Hundreds of demonstrators marched through downtown Los Angeles on Independence Day to protest ongoing federal immigration raids, chanting “No more occupation” outside the federal building that houses the immigration court. Los Angeles Police Department officers, backed by U.S. Marines and National Guard troops, blocked streets near Alameda and Temple and declared an unlawful assembly after some protesters placed barriers in the roadway.
Tensions escalated in the evening when protesters attempted to prevent federal vehicles from leaving the Metropolitan Detention Center. DHS agents and military personnel pushed the crowd back, and LAPD issued dispersal orders. Alameda Street was closed for several hours, and police later confirmed multiple arrests linked to several demonstrations across the downtown area.
Activism continued the next morning with a 15-mile “Run Against ICE” relay from Koreatown to Olvera Street, retracing neighborhoods affected by recent raids. Organizers said about 2,000 people registered for the event, part of a 30-day “Summer of Resistance” campaign. The route included a stop at the detention center, the site of the previous night’s confrontations.
The protests follow a month of stepped-up enforcement actions that local officials say have swept up workers at car washes, construction sites and day-laborer centers. Mayor Karen Bass renewed her call for the federal government to halt the raids, arguing they are “tearing families apart,” while immigrant-rights groups pursue federal lawsuits challenging the operations.
On Saturday, hundreds of runners joined immigrant rights advocates, labor and faith leaders, and community members to take part in the Run Against ICE Resistance Relay, a 15-mile, non-violent protest through the streets of Los Angeles. Details:
Organizers call it a “non-violent journey of resistance through Los Angeles” and said it is part of a 30-day “Summer of Resistance” campaign designed to push for an end to ICE raids and deportations they say have “tore families apart.”
