Pro-abortion protest turns violent in Los Angeles, 1 officer injured

A citywide tactical alert was declared after a pro-choice protest in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday turned violent. The protest was in response to the leak of a draft decision showing that the US Supreme Court is on the verge of overturning Roe v. Wade.

Multiple groups including Rise Up for Abortion Rights and the Revolutionary Communists, converged on the federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles at Broadway and 1st Tuesday evening, totaling approximately two hundred and fifty people, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Participants spanned the gamut of far-left activists, which included anarchists and anti-police activists.

Skyler Soloman, one of the organizers of the protest told Fox LA there will be more protests in the coming days. "This leak is not law yet, so we have a chance now to stop it from becoming law. This gave the people of this country an opportunity to rise up in mass numbers, to get out into the streets to compel the Supreme Court to do the right thing. If the Supreme Court has the audacity to overturn Roe v. Wade, it's going against the will of the majority of the American people. That is an assault on democracy and that is an affront to the American people."

After chanting and speeches, the protestors marched to Pershing Square where more speeches were given.

However, as night fell, some of the protestors became more aggressive. The LAPD warned motorists to "If possible, please avoid the area and use alternate routes to avoid traffic congestion, street closures and delays," due to "police activity."

According to the LAPD, "A group of protestors began to take the intersection. Officers attempted to communicate, clear and provide dispersal order to the group. The crowd began to throw rocks & bottles at officers. One officer injured (unknown extent). Citywide tactical alert has been declared."

Responding agencies included the Department of Homeland Security. Protestors grew more violent and smashed the window of a responding DHS vehicle and vandalized another.

According to Fox LA, Rise Up for Abortion Rights is planning another protest for Thursday, May 5 at noon outside the federal courthouse.