Thousands of individuals opposed to mass deportations proposed by President Donald Trump took to the streets of Southern California on Sunday, with notable demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles where protestors obstructed a major freeway for several hours.
In the morning, participants convened on LA’s historic Olvera Street, known for its significance during the Spanish and Mexican governance, before proceeding to march towards City Hall. They advocated for immigration reform and brandished banners featuring messages such as “Nobody is illegal.”
By the afternoon, these marchers managed to block all lanes of U.S. 101, resulting in significant traffic delays in both directions, extending onto nearby surface streets as well. Demonstrators sat down in the freeway lanes, while a group of California Highway Patrol officers monitored the situation. CHP Lieutenant Matt Gutierrez reported that it took over five hours for the highway to be fully cleared and reopened.
Both the CHP and the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that no arrests occurred during the demonstration.
In a separate event to the east, hundreds gathered in Riverside, where drivers passing by honked and cheered in support of the protesters, who waved flags at an intersection, as reported by the Southern California News Group.
In San Diego, participants rallied near the convention center on the same day, drawing a substantial crowd.
Moving to Texas, Dallas saw large gatherings in the downtown area with two protests in response to recent actions by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Local police estimated that around 1,600 individuals participated across both demonstrations.
Protesters there carried both Mexican and American flags, with speakers expressing their anger towards Trump’s rhetoric and his administration’s intensified efforts to increase deportations. Among the signs displayed, one read, “Immigrants Make America Great.”
