LOS ANGELES – A large group of people protesting President Donald Trump’s illegal immigration policies blocked traffic on the Hollywood (101) Freeway in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday.
The protesters gathered Sunday morning on Olvera Street for what the Los Angeles Police Department called a non-permitted demonstration. The crowd grew to a few thousand people who then marched to City Hall before many of them walked onto the freeway near the Alameda Street exit.
Footage from the scene showed well over 100 boisterous protesters walking on both sides of the freeway shortly after noon, many carrying U.S. or Mexico flags or signs assailing ICE.
The LAPD, which earlier called the demonstration peaceful, said at 1 p.m. that “Spring St, Main St, Los Angeles St as well as Arcadia and the 101 Freeway both North and South are under major gridlock in the DTLA area.”
Police reported at 1:19 p.m. that the demonstration had moved back onto surface streets, opening both north and southbound lanes of the freeway. The department added that Arcadia, Aliso, Main, and Spring streets remained impacted.
Several minutes later officials said the protesters had moved back onto the freeway.
“Please avoid the 101 freeway in DTLA between I-110 and Mission Rd., as we work to remove a protest from the freeway,” the CHP said in a post on X at 1:50 p.m. “Accessing state highways or roads to protest is unlawful and extremely dangerous because it puts protesters, motorists and first responders at great risk of injury.”
Downtown Los Angeles was already experiencing traffic delays in the area around Crypto.com Arena, where some streets were closed for Sunday’s Grammy Awards.
Since his inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump has followed through on his campaign promise to dramatically boost the deportation of illegal immigrants, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement carrying out raids in major cities.
