Hollywood Protests Marked By Powerful Peace And Tense Standoffs

HOLLYWOOD, CA — A demonstration thousands strong, led by high school students and surrounded by police, took to the streets of Hollywood on Tuesday to protest the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.

Thousands gathered shortly after noon Tuesday and splintered off into two groups, marching along Hollywood Boulevard and Las Palmas. A separate protest organized by rapper YG was planned at the same time and place as the student march, but the rapper called it off Tuesday amid concerns that violence would ensue.

Police maintained a heavy presence amid the demonstrations, which took place less than 24 hours after looters ransacked local businesses in Hollywood. A large National Guard presence was also on hand as the marchers circled blocks in the Hollywood area chanting slogans and carrying signs. Several members of the National Guard were seen kneeling with protesters in Hollywood at Sunset and Vine, as well as a Los Angeles Police Department sergeant.

As the afternoon wore on, there some tense moments between protesters and officers.

Shortly before 5 p.m., police reportedly arrested some looters in Hollywood, and earlier in the afternoon they sent demonstrators fleeing. Police fired into a rowdy crowd of protesters on Hollywood Boulevard and Ivar Avenue near the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Protesters and reporters alike were running with their hands in the air. Conflicting reports from the scene made it unclear if officers fired rubber bullets or flash-bang rounds to disperse protesters. According to witnesses, the shooting started after some protesters lobbed water bottles at a line of Los Angeles police officers.

Separate groups of protesters at Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street converged with more than 1,000 people gathered in the middle of the intersection in the heart of Hollywood. They created a cacophony of chants including, "Black lives matter," "I can't breathe," "No justice, no peace" and "George Floyd."

As of early Tuesday evening, there were no major reports of violence or looting, which had occurred over the past several days. But police began cracking down on curfew violators about 7 p.m., an hour after the curfew went into effect, and at least 100 were arrested.

Hundreds were taken into custody on Broadway between Fifth and Fourth streets in downtown Los Angeles, and at least dozens were arrested in the area of Van Ness Avenue and Rosewood Avenue in Hollywood, where some had gone onto an apartment building's rooftop in an apparent attempt to avoid police.

Some people pushed their way into an apartment building near Broadway and Fifth Street and onto the roof, where they allegedly threw objects at officers on the street.

They will not be charged with curfew violations because they were inside the building, and Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Tim Kalkus told KCAL9 that officers planned to remove them from the building and release them.

The student march was designed to stand up to injustice while showing the power of peaceful protest, according to Cleo Riley, the founder of Students For Floyd. Riley said she expected students to come from throughout the greater Los Angeles area to gather at noon at Hollywood and Vine for a peaceful demonstration.

Rapper YG, on the other hand, was concerned that the protest he loosely organized could devolve into violence. YG had tweeted followers to join him for a protest at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Avenue Tuesday. But he canceled the protest after he was told that "my protest was not safe and that people could get hurt or shot."

"I'm not trying to get any of my people hurt or shot so I'm gonna cancel today," the rapper said, pledging to "come back bigger and better on the part of Black Lives Matter."

It was not immediately clear if the protests were linked or coincidentally scheduled for the same time at the same location.

Youth Standing Up For Justice

Riley said earlier in the day that it was unclear exactly how many people would show up for the protest, while noting that she had heard that YG had posted Monday on Twitter, "LA meet me. Hollywood Boulevard & Vine tomorrow Tuesday 12 noon BLM - George Floyd."

The 17-year-old Los Angeles girl — who is wrapping up her last day of school as a high school junior at Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles — told City News Service she believes it is "important to show there can be peace."

She said she formed the group less than a week ago after being unable to find any student-based organizations involved in the issue.

Riley, whose father is white and whose mother is West Indian, said she was "completely disgusted" by the video of Floyd's arrest and believes people are tired of "not really doing any action."

The organization has been publicized solely through social media, with posts on Instagram and Twitter, Riley said.

"I hope it brings actual change in our legislative system and our government," Riley said a few hours before the planned demonstration. "Something actually has to change in our government and our policing systems and our prison systems."

She noted that her group has also been involved in helping to clean up damage, including graffiti, that was done over the weekend in Los Angeles.

"I really think it's important to clean up because that's not the intention behind these protests," she said, noting that she doesn't think the people who are "creating the havoc ... should be associated with any of the causes."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.