Thread: LA: Downtown Immigration Demonstration Leads to 14 Arrests

Photos (on link below): Downtown Immigration Demonstration Leads to 14 Arrests

(Zach Behrens/LAist)
Today May 6, 2010


Fourteen demonstrators protesting Arizona's new immigration law were arrested outside a federal detention center in downtown this afternoon. The group, said to be from We Are All Arizona, set out to get their message across by intentionally blocking the street and getting arrested.

At 10 a.m., they began to protest, chaining themselves together with handcuffs that were covered in tubing. Fourteen of them laid down in the middle of Alameda Street outside the federal Metropolitan Detention Center.

"This is a scripted demonstration, they just want to get their message across," explained Officer Bruce Borihanh, a LAPD spokesperson. "We let them speak their voice, get their message across. Then we gave a lawful order to disperse because they are blocking traffic, it's a public safety hazard."
Clad in bright neon baseball caps, legal observers from the National Lawyers Guild aided the demonstrators with their presence and negotiations with police.

"What you're seeing here is an act of civil disobedience where 14 people decided to use their moral authority to challenge unjust laws like the law that went down in Arizona," said Nelson Motto, who spoke on behalf of the group, which he identified as a number of human beings, not a group with any affiliation. "This is just the beginning of many actions that are going to be happening -- not just throughout the city, but throughot the country."

Police slowly arrested each chained individual by using an angle grinder to cut the tubes and handcuffs. Every time one was released and walked to a police bus, protesters on the sidewalk cheered and continued to sing and keep the atmosphere positive. "It's been very peaceful," said Borihanh. "We're just here for public safety and everyone's been very cooperative."

http://laist.com/2010/05/06/photos_14_a ... tion_p.php

L.A. NOW

Southern California -- this just in

Immigration protesters jam downtown L.A. streets; LAPD makes arrests
May 6, 2010 | 1:44 pm

Traffic in parts of downtown L.A. were jammed because of a demonstration by critics of Arizona's new law cracking down on illegal immigrants.

The LAPD said some of the protesters were blocking several streets, including Alameda and Commercial streets. KTLA News video showed police making arrests of demonstrators lying in the street.

Traffic at the civic center near L.A. City Hall was backed up.

The protest was outside the federal prison in downtown L.A. "This detention center symbolizes the incarceration and internment of so many immigrants and the separation of families," according to a statement on a website posted by the protesters.

Officials said the protest could cause traffic problems for several hours and might cause disruption for people trying to drive into the detention facility parking lot.

KTLA News video showed gridlock on some streets as motorists struggled through detours.

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: Dozens of people rally Thursday in front of the Federal Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles to protest Arizona's new immigration law. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... reets.html

LOL they must be independently wealthy to have all this time on their hands. Morons.

I loiked the moron who said we dont want the military on the border making it more difficult to cross

well, no Sh%T sherlock, thats the idea

They were all SEIU members.

Got that from a friend at LAPD.

Originally Posted by TakingBackSoCal

They were all SEIU members.

Got that from a friend at LAPD.

Interesting but not surprising that SEIU was involved. The trouble makers are out on bail by now surely.

Related:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-198078-nelson.html+motto

This detention center symbolizes the incarceration and internment of so many immigrants and the separation of families,"

Its not our fault these illegal immigrants commit crimes. They deserve to to be in jail, and after that they should be deported. How can these poeple compare an interment camp to jail? As far as separating families, I say the govenrment should unify them in Mexico.