Officials declared an unlawful assembly after a huge ‘No Kings’ rally against President Donald Trump descended into chaos in downtown Los Angeles Saturday, May 14. Protesters threw rocks, concrete and “commercial-grade” fireworks at officers, according to the New York Post.
The protest, where over 20,000 people gathered, initially started as a peaceful rally. However, an alarming scene unfolded after protesters clashed with the Los Angeles Police Department and other agencies outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building. A cloud of tear gas was visible. This prompted an unlawful assembly to be declared.
Shocking videos emerge
The LAPD Central Division posted on X, “Temple and Spring ~ People in the crowd continue to throw concrete, rocks, bottles and commercial grade fireworks at officers. Agitators are keeping media back from the area.”
Meanwhile, shocking videos of the protests have surfaced on X. Take a look:
A citywide curfew is set to take effect at 8 pm in an attempt to bring the unrest under control. Volunteer medics visited the scene to offer saline solutions to those in need.
According to some protesters, the cops’ response was too much. “It was a total 100% over-reaction,” Samantha Edgerton, 37, said, according to the New York Post. “We weren’t doing anything but standing around chanting peaceful protest.”
Several celebrities also joined the ‘No Kings’ protests, including Mark Ruffalo, Jimmy Kimmel, Kerry Washington. The celebs were among thousands of people who marched across citiesfrom New York City to Austin to Los Angeles.
Variousattendance estimates for the nationwide protests have surfaced, with one civil rights organization claiming in a statement that the number was in the millions.According tothe American Civil Liberties Union, there were over 2100 protest events, with over 5m in attendance, at various demonstrations across the United States.
“Today’s protests are a resounding message that people across the nation will not be intimidated by President Trump’s fear tactics. Americans are brave, democracy loving people and will not sit idly by as the Trump administration feeds our Constitution into the shredder — nor will the ACLU,” Deirdre Schifeling, ACLU’s chief political & advocacy officer, said in a statement, as reported by The Guardian.
“In just five months, we have sued the administration dozens of times for their abuses of power, and we will continue to defend our rights. Protecting our democracy isn’t a partisan issue — it’s core to being American,” Schifeling added. “We will use every tool we can, from litigation to legislation to powerful protests in the streets, to stop the unconstitutional actions of this administration and protect our rights.”
