Police Make Arrests, Declare Unlawful Assembly As 100 People Protest LA Shutting Down Echo Park Lake Indefinitely

Authored by losangeles.cbslocal.com and submitted by 115MRD

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – About a dozen people were arrested as hundreds protested the removal of a large homeless encampment in Echo Park Thursday night. Police declared an unlawful assembly after officers said the large crowd used high-intensity lights in an attempt to blind officers.

The LAPD has declared an unlawful assembly in the area of Lemoyne and Park Avenue due to a large crowd who is utilizing high-intensity lights in an attempt to blind officers and prevent them from performing their duties and/or defend themselves if needed. — LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) March 26, 2021

Around 8:11 p.m, LAPD said that anyone still at Echo Park is under arrest and no longer free to leave the area. The LAPD tweeted they set up a designated protest zone on Glendale Blvd. Anyone arrested outside that zone could face misdemeanor charges.

LA Times Reporter James Queally was taken into police custody as he was covering the protests.

Officers shoved their way into the crowd then backed off. At least one person got knocked over and there were loud bangs, not sure what those were. Some water bottles were thrown by protesters after. LAPD giving another 5 mins to disperse #EchoParkRiseUp — James Queally (@JamesQueallyLAT) March 26, 2021

Queally’s colleague, Joel Rubin, tweeted around 9:24 p.m. that Queally was released from police custody.

Update: Our reporter @JamesQueallyLAT has been released from police custody. — Joel Rubin (@joelrubin) March 26, 2021

Two reporters for Knock LA were also detained while covering the protest, the website reports.

“This evening, two Knock LA reporters, Jonathan Peltz and Kate Gallagher, were arrested by the LAPD while covering a peaceful protest vigil in Echo Park,” a statement from the website said. “We are calling for their immediate release and further demand that any charges against them are dropped. Law enforcement cannot be allowed to jail journalists for doing their job.”

Details of why the reporters were detained were not immediately available.

“We made significant progress today toward our goal of housing everyone at the park and moved an additional 32 unhoused individuals into transitional housing,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell said in a statement issued at 10:34 p.m. Thursday. “Almost 200 of the park’s unhoused population has accepted and been placed in shelter options through Project Roomkey, Project Homekey, A Bridge Home and winter shelter.

By 5:40 p.m. Thursday a huge crowd lingered at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Lemoyne Street near Echo Park with signs and sit-downs in the streets, causing police to issue a help call during the demonstration.

After several hundred demonstrators faced off with police the day before, Los Angeles officials confirmed Thursday morning that Echo Park Lake is being closed for an unknown amount of time in order to remove the large-scale homeless encampment there.

L.A. City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell confirmed in an early morning statement Thursday that Echo Park Lake had been closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. City contractors Wednesday began installing fencing around the park.

“The Echo Park facility has devolved into a very dangerous place for everyone there: drug overdoses, sexual and physical assaults, self-styled leaders taxing homeless individuals and vendors, animal abuse, families without shelter in the colder weather, and last fall shootings where one homeless individual was shot in the leg by gang members while children stood nearby,” O’Farrell said in a statement. “There have been four deaths in the park over the last year.”

Beginning Wednesday morning and lasting into Wednesday night, hundreds of people rallied against the plan to temporarily close Echo Park Lake in order to remove the large-scale encampment and clean up an estimated $500,000 in damage.

The protests prompted Los Angeles police Wednesday night to order a citywide tactical alert. Video showed pushing and shoving between the two sides and police issued a dispersal order and declared the demonstration an unlawful assembly a little before 10:30 p.m.

The tactical alert was lifted at around 1:25 a.m. Thursday. In a statement, the LAPD said that the protest remained “largely peaceful,” and said that no tear gas was used. One person was arrested on charges of failing to comply with orders from a police officer.

LAPD Statement Regarding Shutdown of Echo Park pic.twitter.com/zesTqYAx3N — LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) March 25, 2021

In January and February of 2020, the city attempted similar cleanup efforts that were also met with large protests. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti claimed Wednesday that although there were about 120 tents left in the park, there were only 19 people living there as of last week. Homeless advocates called the forced move unjust and said it represents the larger issues surrounding L.A.’s homeless crisis.

“What we learned last year when we fought is that the vast majority of people get it, they get it, they get that they could be in this situation, that that could be your mother or your brother, and they support us,” Ayman Ahmed with Echo Park Rises Up told CBSLA Tuesday.

“They want these people out of here, out of the park, yeah, they’re going to get involved just to go to a hotel,” community activist Carlos Marroquin said Wednesday. “But what happens after that? Those vouchers are not permanent, they’re temporary.”

O’Farrell did not provide a date for when the park will be reopened to the public.

“Once the assessment of damages in the park and the necessary repairs are completed, an update will be provided on when the park will reopen to the public,” his news release read.

Necrosaynt on March 25th, 2021 at 14:53 UTC »

Now do Venice, my friend got robbed there just walking down the broadwalk in plain daylight.

2WAR on March 25th, 2021 at 14:43 UTC »

So is the boat rides closed today?

EDIT: This was serious question, I called and it kept going to voicemail -_-

115MRD on March 25th, 2021 at 13:44 UTC »

“The Echo Park facility has devolved into a very dangerous place for everyone there: drug overdoses, sexual and physical assaults, self-styled leaders taxing homeless individuals and vendors, animal abuse, families without shelter in the colder weather, and last fall shootings where one homeless individual was shot in the leg by gang members while children stood nearby,” O’Farrell said in a statement. “There have been four deaths in the park over the last year.”

Edit: This thread is filled with the two extremes of "homeless people are all bums" and "we should let the homeless do whatever they want even if its dangerous."

The actual solution is building more housing of all types (temporary shelters, permanent supportive housing, and market rate housing) in all areas of the city and enforcing basic public safety laws in a humane and common-sense way.

Edit II: Want to help? Tell your City Councilmember you support more temporary shelters and permanent supportive housing in your (yes your) neighborhood.

Edit III: There's a disturbing amount of violent threats being made against unhoused people in this thread. Please don't be an idiot. Every threat gets reported to mods.

Edit IV: If you are able and want to help financially please consider donating to reputable organizations that do great work like PATH or Downtown Women’s Shelter