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. starting tonight continuing nightly until lifted (LAT, KCAL)
LAPD reported making more than 100 arrests today, including protesters who occupied the 101 Freeway (NBC4)
Metro service impacts: From 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. today Metro temporarily suspended rail service on a central part of the A Line; trains turn back at Broadway and at Union Station. (A Line riders can use the B Line, transferring at Union Statin and at 7th Street.) E Line trains continue to run end-to-end, but bypass Little Tokyo station. The El Monte busway is closed, resulting in J Line detours.
There is ICE activity and resistance taking place in numerous Southern California cities: Paramount, Compton, Santa Ana, and Ventura to name a few. In downtown Los Angeles most of the protest and police activity has been confined to a half-dozen blocks near the Metropolitan Detention Center and other federal buildings that share the same block.
Most central Los Angeles protest and police activity has been in a half-dozen block area on the east side of downtown Los Angeles. Law enforcement has closed several blocks highlighted in blue above. A main protest location (green circle) is the intersection of Alameda Street, Aliso Street, and Commercial Street – along the east face of the Metropolitan Detention Center, and just south of L.A. Union Station. This afternoon protestors entered the 101 Freeway at the Commercial/Vignes/Alameda ramps – shown in the yellow circle above.The federal Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. For five days protesters have gathered here, and law enforcement has closed the streets on three sides of the federal building complex the jail occupies.Photo from yesterday showing the standoff at the detention center; protestors on the right and police on the left.Occasionally police vehicles (mainly in convoys) blare their sirens to make their way through the standoff lines.Alameda and Aliso has also become a gathering point for news media – local, national, international, networks, new media, etc. – reporting on the ICE raids and protests. Around 3:30 p.m. I counted what appeared to be about 150-200 protestors there, about 100 media workers, and about 60 LAPD officers.All (or nearly all) 101 Freeway on- and off-ramps through downtown were closed today and for the past few days. Law enforcement (LAPD and CHP) personnel and vehicles block access.Another view of the same 101 Freeway onramp pictured above (Los Angeles Street at Aliso Street) showing two dozen LAPD vehicles parked on the ramp.At about 3:50 p.m. protestors made their way on to the 101 Freeway via the (closed, with some police presence) Alameda/Vignes on-/off-rampProtestors blocked car traffic in both directions on the 101 Freeway. Law enforcement moved in, arresting protestors, and restoring several traffic lanes in each direction by 4:30 p.m.Protestors gathered away from the main location. These are at Alameda Street and Temple Street, next to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) – one long (today closed) block south of the Metropolitan Detention Center.Twice a phalanx of 20 mounted LAPD officers made their way through the intersection at Alameda and Aliso. The (temporarily closed) Metro A Line track is visible above.
Joe Linton is editor of Los Angeles Streetsblog. He is also a longtime urban environmental activist. His main areas of interest have been restoring the Los Angeles River and fostering bicycling for everyday transportation. He’s worked for many Los Angeles livability non-profits, including Friends of the L.A. River, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, C.I.C.L.E., Livable Places, and CicLAvia. He also served as deputy to Los Angeles City Councilmember Ed Reyes.
