Marshall Woodruff does not know if he'll recover sight in the eye he nearly lost to LAPD's breaking up of a peaceful "No Kings" protest last Saturday.
I hope there is a deep review of LAPD's body camera footage after this weekend's awful abuse of power. After a long day of peaceful protests in Downtown Los Angeles and several hours before the pre-ordained curfew, Los Angeles police could not pass up an opportunity to attack the crowd. There are reports that some protestors threw rocks at, or broke a window at, the Federal building. Protestors claim nothing of the sort happened, and regardless, the response is not even remotely proportionate.
In the afternoon, as the marches came to an end, thousands spread out across downtown to continue the protests — some to the immigration detention center, others to the federal building, and others surrounded City Hall. Around 4pm, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) issued a dispersal order, but kettled people in so they could not leave. Then, the sheriffs and cops fired tear gas and pushed the protesters, unprovoked. They trampled an elderly man with their horse and then clobbered him with their batons and fired round after round of less than lethal projectiles at the crowd. The police chased people down, hitting protesters indiscriminately. They beat people bloody.
TruthOut
Previously:
• LAPD officer declares he is shooting a protester because he feels like it
• Weezer bassist's wife shot by LAPD and booked for attempted murder
• LAPD officer suspended after punching injured suspect strapped to gurney
