Police Fire Rubber Bullets, Tear Gas into Crowd at Los Angeles Immigration Rally

[Jcrowley]

BREAKING: Police Fire Rubber Bullets, Tear Gas into Crowd at Los Angeles Immigration Rally



LAPD Chief Claims 'Elements of the Crowd' Threw Projectiles at Police in Riot Gear, News Reports Say the Rally Had Been Peaceful
National Coordinators Call for Independent Investigation, Further Information from Those at McArthur Park Rally...
Officers in riot gear from the Los Angeles Police Department fired rubber bullets and used tear gas to disperse a "crowd of hundreds" gathered at a local park for a previously peaceful May Day immigration rally tonight.

National rally coordinators are protesting the action and have sent us a statement via email asking citizens to call on LAPD Chief William Bratton and LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to demand an independent investigation into the "May Day incident at McArthur Park." They are also seeking information from anyone in the crowd at McArthur Park in Los Angeles during the incident. The statement, sent from Lee Sui Hin, National Coordinator from the National Immigrant Solidarity Network/Action LA Coalition, is posted in full at the end of this article.


NBC 4 is reporting that Bratton is claiming "15 officers were hit by missiles that were thrown at them by 'certain elements of the crowd ... who we don't believe were representative' of most of those who were there...While he spoke, a person could be heard declaring, 'That's not true.'"

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4498

Here's what UPI is reporting tonight on the LA incident:

L.A. police move on immigration rally

LOS ANGELES, May 1 (UPI) --- A day of peaceful immigration rallies in major U.S. cities Tuesday was marred when Los Angeles police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

Witnesses said police wearing riot gear and wielding batons gave no warning before firing at rally participants gathered at MacArthur Park, CNN reported. Police said a protester knocked down a motorcycle officer, the news channel said.

There were no reports of serious injuries and no arrests were made.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/05/02/la_police_move_on_immigration_rally/

LA Times is reporting, in contradiction to UPI that:

Several people, including 15 police officers, were hurt. About 10 people were taken by ambulance to hospitals for treatment, said d'Lisa Davies, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles city Fire Department.
...
Late Tuesday, a staff member from Telemundo's newsroom confirmed that one reporter and three camera operators from the Spanish-language TV station had been injured and had been taken to a hospital by police.

Another TV station, Fox 11, showed video on its 10 p.m. newscast of a station camerawoman apparently being struck by a baton-wielding police officer in riot gear.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-march2may02,0,3947088.story?track=mostviewed-homepage

Video:
http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=3086223&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

[EnviroBat]

1. Get ready kids. The ole Kent State Mentality is ramping up...

I expect we are going to see incidents like this more frequently in the coming weeks and months.

[Buzz Clik]

2. Tancredo will be thrilled.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. Another TV station...showed...a station camerawoman...struck by a baton-wielding police officer...

Ooops.

Police can beat up on protesters all they want and the press will cheer them on, but lay a hand on the press themselves and they will turn and bite.

Somebody must not have read the rules.

[Eugene]

4. AP: Police to review clash at May Day rally

Source: Associated Press

Police to review clash at May Day rally

By PETER PRENGAMAN, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 30 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES - A day of mostly calm immigration rallies around
the nation ended with a clash in Los Angeles where officers fired
rubber bullets and used batons against demonstrators. Police
promised to review the use of force.

Several people, including about a dozen officers, were hurt during
skirmishes at MacArthur Park near downtown late Tuesday. About
10 people were taken to hospitals for treatment of injuries
including cuts, authorities said. None of the injuries was
believed to be serious.

-snip-

The clash at MacArthur Park started after 6 p.m. when police tried
to disperse demonstrators who had moved off the sidewalk onto the
street. Authorities said several people of the few thousand still
at the rally threw rocks and bottles at officers, who fired rubber
bullets and used batons to push the crowd back onto the sidewalk.

-snip-

Maria Elena Durazo, the executive secretary-treasurer at the Los
Angeles County Federation of Labor, said the trouble was instigated
by "a group of anarchists, not associated with the rally." She also
criticized the police response, saying the rubber bullets were
fired on a peaceful crowd with little warning.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070502/ap_on_re_us/immigration_protests

[Jcrowley]

5. Thanks for that n/t