L.A. TACO reporters have been out in the streets since Friday to capture scenes and breaking news from the protests against mass deportations following a widespread rollout of ICE agents in Los Angeles. Since then, we've seen a lot, from peaceful people being shot by rubber bullets and choking on tear gas, to people pelting cop cars with rocks and e-scooters from freeway overpasses.
You probably saw some of this if you were glued to the news this weekend.
There were also things you won't see on the news that have been covered on our Instagram videos over the weekend. As we stay committed to covering the protests in Los Angeles against horrifying federal overreach, these five things that stood out while we were on the scene reporting.
Lights Were Flashing From Detainees' Cells Over the Protests
At Downtown L.A.'s Metropolitan Detention Center, L.A. TACO's Memo Torres spotted lights sporadically flickering from the windows of the cells known as "rooms," in what could be an expression of solidarity or support from inmates being detained there.
Food Not Bombs Fed Protestors With Tacos
After identifying what appear to be police snipers over the police skirmish line and showing tear gas fly towards protestors sitting-in peacefully on the street, L.A. TACO editor Javier Cabral catches up with Food Not Bombs, as the volunteer-led group feeds protestors with plant-based tacos. Cabral, still a taco reporter at his roots, takes time to review the salsa bar as blasts from less-lethal weapons go off around him. See it around the 4:05 mark.
A Disabled 51 Year-Old Man Was Hit With Tear Gas
In a video shot by reporter Lexis-Olivier Ray, a 51-year-old man who uses a walker and says he has "brain damage" was badly sickened after getting caught in tear gas used to shoo away protestors. Interviewed in the video, he says he was being peaceful and trying to de-escalate a situation when he was shot. Another reminder that being out here is not a game and can be very, very dangerous.
A Law Enforcement Vehicle Drove Through a Crowd
In another tense moment captured by Ray, a law enforcement SUV drove through a crowd of protestors, reportedly firing a "less-lethal" firearm of some kind from its window. The crowd briefly scattered before some members of the crowd threw objects at the car and chased it down and surrounded it.
Law Enforcement Shooting Stun Grenades Across the 101
As protestors rallied above the 101 freeway, police fired flashbangs, or stun grenades, up at them from the freeway itself, while civilian cars drove by on the other side. This action preceded protestors throwing rocks at the authorities' vehicles not long after.
L.A. TACO remains on the ground to cover these protests against mass deportations. Stay tuned to our Instagram for more videos and future updates on what's going on in L.A. right now.
