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The Los Angeles Police Department received criticism from Democratic lawmakers and the Black Lives Matter group, who argued that officers who used batons against a crowd outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s home used excessive force and infringed on protesters‘ First Amendment rights.
Several videos posted to social media showed officers in riot helmets Sunday morning using batons in a skirmish outside Getty House, the official residence of the mayor of Los Angeles located in Windsor Square. A man is seen using a cooking pan to shield himself, while another woman used a metal water bottle to block a blow.
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According to a statement released by LAPD, officers approached the protesters to arrest one person for using a bullhorn, which violated city code barring “sound exceeding 200 feet.”
“After multiple warnings, four officers attempted to make an arrest for the above violation when the crowd moved in on the officers, punching, pushing and kicking,” LAPD spokesman Capt. Stacy Spell said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Officers used their baton to prevent the crowd from forcefully attempting to remove the suspect from police custody. However, the suspect ultimately got away.”
But demonstrators claim that the police were the aggressors.
A transgender woman and self-proclaimed democratic socialist, Jamie Penn, the Sub-District 3 representative for the Wilshire Center Koreatown Neighborhood Council, was arrested and charged with attempting to remove the suspect from police custody. Penn was released about five hours later.
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The local chapter of Black Lives Matter argued that the footage showed that officers “severely brutalized multiple people, sending two to the hospital.” Activists also posted the phone numbers for Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu, U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, and California State Assemblyman Miguel Santiago online. Both Santiago and Gomez reacted on Twitter.
“LAPD’s brutal actions this morning are unacceptable and must be denounced by everyone. I stand w/ you in denouncing police brutality demanding the immediate release of Jamie! #FREEJAMIE,” Santiago tweeted Sunday afternoon before Penn’s release from the Metropolitan Detention Center.
“Peaceful protestors deserve the space and protections to make their voices heard. Anything short of that is NOT acceptable,” Gomez wrote in response to the LAPD response at Getty House, adding: “No exceptions. No excuses.”
Demonstrations organized by Black Lives Matter and Ground Game LA had been happening for 13 consecutive days as of Sunday outside the mayoral residence to block President-elect Joe Biden from nominating Garcetti to a position in his administration. The demonstrations had reportedly been peaceful and did not involve police intervention until Sunday.
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Another reaction came from Nithya Raman, the councilmember-elect for the district where the protest happened Sunday, who tweeted: “There is no acceptable justification for LAPD to use force against Angelenos who are peacefully exercising their right to free speech.”
State Assemblywoman Wendy Carillo, who represents the district encompassing parts of northeastern Los Angeles, issued a statement saying “the right to peacefully protest is a First Amendment Right that is sacred.”
She continued: “I urge LAPD to restrain from use of force, practice de-escalation tactics and ultimately, protect the public. Peaceful protests should not lead to police in riot gear making arrests amid COVID-19.”
Carillo also raised concerns about whether Penn’s rights as a transgender individual were respected during her arrest in regards to where she was detained and transferred before being released.
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Penn posted a cellphone video showing a separate protest outside Getty House after dark. According to the Times, about 100 protesters organized by the group Save California showed up Sunday evening to protest mask-wearing and the 10 p.m. curfew imposed on Los Angeles.
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