Dozens Arrested as Thousands Protest Trump Presidency

LOS ANGELES, CA — Protesters angry Thursday over Donald J. Trump's election as president marched in downtown Los Angeles and rallied at City Hall for a third night and earlier shut down portions of the Hollywood (101) Freeway.

By 1:30 a.m., the freeway was clear of demonstrators but lanes were closed for cleanup and reopened about 3:45 a.m.

Demonstrators were cleared from the downtown area shortly before 3 a.m.

With the exception of some protesters throwing rocks at officers and vandalizing portions of the freeway, Rubenstein said the protest was otherwise non-violent.

Some high school students took to the Hollywood Freeway near downtown Los Angeles again about 3 p.m. Thursday, causing lane closures before officers were able to clear them.

Hundreds of protesters gathered again in the evening and marched from City Hall to Staples Center and back, being joined along the way by a contingent from USC, where protests were staged earlier in the day. A protest was also held at UCLA.

By 9 p.m. about 1,000 people were again gathered on the steps outside City Hall's Spring Street entrance, as helicopters hovered overhead and news crews documented the spectacle.

One person was arrested for suspicion of vandalism around 11 p.m., police said.

The protesters' numbers were diminished compared to the 3,000 or more that rallied, marched and streamed onto the Hollywood Freeway a night earlier, but they were accompanied by a more visible police presence as officers in marked cruisers shadowed the throng.

"We're here to protect everybody's right to free speech but not when it impedes everyone else and not when it puts people in harm's way," Rubenstein said.

In a statement, Mayor Eric Garcetti said the right to free expression is "one of our greatest privileges as Americans," but added that unlawful, dangerous behavior won't be tolerated.

"Last night, thousands of Angelenos came together publicly to make their feelings known. I understand that the results of Tuesday's election are painful for many of us, and this kind of engagement can be a meaningful part of the healing we need after such a long and divisive campaign.

But walking and throwing objects onto freeways is dangerous for pedestrians and drivers -- and it puts a heavy burden on people just trying make it home to their families or get to work safely.

I am proud that the demonstrations in Los Angeles have been mostly lawful and peaceful, and that our officers are working with demonstrators to keep people out of harm's way.

Protests can, should and must proceed in that spirit and I urge everyone to look out for their fellow Angelenos and put safety first."

Thirty people out of hundreds were taken into custody in Los Angeles Wednesday night and Thursday morning and in some cases, force was used, said Officer Tony Im of the LAPD's Media Relations Section.

29 people were arrested in Los Angeles overnight as hundreds of anti-Trump protesters poured onto the 101 Freeway https://t.co/zD8DMvB38e pic.twitter.com/1bcQtVKtYp
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 10, 2016

In Santa Ana, police worked to tame a crowd that dispersed shortly before 1:30 a.m. Thursday following violent protests that produced no reports of injuries.

A boisterous crowd, which reached about 650 people at its height, gathered around 7 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Bristol Street and McFadden Avenue, said Santa Ana police Sgt. Carol Salvatierra.

Demonstrators threw bottles, rocks and fireworks at officers, she said, and at least one police squad car was vandalized. Police formed scrimmage lines and used other tactics to tame the crowd.

Ten people, three of whom were minors, were arrested on suspicion of a range of crimes including assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, disorderly conduct, malicious damage to property and curfew violations, according to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.

Four police cars were damaged and a 7-Eleven store's front windows were smashed, Bertagna said. Some protesters jumped up on the roofs of squad cars and stomped on them, Bertagna said.

About 165 officers, many of whom were called in from neighboring jurisdictions, responded to the protest, Bertagna said.

One protester sprayed painted an expletive directed at Santa Ana police on an Orange County Sheriff's Department van, Bertagna said.

Rusty Kennedy, the executive director of the OC Human Relations Commission, decried such violence.

"The individuals who would throw bricks at police in situations like this are acting out in ways that are inappropriate in a democratic society," Kennedy said.

"There are many people who are upset, afraid, and angry right now but I don't think that warrants attacking police officers who have a simple responsibility to keep the peace."

The violent protesters represent a minority of dissenters, Kennedy said.

There have not been any racially motivated attacks related to the election result in Orange County, Kennedy said, but he added a Muslim man at a community luncheon on Wednesday said he and other Muslims have been receiving hateful Tweets since Trump won the election.

City News Service