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A handful of Los Angeles protesters accused of hurling fireworks at police during a demonstrations against immigration raids in the city, have been criminally charged, officials announced Wednesday.
While most of the protests in LA in recent days have been peaceful, there have been some bad actors accused of vandalizing property and committing violence against law enforcement, officials said. Authorities charged five protesters Wednesday.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said at least one officer has been injured by flying fireworks.
“I’ve watched Molotov cocktails and fireworks, shot mortars being launched out of tubes at our officers,” the chief said, according to NBC Los Angeles.
McDonnell continued: “Let’s not forget our officers face uncertain and often dangerous situations every day. And their risk to their lives has been even greater in these last few days.”
Juan Rodriguez is accused of throwing commercial-grade fireworks at police during a protest on Sunday.
Randy Paul Ruiz and Georgina Ravalero have been accused of driving their motorcycle into a line of officers on Sunday.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said that several officers were knocked down and one was injured.
Two more people, a man and a woman, were accused of vandalizing a government building.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said of the man who was charged: “He was literally standing there with a paint roller, a very long stick, and writing graffiti over an area measuring about 18 feet by 12.”
Luna said he “was using beige paint, and the content of the graffiti included profanity directed at a federal agency.”
While Hochman said the DA’s office will “fiercely protect” First Amendment rights, “when that speech crosses over from protected speech into illegal conduct, the people who engage in that illegal conduct will be prosecuted.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also charged two men, accusing them of throwing Molotov cocktails at police during the LA protests last weekend.
McDonnell said on CNN Wednesday evening: “We work very closely with District Attorney Nathan Hockman. He does give, I think, due consideration to the severity of the crime and wants to hold people accountable. “
He continued: “It's dicey for our officers out there. But we're gonna stay the course and ensure that Los Angeles is the safe city that the residents deserve it to be.”
