Tag Archives: protests

“No Kings” Protests across Los Angeles

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Photo taken on Olympic Blvd. in Downtown LA

US ships are firing on boats off the coast of Venezuela. Masked ICE agents are grabbing people off the street. Troops have been sent into cities governed by Democratic leaders. The Federal government has cut billions in funding for universities that don’t teach what the President wants them to. This is the new reality under Trump, and millions of Americans are seriously concerned about what they believe are grave threats to democracy and the Constitution.

On Saturday people across the US turned out for No Kings rallies to voice their opposition to the current administration. According to the LA Times, 2,700 protests were scheduled to take place, about 600 more than for the previous day of protest in June. According to the No Kings organizers, more than seven million people turned out to protest yesterday. There were events scheduled throughout the LA area, including Beverly Hills, Burbank, Glendale, Hollywood, Lynwood, Long Beach, Torrance and Whittier.

I went to the protest in Downtown LA and took some photos. Actually, the photo at the top of this post was taken several blocks south of the event on Olympic Boulevard. I snapped it while I was on my way to the protest. Something about the size and the colors seemed to capture the urgency of the moment. When I arrived at the Civic Center, crowds were marching into Grand Park carrying all sorts of signs and wearing all sorts of costumes.

Protesters gathered at City Hall in Downtown LA.

Crowd gathered near the steps to LA City Hall.

The fact that many protesters carried US flags seems to undercut the argument that they’re anti-American.




A friend of mine sent me these photos from the protest in Burbank. Looking at these photos it struck me how much that city has changed over the years. When I was growing up in Burbank, it was a fairly conservative town, and I don’t recall ever seeing a protest on this scale in the 60s and 70s. This kind of activism shows how much the city’s politics have shifted. The gathering was held at the intersection of Buena Vista and Verdugo.

Many protesters expressed their anger over troop deployments in US cities. Photo by Michael Golob.
I don’t remember seeing anything like this when I was growing up in Burbank. Photo by Michael Golob.
Some protesters wore colorful costumes. Photo by Michael Golob.
When the introverts are angry, watch out. Photo by Michael Golob.

Thousands gathered at Pasadena City Hall to demonstrate against the Trump administration. Speakers included Congressional Rep Judy Chu, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and Councilmember Rick Cole.

No Kings protest in Pasadena. Photo by Denise Goddard.
Another image of Pasadena No Kings protest. Photo by Denise Goddard.


On my way to Downtown, I stopped at the Hollywood event. Protesters gathered at the intersection of Hollywood and Vermont. As people waved signs, drivers passing by honked their horns.

A lively crowd gathered at Hollywood and Vermont.
Passing drivers honked their horns in sympathy.

The crowd spilled off the sidewalk and onto the street.


I am really worried about the future of this country, but I’m also really encouraged by the scale of the response. Not only do millions of people think we’re going in the wrong direction, but many of them are willing to show up at events across the country to make their anger known. It ain’t over yet.

Thousands Protest in Downtown LA

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Protesters gathered in front of LA City Hall on Saturday, June 14.

Thousands of people gathered in Downtown LA on Saturday for a boisterous, hours-long protest . Attendees held signs voicing anger over a number of issues, but the overarching message was that the protesters were not happy with President Trump. The air was filled with music and chanted slogans. Helicopters and drones flew overhead.

Protesters marching up Hill Street.


Late morning, a friend and I got on the subway heading to Downtown. Unfortunately, the driver announced that the stops at Pershing Square and Civic Center were closed due to police activity, so we got off at 7th and Metro. This meant we had to hike about a mile and a half to get to City Hall. While walking up Grand, we could see the throng of protesters marching up Hill Street in the distance.

Windows were covered with boards at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).


We also saw that the windows were boarded up at the Museum of Contemporary Art. A number of businesses had boarded up their windows to protect against the vandalism that’s been occurring in Downtown over the past week or so. The raids by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), where agents have grabbed undocumented immigrants, sparked an outpouring of anger, and groups opposing the raids have held numerous gatherings to voice their outrage. But it’s hard to say who exactly is responsible for the graffiti, broken windows and retail theft. No doubt, some of it’s tied to the protests, but I think it’s also likely that some of the damage has been caused to opportunists who are taking advantage of the unrest to grab some merchandise or promote general mayhem.

Protesters arriving at Grand Park after marching up Hill Street.


When we arrived at Grand Park, protesters were still streaming in from Hill Street. While many came to speak out over the ICE raids, as well as Trump’s order to send the National Guard and Marines to LA, the event had been planned long before as part of a nationwide movement to push back against the President’s policies. On Saturday protests were held in New York, Chicago, Sacramento, Raleigh, St. Louis, Dallas, and many other US cities.

“Legalization is the answer.”

“I.C.E. Fuera de Tovaangar” (I.C.E. Out of Los Angeles) (Tovaangar is the name that was used by the indigenous people living in the LA area before Europeans arrived.)

“Feliz Dia del Padre” (Happy Father’s Day)


While I was there, the protest seemed completely peaceful. Hard to say how many turned out, but I’d say several thousand. Apparently things got rough later in the afternoon. The LAPD said that around 4:00 pm some protesters began throwing rocks, bricks and bottles. They responded by issuing an order to disperse. From an account published in the LA Times, it appears officers then used rubber bullets and tear gas to clear the streets. No serious injuries were reported.

Law enforcement stationed above the steps to LA City Hall.

An image of the Constitution standing in front of City Hall.


The protests will continue. While most of Trump’s supporters seem to stand firmly behind him, there are millions of Americans who believe his administration is deliberately undermining the Constitution and that he’s trying to assume power as an authoritarian dictator. Personally, I think there are dark days ahead of us.

Downtown LA on Wednesday: An Uneasy Calm

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Protesters on the steps of City Hall, police in the background.

The past few days have been hard to believe. ICE agents have been arresting hundreds of people across Southern California. The President has ordered the National Guard into LA, over the protests of the Governor and the Mayor. Apparently the Marines are on their way. And a curfew has been declared in Downtown LA.

I went down to City Hall for a hearing this afternoon. I got off the subway at Civic Center and walked across Grand Park to Spring. The park seemed peaceful, as usual, but as I got closer to City Hall I saw a crowd of around a hundred protesters gathered on the steps at the entrance. Activists spoke passionately about the injustice of the ICE raids.

I entered City Hall and attended the hearing, which lasted until about four fifteen. Then, since I hadn’t had lunch, I walked up First Street looking for a place to eat. Unfortunately, these days its hard to find a restaurant that’s open in the Civic Center. As companies have reduced their footprint in Downtown or abandoned it altogether, many local businesses have cut their hours or closed down.

As I walked up First Street, I saw that the ground floor of the former LA Times building was covered with graffiti. A little farther up there was a row of parked police cars. Helicopters crisscrossed the sky overhead. Even though things were calm, there did seem to be tension in the air.

Thinking that the cafe at MOCA might still be open, I headed up to Grand. I walked into the cafe and saw that they were cleaning up. The woman behind the counter said they were open for another 20 minutes, so I ordered a sandwich. When it was ready, I went out to the patio and sat down to eat it.

The woman at the counter spoke with a heavy accent. My guess is that she had come from somewhere in Central America. In the time I was there, she made my sandwich, wiped off the tables in the patio, straightened the chairs and emptied the trash cans. When I left she was sweeping up inside the restaurant.

These are the people that keep this city going. These are the people that keep this country going.

Happy New Year?

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Artists painting murals during the protests in Hollywood this year.

Seems like everyone agrees that 2020 was the year from hell. We had a deadly pandemic spreading like wildifre across the globe. In the US we had the incredibly weird and stressful presidential election.

And here in LA? Where do I start?

While the homeless population has been growing for years, the number of people experiencing homelessness in LA County shot up by 12% in 2020. The City of LA saw an even larger increase of 16%. There were months of protests in the streets against police violence. Though not many people seem to have noticed, it’s been an unusually dry year, which should be cause for alarm since our water resources are continuing to decline.

And then there were the numerous indictments filed by the Department of Justice against current and former LA City officials. The charges included bribery, extortion and money laundering. I count five guilty pleas so far, but it’s hard to keep track. Then there are former Councilmember Jose Huizar and former Deputy Mayor Ray Chan who claim innocence. They’ll go on trial later this year. The saddest aspect of all this is that these prosecutions come as no surprise to thousands of Angelenos who have been following local politics. The acts described in the indictments sound like business as usual at City Hall. And don’t get me started on what’s been happening at the City Attorney’s office under Mike Feuer.

All of us are hoping that 2021 will be better than 2020, and really that’s setting the bar pretty low. Yeah, it would be great if Covid-19 went away and we could get back to some kind of normal. But other than that, how much will change? Most of the problems I listed above have been with us a long time in one form or another. Will the new leadership in Washington bring about a new era of peace and equality? Don’t bet on it. Will our elected officials finally agree on a way to successfully address homelessness? Nothing they’ve done so far inspires much confidence. Will LA City Hall become more transparent, open and honest? Don’t make me laugh.

But in spite of my extreme cynicism, I’m not giving up, and neither should you. This year we’ve seen legions of healthcare workers and others make huge sacrifices to care for people infected with Covid-19. In LA we saw tens of thousands of people take to the streets to protest injustice. And even if the culture at LA City Hall is hopelessly corrupt, there are numerous community groups working hard to address homelessness, hunger and poverty.

LA will never be perfect, but it could be a lot better. We can make it better. We can give our time as volunteers. We can give our money to non-profits with a proven track record of helping people. Even just staying informed and staying engaged can make a difference. If you’re not registered to vote, then get registered. And then next time we have an election, take the time to vote. Find a news source you trust, and then subscribe to it, because supporting journalism, especially local journalism, is crucial.

The new year will not be any better than the old year unless we make it better. We can’t just sit back passively and hope everything will turn out all right. We have to get involved and stay involved.