Thousands of people rallied at dozens of demonstrations around Southern California Saturday as part of a massive, nationwide “No Kings Day of Defiance” protest against President Trump and his policies, with tense clashes between protesters and police breaking out in downtown LA in the late afternoon.
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Around 4 p.m., the downtown LA rally – with an estimated 200,000 protesters – switched from peaceful to chaotic, as some people reportedly threw rocks, bottles and fireworks at police. Officers issued a dispersal order and unleashed a multitude of flash-bang grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at the crowd.
Confusion broke out as police on horseback pushed people away from various areas and traffic had to be diverted. Protesters ran past businesses that had been boarded up ahead of the demonstration. Reporting from a KTLA helicopter showed people were trying to rush away from the rubber bullets and horses but did not know exactly where to go.
Up until that point, for several hours on Saturday, the downtown LA rally had been peaceful. Law enforcement officials reiterated that when protests turn violent, it’s typically launched by “professional agitators,” rather than the vast majority of protesters who come out to exercise their free speech rights.
“Unfortunately when our officers were attacked, we had to change course and begin crowd-control tactics to prevent harm to our officers and the community,” LAPD Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides said in an interview with KTLA. “Our officers were caught off guard. The individuals that were throwing rocks and bottles and objects at our officers were on a bridge and they had a high ground.”
Police officers repeated their dispersal order over loudspeakers into the evening as the crowd moved away from one location only to regroup in another. At one point, police in riot gear rolled in to protect LAPD headquarters.
“Officers requesting assistance due to agitators in the crowd throwing objects,” the LAPD posted on X at 6:30 p.m., indicating the new trouble was at First Street and Broadway, a few blocks from headquarters.
The 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for a one-square-mile section of downtown Los Angeles after a week of protests against federal immigration raids would remain in place Saturday night, officials announced, but it was likely that some in the crowd would ignore it, according to reports from the scene.
The number of arrests out of the disturbance, if any, will likely not be available until Sunday morning, LAPD spokeswoman Officer Rosario Cervantes said.
More than 1,500 “No Kings” events were held nationwide on Saturday, and demonstrations took place throughout Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. National organizers estimated the downtown Los Angeles event drew 200,000 people.
The protests coincided with a military parade the Trump administration organized on Flag Day in Washington, D.C., to mark the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday. It’s also Trump’s birthday, and his critics hoped to send a clear message: “In America, we don’t do kings,” according to Indivisible, the progressive organization behind “No Kings Day.”
By around 9:40 a.m., thousands of people had already amassed at Long Beach’s Bixby Park, with the crowd lining both sides of Ocean Boulevard for several blocks in either direction. Protesters were jubilant and defiant, holding signs saying “Stop racism,” “No kings” and “No one is illegal on stolen lands.” Many of the signs attacked the Trump administration for the federal immigration raids conducted around Southern California and elsewhere this past week.
Sarah Bettendorf came to the sprawling Long Beach rally in Lady Liberty attire.
“Lady Liberty stands for kindness, compassion and hope,” she said. “We’re here to say no to the haters. We’re here to stand up for Constitutional Rights and protect all immigrants, because it is important to remember that there are no kings and that we all have rights.”
Bettendorf, who works in aerospace, added that she wasn’t surprised by the massive turnout on Ocean Boulevard. “I think having this many people in our country who are upset with the current regime and how the administration is attacking LA … I think this is absolutely apropos.”
Law enforcement agencies across the region are on heightened alert for the planned protests, including a large rally expected outside Los Angeles City Hall.
By 9:50 a.m., just before the protest’s scheduled start time, the crowd in downtown LA had grown significantly—thousands filled Grand Park and spilled out onto both sides of North Spring Street.
