According to reports, the Los Angeles city was placed on a citywide tactical alert on Thursday night as hundreds of demonstrators including LA Occupy protesters assembled near the city’s downtown at midnight.
The LA police ordered the peaceful crowd to disperse, and reportedly fired rubber bullets and tear gas at the protesters, who responded by hurling rocks and empty bottles.
At least 19 arrests are believed to have been made by the LA police, though the exact number remains unknown.
The incident which coincides with the popular monthly ArtWalk fair, is dubbed “Chalk Walk” by the LA Occupy protesters, as the protesters handed out free chalks to highlight their demand for freedom of speech.
According to Officer Karen Rayner of the LA Police Department, the protest started at around 8.40 pm local time, Thursday night, as demonstrators began taking over the intersection of Fifth and Spring streets.
“This kind of, took us by surprise, we were not expecting them to show up tonight,” msnbc quoted Rayner as saying.
LA Occupy protesters wrote some chalk messages like “Welcome to the police state” on sidewalks and nearby buildings to show their main concerns.
When asked if drawing on the ground with chalk is illegal, Rayner said, “It’s not vandalism because it’s not permanent” adding “but I don’t really know.”
The Occupy Movement in the US began in New York City on September 17, 2011. The protesters who also call themselves as the 99 percenters are against the widespread poverty and corporatism and unfair distribution of wealth in the United States.
MY/JR
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