Union and Occupy LA March Through Financial District Ends with 23 Arrests
Eric Richardson / blogdowntown
LAPD officers prepare to arrest protesters remaining in the street at the end of the Good Jobs LA march on November 17 in Downtown L.A.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Several hundred protesters from labor unions and Occupy LA are taking a short march through Downtown's Financial District this morning in a move that's sure to be unpopular with those who commute into the central city.
Police say that 23 arrests were made, most of them coming as part of a union-negotiated action in which 20 protesters stayed on the street in a circle after LAPD officers declared an illegal assembly and gave the order to disperse.
Early copy: The march is staging at Bank of America plaza, at 3rd and Hope. From there, marchers will head south on Hope, take a right on Grand, a right on 5th and a right on Figueroa. They will end up at the intersection of 4th and Figueroa.
Organizer Good Jobs LA says that the march is targeting the 4th Street overpass because the span is structurally deficient and people should be put to work rebuilding it.
Live updates from the morning are below the video of the arrests.
Video of Arrests
» Live Updates — Last: November 17, 2011
- 09:59AM Arrests are complete. Still a good crowd on the sidewalks. LAPD packing up. (ERIC)
- 09:17AM LAPD issues unlawful assembly notice. Warns those remaining to disperse or face arrest. (ERIC)
- 09:14AM Here goes. Organizers asking supporters to move off the street for arrests to get underway. (ERIC)
- 09:08AM LAPD still waiting to move in and make negotiated arrests. Going over details with march organizers. (ERIC)
- 08:57AM Several hundred line the sidewalks as the arrestees do interviews before LAPD moves in. (ERIC)
- 08:51AM Looks like 16 people will stay in the street for the arrests. (ERIC)
- 08:48AM Union marchers organized how these arrests would happen. Those not looking to be arrested moving off street. (ERIC)
- 08:47AM LAPD moving in with paddy wagon. (ERIC)
- 08:35AM I would estimate roughly 400 marched, many from local SEIU. (ERIC)
- 08:33AM Two angry Occupy LA protesters under arrest. (ERIC)
- 08:31AM March has reached the 4th St. overpass. (ERIC)
- 08:04AM Have to hand it to the marchers carrying assembled tents. Haven't seen that one before. (ERIC)
- 07:54AM Marchers appear to be getting moving. The sound of news helicopters continues to echo through the streets of Downtown. (ERIC)
- 07:51AM Checking to make sure our twitter updater is working for this morning's march story. Marchers still at BoA plaza. (ERIC)
Ankur on November 17, 2011, at 09:00AM – #1
Hey, im the 99%. And you guys got me late to work. Thanks.
David Neudorfer on November 17, 2011, at 09:28AM – #2
Shutup Ankur.
LAofAnaheim on November 17, 2011, at 09:47AM – #3
David exemplifies what #occupy is all about. If you're not with them, then you're against them. Just like how we were sold the Iraq war "If you're not with us, you're against us". How are you any better than W with his propagandizing the Iraq War?
Ankur on November 17, 2011, at 10:09AM – #4
@LAofAnaheim
Its a guy with a fedora. I'm over it.
Jim F on November 17, 2011, at 05:40PM – #5
I'm not sure the OWS crowd is winning any fans this way...I'm on the list of the 99% (waaaay down the list) and I used to sympathize a little with them until they started pooping on the street and spitting at my car. Yes, jobs are hard to come by, but you don't find them by camping in a lice-filled homeless encampment on the streets of L.A. Don't get me wrong -- the recession sucks and there are plenty of greedy people in this country. But try to make yourself more employable instead of the freakshow that we're seeing each day as we drive by.
Simon Hartigan on November 17, 2011, at 07:30PM – #6
OWS/OLA is the 1% of the 99% and they need to go.
bigphatcatlover on November 18, 2011, at 01:00PM – #7
There needs to be a "Call to Action" not just a protest. This has been going on for months and I still don't understand a clear message, or what it is that I'm being asked to DO to support the campaign. I understood the "Move your money" - THAT WAS GREAT and a clear call to action that proved effective.
When the protests actually hurt the 99% - such as preventing them from getting to their jobs, missing their buses, occupying space that was being used for small business - for example: The L.A. encampment has displaced the Thursday Farmers Market, which hurt not only the farmers, but the community - Then the movement is counter-productive. The damage the protestors have caused to the park is now over $400,000. Who will pay for that? Not the 1%, I assure you.
Last week’s march at midnight (in support of the OWS protestors) woke up and otherwise disturbed the neighborhood, and you can be sure that the 1% doesn’t live in the historic core of DTLA. So what was the point? They are "preaching to the choir" and pissing us off rather than garnering support.
The worst part of this “movement” is that I cannot figure out what it is that the protestors are SPECIFICALLY trying to say or what they are asking for. What do you want me to do? Be specific, please!
I'm officially sick of it and wish everybody would go home. If the movement can come up with a clear message and call to action, DO IT. But just creating a disturbance with no agenda isn't helping anyone. It's time to move forward with a clear and concise agenda, demands and message. I am part of the 99% and if you are going to speak for me, please have a clear message that represents me. If you don’t have a message, agenda or any direction at all, then you are just camping.