The arrest of a protester in West Los Angeles.
Photo:
ETIENNE LAURENT / EFE
Protesters who participated in a protest in Los Angeles on Saturday against police abuse and racism over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, tweeted that the demonstration was taking place peacefully, as it had been organized, until Los Angeles Police officers began to clamp down on protesters, using batons and beating them.
Los Angeles authorities say violence in the protests is taking place because people who want to create these confrontations, create riots and promote looting are involved.
Here is a series of tweets that became highly visible and show how the demonstration happened, before the riots and the intervention of police officers began:
Shutdown Los Angeles from The Grove to the Beverly Center peacefully 👏🏽🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/p7kACqpZaw
– Leezy (@youngharpo) May 30, 2020
In Los Angeles today. This is absolutely beautiful. The heritage of my people coming through for our Black brothers and sisters. BLACK LIVES MATTER! pic.twitter.com/ovXaNDeL9z
– Cisco 💛🌊 (@itsthatcisco) May 30, 2020
This is dope there are sooooooo many people protesting now in Beverly Hills look at this view from our Penthouse office! pic.twitter.com/d7AmKQN5py
– Mike Chehadé (@ChehadeTheKing) May 30, 2020
And then, notices like this start:
LOS ANGELES: This m … is real. They just drove around my neighborhood, I saw the last one just 5 minutes ago. If you're at the LA protest go now as soon as you can. ”
LOS ANGELES: This shit is real. They just drove through my neighborhood, saw the last one as recently as 5 minutes ago https://t.co/KGPffKfdXH
– Studio Glibly (@NoTotally) May 31, 2020
And the videos posted on Twitter by people who say they participated in the demonstration and accuse the police of inciting violence:
Everything was peaceful… until the cops showed up. #LosAngelesProtest #GeorgeFloydprotest pic.twitter.com/P00sR7pX6J
– Dricks. (@Lo_Dricks) May 30, 2020
If you are #protesting in #The Angels BE SAFE. #LosAngelesProtest #protests #BlackLivesMatter #THE #LApolice #dtla #police #PoliceBrutality @KTLA pic.twitter.com/mdcidwWLBD
– Stephanie Langlitz (@steph_langlitz) May 31, 2020
The LAPD beating protesters with batons and shooting rubber bullets directly into the crowd. It's BAD in Los Angeles. You can see the girl with the black top get injured… This started as a #BlackLivesMatter peaceful protest. UNREAL. #LosAngelesRiots #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/iAbwUGNQFW
– Brayden James (@ BrayJ83) May 30, 2020
The police are inciting the violence to a peaceful protest !! #BLACK_LIVES_MATTER #LosAngelesProtest #JusticeForGeorge @ kendrick38 pic.twitter.com/yw7yHzqlua
– marlet (@bgmarlet) May 30, 2020
In the next tweet even appears a photo of a person setting a LAPD car on fire, and from a protester who wrote: "He started the car, not us."
HE LIT THE CAR ON FIRE. NOT US ❤️ #georgefloyd #blm #BlacklivesMater #LosAngelesProtest pic.twitter.com/HyG0O4b365
– Jordan Cox (@jordansntpierre) May 30, 2020
Check this out. Rubber bullet fired by #LAPD gashes by camera instead of my face during #GeorgeFloydprotest in the. pic.twitter.com/aTh46j2DZa
– luis sinco (@luissinco) May 30, 2020
Many users said that the demonstration was taking place peacefully.
"I just want to reiterate that today's protest in Los Angeles was peaceful and non-violent until it was accelerated to a violent situation by @LAPDHQ"
I just want to reiterate that the protest today in Los Angeles was peaceful and non-violent until it was expedited into a violent situation by the @LAPDHQ
– Orville Peck (@orvillepeck) May 31, 2020
LAPD has started tear gassing, shooting rubber bullets, & beating protestors as they held their hands up & yelled the names of victims. LAPD started the violence. THE POLICE STARTED THE VIOLENCE IN LOS ANGELES. #LosAngelesProtest pic.twitter.com/pWgTbty1RZ
– lez #BLACKLIVESMATTER (@basiclez) May 30, 2020
Curfew
The curfew has been expanded to the entire city to keep Angelenos safe. People in the city of Los Angeles must stay indoors tonight, starting at 8 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
The curfew has been expanded to the entire city to keep Angelenos safe. People in the City of Los Angeles are required to stay indoors tonight, starting at 8 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.
– MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) May 31, 2020
