Hundreds of protesters take to streets of downtown L.A. to decry police shootings

A group of protesters marched through downtown Los Angeles late Monday in response to the recent police shootings of two Black men in Pasadena and in Wisconsin.

Videos from the scene showed a group of about 200 protesters moving along Spring Street near the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters around 10 p.m.

Demonstrators at times chanted, “Whose streets? Our streets,” “No justice, no peace” and “How do you spell ‘racist’? LAPD,” according to videos posted on social media.

The crowd eventually stopped in front of police headquarters on 1st Street and chanted while police in riot gear stood a few feet away. Protesters at one point moved a metal barricade that had been set up at the department’s perimeter, video from the scene showed.

Police declared the protest an unlawful assembly about 11:20 p.m., and officers began moving the group away from LAPD headquarters after midnight.

Video showed some officers pushing protesters back. There were also reports of police firing less-lethal munitions into the crowd.

LAPD Officer Mike Chance said no arrests had been made as of Tuesday morning. He said the department was still examining whether there were any injuries.

Anthony McClain, 32, was fatally shot Aug. 15 during a traffic stop in Pasadena. Police have said that McClain pulled out a handgun while running from officers. Video released by authorities shows McClain fleeing on foot with what appears to be something shiny at his waistband. Police have said that it was a handgun.

Caree Harper, the McClain family’s attorney, has disputed that account and held that it was a large metal belt buckle.

Wisconsin’s governor called in the National Guard on Monday in anticipation of further protests in response to the police shooting Sunday of Jacob Blake, 29, in the city of Kenosha. Cellphone video shows him being shot as he leaned into his car with his children inside. Blake was hospitalized in serious condition.

Police officials have said they were responding to a call about a domestic dispute and did not immediately say why they opened fire. The governor has said that the state’s Justice Department is investigating the case.

The Associated Press, City News Service and Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.