Thousands of demonstrators blocked a crucial freeway in Los Angeles as they carried placards blasting President Donald Trump for his crackdown on illegal immigration.
Protesters draped in Mexican flags were gathered for hours on Sunday as L.A. cops in riot gear and helmets were deployed to disperse crowds that had earlier blocked all lanes on U.S. 101, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Officers lined up to push back protesters at areas where marchers were still present into the night, creating a tense face-off.
No injuries or arrests were reported despite alerts being sent out by cops throughout the day.
Various videos and images from the protests showed people waving Mexican and Salvadoran flags over a freeway playing Mexican music from loudspeakers, with several others standing on the empty road.
It took the California Highway Patrol over five hours to fully clear and reopen the road, CHP Lt. Matt Gutierrez said Sunday evening, according to the Associated Press.
The demonstrations, which were described as “non-permitted” by the Los Angeles Police Department, began at around 9 a.m.
The marchers gathered in numbers as they marched to City Hall before many entered the freeway.
Protesters carried signs blasting President Trump’s crackdown on immigration after he declared a national emergency at the southern border last month on his first day back in office.
One sign read: “MAGA - Mexicans always get across,” according to the Times, while another referred to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, saying: “I drink my horchata warm because f--k I.C.E!”
Nailah Esparza, an 18-year-old who learned about the protest on TikTok, said she was “very passionate” about protesting against President Trump.
“It was actually something that was very important, so we decided to show support, because of the youth,” she told the Times.
“We are gonna stand up for our immigrant community as long as it takes and we’re not going anywhere,” another woman told Fox 11. “So many of us Americans are from immigrant roots, so we’re here to stand up for them today and everyday, to show they’re not alone. Our community is with you, and we’ll keep showing up.”
The protests in L.A. happened as similar scenes unfolded in Dallas, Texas on Sunday, when around 1,600 people gathered to protest against recent ICE arrests, according to the AP.
Hundreds were also reported to have rallied near a convention center in San Diego.
