Los Angeles protests over ICE raids shut down 101 freeway

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)

Thousands of demonstrators hit the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 2, to protest recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and deportations under the Trump administration. The protest escalated as crowds moved onto the 101 freeway, shutting down traffic for hours and causing major congestion throughout downtown.

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The demonstration began on Olvera Street before growing in size as marchers made their way to City Hall. Protesters later moved onto the freeway, where some sat in lanes, waved flags and carried signs, calling for immigration reform. The California Highway Patrol closed both directions of the freeway as law enforcement monitored the situation.

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Protest reaches City Hall, triggers police response

Throughout the day, fireworks were heard over the crowd, and some demonstrators leaned out of car windows, chanting in support of the protest. Video from the scene appeared to show graffiti on freeway walls and a Metro bus marked with anti-ICE messages.

By late afternoon, police reported that protesters had reached the steps of City Hall. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were deployed to manage the demonstration and ease traffic disruptions. The protest later moved to the Main Street Bridge, further backing up roads. Law enforcement intervened, pushing the crowd away and restricting access to both vehicles and pedestrians.

At around 8 p.m., police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly. Officers formed a skirmish line to clear the remaining protesters, and the freeway was reopened shortly after.

Demonstrations spread beyond Los Angeles

Protests were not limited to downtown Los Angeles. A smaller rally of about 250 people gathered in Pacoima, where police said drivers were blocking traffic and performing stunts. Additional demonstrations were reported in southern California cities, such as Riverside and San Diego.

In Texas, an estimated 1,600 people marched through downtown Dallas, denouncing the administration’s immigration policies. Many carried Mexican and American flags, while others held signs in support of immigrants.

Minimal arrests reported

Demonstrators said they were marching to highlight concerns over deportations and to provide a voice for those affected by immigration enforcement actions.

Despite the large turnout, law enforcement reported minimal arrests. The LAPD confirmed that at least one person was taken into custody but did not provide details.

Tags: California, California Highway Patrol, Dallas, Donald Trump, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, migrants, Protests

[Craig Nigrelli]

THOUSANDS OF DEMONSTRATORS FILLED THE STREETS OF LOS ANGELES ON SUNDAY, PROTESTING RECENT ICE RAIDS AND DEPORTATIONS UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. THE PROTEST ESCALATED WHEN CROWDS MOVED ONTO THE 101 FREEWAY, SHUTTING DOWN TRAFFIC FOR HOURS AND CAUSING MAJOR CONGESTION ACROSS DOWNTOWN.

THE DEMONSTRATION GREW AS MARCHERS MADE THEIR WAY TO CITY HALL BEFORE MOVING ONTO THE FREEWAY. PROTESTERS SAT IN LANES, WAVED FLAGS, AND CARRIED SIGNS DEMANDING IMMIGRATION REFORM. THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL CLOSED BOTH DIRECTIONS OF THE FREEWAY AS LAW ENFORCEMENT MONITORED THE SITUATION.

THROUGHOUT THE DAY, FIREWORKS WERE HEARD OVER THE CROWD, AND SOME DEMONSTRATORS LEANED OUT OF CAR WINDOWS, CHANTING IN SUPPORT OF THE PROTEST. VIDEO FROM THE SCENE APPEARED TO SHOW GRAFFITI ON FREEWAY WALLS AND A METRO BUS MARKED WITH ANTI-ICE MESSAGES.

BY LATE AFTERNOON, POLICE REPORTED THAT PROTESTERS HAD REACHED THE STEPS OF CITY HALL. OFFICERS FROM THE LAPD AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT WERE DEPLOYED TO MANAGE THE DEMONSTRATION AND CLEAR DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC. THE PROTEST LATER MOVED TO THE MAIN STREET BRIDGE, FURTHER BACKING UP ROADS. LAW ENFORCEMENT MOVED IN, PUSHING THE CROWD AWAY AND RESTRICTING ACCESS TO BOTH VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS.

AROUND 8 P.M., AFTER DECLARING THE GATHERING AN UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY, OFFICERS FORMED A SKIRMISH LINE TO CLEAR THE REMAINING PROTESTERS. THE FREEWAY WAS REOPENED SHORTLY AFTER.

PROTESTS WEREN’T LIMITED TO DOWNTOWN L.A. A SMALLER RALLY OF ABOUT 250 PEOPLE GATHERED IN PACOIMA, WHERE POLICE SAID DRIVERS WERE BLOCKING TRAFFIC AND PERFORMING STUNTS. ELSEWHERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, DEMONSTRATIONS WERE ALSO REPORTED IN RIVERSIDE AND SAN DIEGO. IN TEXAS, AN ESTIMATED 1,600 PEOPLE MARCHED THROUGH DOWNTOWN DALLAS, DENOUNCING THE ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION POLICIES. MANY CARRIED MEXICAN AND AMERICAN FLAGS, WHILE OTHERS HELD SIGNS IN SUPPORT OF IMMIGRANTS.

DEMONSTRATORS SAID THEY WERE MARCHING TO HIGHLIGHT CONCERNS OVER DEPORTATIONS AND PROVIDE A VOICE FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY RECENT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS.

DESPITE THE LARGE TURNOUT, LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED MINIMAL ARRESTS. AT LEAST ONE PERSON WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY BUT LAPD AUTHORITIES DID NOT PROVIDE DETAILS.