It Was Mostly A Peaceful Protest, Then Came The Tear Gas And Rubber Bullets
LOS ANGELES, CA — My breathing feels labored, and my lungs still hurt hours after being tear-gassed by police in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo district.
It was the culmination of hours of anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles on Monday that started outside the federal immigration building near the historic Olvera Street. There, hundreds of people gathered, chanting "peaceful protest" even as law enforcement, made up of local agencies, ICE and the National Guard, fired rubber bullets and crowd-dispersing devices that made the city sound like a war zone.
Some protesters responded by throwing water bottles at law enforcement officers equipped with riot gear, batons and less-lethal weapons. I saw someone do a drive-by with a paintball gun, hitting a member of the National Guard in the head.
I also saw a man pegged by protesters as a Trump supporter getting punched and run out of the demonstration. Protesters warned that he was armed with a knife. Then, as every time someone enacted violence, the majority of the protesters scolded them and emphasized peaceful protest.
Police managed to disperse the crowd as they pushed protesters into Little Tokyo.
The number of protesters appeared to be dwindling as police pushed them east. But by nightfall, the area of Second Street and San Pedro filled once more with about a thousand people.
The streets smelled of the fresh spray paint used to tag city walls with anti-ICE epithets and the burning rubber of cars and mini-bikes doing donuts at an intersection.
Late into the night, protesters again met face to face with a police line, this time using large plastic restaurant signs to create their own barricade. Every so often, someone would launch fireworks toward the police, spraying sparks overhead and into the crowd and sending unsuspecting frontline protesters running in fear.
I was on the frontline documenting the protest when dozens more police arrived. Within minutes, the first can of tear gas was thrown, sending protesters into a frenzy. I'll never forget the loud thud of the rubber bullets hitting the human body. Those that missed ricocheted off buildings and traffic poles.
Suddenly, the second can of tear gas landed right at my feet, burning my eyes and nose instantly. My eyesight was blurry for several minutes, and when it recovered, most protesters had been separated into smaller crowds and pushed out of the area.
Some resisted, pushing dumpsters to the streets to form barricades and trying to suppress the tear gas canisters with water, but law enforcement pressed on.
Police firing rubber bullets into the crowd Monday night in Little Tokyo. Video by Fernando Haro/Patch
— Los Angeles Patch (@LosAngelesPatch)
It was around 11 p.m. when the officers started shooting rubber bullets indiscriminately, launching them from over 50 feet. People took cover behind cars, whether driving or parked.
As I ducked and took cover, rubber bullets quickly passed over my head before making impact with the light pole behind me. Another went right past my legs, hitting the camera of another journalist next to me.
The crowds started to dwindle quickly as it became increasingly difficult to find cover. As I made my way out of the area, my face burning and mind blurry, the sounds of explosions continued over Los Angeles. Through it all, I couldn't help but think: "What comes next?"
