LAPD officers stand guard at LAPD headquarters after Louisville officers were not charged with killing Breonna Taylor on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 as protesters march through downtown Los Angeles. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
LAPD officers arrested about 40 people and cited about 30 others who were protesting near Staples Center and at downtown intersections on the evening of the election after declaring several unlawful assemblies in the area, authorities said.
The arrests took place in the area near the Metro Blue Line station on Washington Boulevard and Grand Avenue, where dozens of people filled an intersection, some circling the area on bicycles, and others were blocking train tracks, said LAPD spokesman Officer Mike Lopez, who addressed members of the media near the station.
After officers called the assembly unlawful about 11 p.m., officers in tactical fear wielding batons moved in on the group of people, arresting 40 people, including those on the tracks, on suspicion of failing to disperse from an unlawful assembly and cited 30 people with infractions of blocking the intersections who were then released, Lopez said.
Officers led the arrested individuals into LAPD busses, which would transport them to several processing centers and detention centers. There, the arrested will be booked on suspicion of the unlawful assembly, a misdemeanor, Lopez said, adding that some were expected to be released shortly after.
“It depends on what we find about each individual,” he said.
Lopez said there were no reports of injuries and no immediate indication that those arrested had any illegal weapons.
A video posted by police to Twitter showed at least one officer capturing video of the protesters with a handycam.
The first police confrontation took place hours earlier in the area of Pico Boulevard and Figueroa Street about 8 p.m., where police ordered a group of a couple dozen people to leave the area.
It was not immediately clear what prompted police to call the assemblies of a couple dozen people unlawful, which based on television news broadcasts appeared peaceful. Police called the crowd “large and unruly,” in a tweet.
At Pico and Figueroa, near Staples Center, officers detained six individuals after police called the assembly unlawful.
Calling an assembly unlawful means officers can begin arresting anyone who remains in the area.
Police said there was “reasonable suspicion” that the six individuals may have been about to commit a crime. LAPD spokesman Officer Tony Im was not able to confirm a report from the scene that those detained for questioning were seen putting on helmets and knee pads. However, the crowd of a few dozen people in the area seemed mainly peaceful and those held were later released.
Police tweeted a photo of about five individuals dressed in black, facing a wall with zip ties around their wrists.
Shortly after the order was given, the crowd of protesters marched away from Staples Center, eastbound on Venice Boulevard and later westbound on Washington Boulevard.
About one hour after the Staples Center confrontation, LAPD declared another unlawful assembly at the intersection of 18th and Figueroa streets.
The reason for the protest was not immediately clear, though a report by Fox 11 indicated it may have been in opposition of Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey, who is running for re-election against former San Francisco District Attorney and LAPD cop, George Gascón.
Staples Center was used this year as an official Los Angeles County voting center.
Earlier on the evening of the election, LAPD ordered a city-wide tactical alert, allowing the department to double up on officers for any potentially violent incidents and to curb potential civil unrest.
Even so, LAPD Chief Michel Moore has previously said he does not expect violence in the city.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
