Roughly 1,000 protesters opposing immigration raids marched into Koreatown late Tuesday night, escalating tensions with police as the demonstration unfolded across major streets in Los Angeles.
The protest began after demonstrators were blocked from entering Downtown Los Angeles due to a city-imposed curfew. Redirecting their march, they headed west toward Koreatown, beginning around 8:10 p.m. along Wilshire Boulevard. Many waved Mexican flags, chanted slogans, and were accompanied by honking vehicles in support.
By 8:50 p.m., the crowd reached the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Vermont Avenue. Around 9:10 p.m., patrol vehicles from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began following the group. At approximately 9:40 p.m., officers blocked the intersection at Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue and fired rubber bullets at the crowd.
In response, some protesters fled north on Western Avenue. LAPD quickly set up an additional perimeter at Western Avenue and Beverly Boulevard, tightening the police containment area.
As the encirclement closed in, approximately 200 protesters took refuge in a shopping mall near Western Avenue and Council Street, which houses several Korean American-owned businesses and restaurants.
LAPD deployed additional personnel to the area, ordered nearby businesses to close, and began arrest operations. The number of arrests and injuries has not yet been confirmed.
This demonstration was part of a broader wave of protests in response to intensified federal crackdowns on undocumented immigrants.
BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]
