Los Angeles May Day mêlée
Encyclopedia
The 2007 MacArthur Park rallies were two May Day
rallies demanding amnesty for illegal immigrants which occurred on May 1, 2007, at MacArthur Park
, in Los Angeles, California
.
When protesters began blocking the street, police ordered the crowd to disperse. Some people did so but others began throwing plastic bottles and rocks at officers. Members of the Los Angeles Police Department
responded with less-than-lethal weapons in a manner some had described as excessive brutality. A 13 million dollar settlement was eventually paid to settle the ensuing lawsuits.
on May 1, 2007 until 21:00. At about 17:15 a few protesters began blocking the street, which the rally permit expressly prohibited. The police made numerous requests for the protesters to move from the street and abide by the conditions of the permit. The protesters remained defiant and began gathering in larger numbers on the street. When the attempts by police to move the crowd failed, police commanders declared the gathering an unlawful assembly. The formal order for the crowd to disperse was given, being broadcast from a police helicopter circling the park, from police cars, and from hand-held megaphones. A significant portion of the crowd ignored this order and did not disperse. Police officers formed a line and advanced slowly to clear the area. The officers proceeded about 50 feet at a time, allowing those complying with the dispersal order to retreat. Most protesters left the area at this point, however, some that had stayed began to throw rocks and bottles at the advancing officers. The orders were given in English to a crowd of mostly Spanish speaking demonstrators.
Altogether, the estimated 600 police officers fired 146 foam-rubber projectiles. 27 marchers and 9 members of the media were injured, 5 people were arrested, and at least 50 civilians filed complaints with the LAPD regarding mistreatment by officers. It is, however, unclear how many of these injuries were as a result of direct police contact or as a result of incidental crowd contact (trampling, pushing, falling, etc). Seven to fifteen police officers were injured.
The incident received considerable attention from news media because several reporters were also pushed and injured, notably Christina Gonzalez
from L.A.'s Fox 11 News (KTTV
), and Telemundo
's National Evening Broadcaster, Pedro Sevcec
. Sanjukta Paul, a National Lawyer's Guild observer, was beaten repeatedly by a LAPD officer, including a blow to the kidneys, as she attempted to separate police from the crowd. CBS 2/KCAL 9 (KCBS-TV
, KCAL-TV
) reporter Mark Coogan
and his cameraman Carl Stein were also accosted. Stein was struck on the ribs by LAPD batons. Patricia Nazario, a reporter for KPCC, was beaten in the ribs and back, before being struck over the head with a baton. ABC 7 (KABC-TV
) reporter Sid Garcia was hit by a rubber bullet, but it ricocheted off him. Patti Ballaz, a camerawoman for KTTV who was injured, filed a claim for unspecified damages against the city and the police department.
indicated that an investigation was underway to "determine if the use of force was appropriate," going on to state that "the vast majority of people who were [at MacArthur Park] were behaving appropriately." Bratton indicated he may ask the FBI
to investigate the chain of events.
At the time of the events, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
was on a trip to El Salvador
. He cut his trip short three days later, in order to personally oversee the investigation of the chain of events, and asked Police Chief Bratton to oversee a "complete and comprehensive review of this incident, including deployment, tactics, and use of force." At a Sunday morning mass
at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
on May 6, Villaraigosa said "I come today with a heavy heart ... Nobody, nobody should be victimized in a way we saw women, children and families victimized just a few days ago."
Los Angeles city council member Herb Wesson
, whose district includes neighborhoods near MacArthur Park, criticized the police response by comparing it to beating of civil rights leaders in the South in the 1960s. He praised Bratton's response, though, saying "I'm proud that the chief said quickly that some inappropriate actions took place." Fabian Núñez
, Speaker of the California Assembly whose district includes MacArthur Park where the events took place, condemned the actions of the police by saying "To say we are outraged is an understatement ... We want those responsible in the highest levels of the LAPD to pay consequences." Robert Baker, president of the Police union, responded, calling Wesson's and Núñez's words "police bashing that erroneously insinuates racial bias".
. The task force is composed of five councilmembers, and is co-chaired by Los Angeles city councilmembers Ed Reyes
and Jack Weiss
. The FBI
also investigated the incidents for civil rights violations
On May 17, the American Civil Liberties Union
filed a request with U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess to look into whether the incident at MacArthur Park violated a 2001 consent decree
which was a result of the Rampart scandal
. If the judge finds the LAPD in violation of the decree, federal oversight of the LAPD could be extended beyond the current deadline of 2009.
On May 29, Chief Bratton presented preliminary findings of an internal police investigation to the civilian police commission, and on May 30 he presented the preliminary findings to the Los Angeles City Council
. According to Bratton, the main reasons for the mêlée were "a command and control breakdown," [which] began at the planning stages and dominoed throughout the event itself".
On October 9, 5 months after the incident, the LAPD released the results of an internal investigation.
and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez
, who later marched with the protesters. Police Chief William Bratton was also present at the march and town hall meeting.
announced a departmental reorganization. Cayler "Lee" Carter, who was a deputy chief and the highest ranking official at scene, was demoted to commander and assigned home duty. On May 17, Carter announced his resignation from the LAPD, effective June 6. In his May 7 announcement, Bratton also announced that Carter's deputy, Louis Gray, would be reassigned to the operations bureau, and that about 60 officers who were involved in the incident would be taken off the street, pending the outcome of the investigations.
On May 9, the Multi-Ethnic Immigrant Workers Organizing Network filed a class-action suit against the Los Angeles Police Department and the city. In November 2008, it was disclosed that the city was in negotiations and was willing to pay as much as $13 million to settle the lawsuits.
On May 30, Bratton announced the creation of a new Incident Management & Training Bureau, and assigned Deputy Chief Michael Hillmann to head the newly created bureau.
Over a year later, on July 8, 2008, the LAPD announced "that 17 officers and two sergeants from the department's elite Metropolitan Division should be punished for their roles in[the incident] ". The recommended punishment was not publicized, and could range from a simple reprimand to termination. Critics criticized the announcement, saying that only officers "whose actions were captured on video" were recommended for punishment.
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
rallies demanding amnesty for illegal immigrants which occurred on May 1, 2007, at MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park is a park in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, named after General Douglas MacArthur and designated city of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument #100.- Geography :...
, in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
When protesters began blocking the street, police ordered the crowd to disperse. Some people did so but others began throwing plastic bottles and rocks at officers. Members of the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
responded with less-than-lethal weapons in a manner some had described as excessive brutality. A 13 million dollar settlement was eventually paid to settle the ensuing lawsuits.
The incident
The objective of the rally was to make a political statement regarding the large population of illegal immigrants in Los Angeles and the US as a whole. Organizers obtained the necessary permits to hold a rally at MacArthur ParkMacArthur Park
MacArthur Park is a park in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, named after General Douglas MacArthur and designated city of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument #100.- Geography :...
on May 1, 2007 until 21:00. At about 17:15 a few protesters began blocking the street, which the rally permit expressly prohibited. The police made numerous requests for the protesters to move from the street and abide by the conditions of the permit. The protesters remained defiant and began gathering in larger numbers on the street. When the attempts by police to move the crowd failed, police commanders declared the gathering an unlawful assembly. The formal order for the crowd to disperse was given, being broadcast from a police helicopter circling the park, from police cars, and from hand-held megaphones. A significant portion of the crowd ignored this order and did not disperse. Police officers formed a line and advanced slowly to clear the area. The officers proceeded about 50 feet at a time, allowing those complying with the dispersal order to retreat. Most protesters left the area at this point, however, some that had stayed began to throw rocks and bottles at the advancing officers. The orders were given in English to a crowd of mostly Spanish speaking demonstrators.
Altogether, the estimated 600 police officers fired 146 foam-rubber projectiles. 27 marchers and 9 members of the media were injured, 5 people were arrested, and at least 50 civilians filed complaints with the LAPD regarding mistreatment by officers. It is, however, unclear how many of these injuries were as a result of direct police contact or as a result of incidental crowd contact (trampling, pushing, falling, etc). Seven to fifteen police officers were injured.
The incident received considerable attention from news media because several reporters were also pushed and injured, notably Christina Gonzalez
Christina Gonzalez
Christina Gonzalez is a news reporter currently a reporter for FOX 11 . She has been with FOX 11 since 1990.- Biography:Gonzalez was born in New York City grew up in Caracas, Venezuela and Miami, Florida, and graduated cum laude from the University of MiamiGonzalez began her career in radio...
from L.A.'s Fox 11 News (KTTV
KTTV
KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station...
), and Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
's National Evening Broadcaster, Pedro Sevcec
Pedro Sevcec
Pedro Ricardo Sevcec is a television reporter who works for America TV / Miami in the United States. He also has his own afternoon drive radio show on WSUA Miami- Radio Caracol 1260 AM called La Ventana con Pedro Sevcec. He was born in Uruguay.Sevcec in the United States has had much success as a...
. Sanjukta Paul, a National Lawyer's Guild observer, was beaten repeatedly by a LAPD officer, including a blow to the kidneys, as she attempted to separate police from the crowd. CBS 2/KCAL 9 (KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
, KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
) reporter Mark Coogan
Mark Coogan
Mark Coogan is a retired American track athlete. He attended Bishop Feehan High School and the University of Maryland, College Park....
and his cameraman Carl Stein were also accosted. Stein was struck on the ribs by LAPD batons. Patricia Nazario, a reporter for KPCC, was beaten in the ribs and back, before being struck over the head with a baton. ABC 7 (KABC-TV
KABC-TV
KABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
) reporter Sid Garcia was hit by a rubber bullet, but it ricocheted off him. Patti Ballaz, a camerawoman for KTTV who was injured, filed a claim for unspecified damages against the city and the police department.
Response by government officials
At a press conference later in the day, Police Chief William J. BrattonWilliam J. Bratton
William Joseph "Bill" Bratton CBE is an American law enforcement officer who served as the chief of police of the Los Angeles Police Department , New York City Police Commissioner, and Boston Police Commissioner....
indicated that an investigation was underway to "determine if the use of force was appropriate," going on to state that "the vast majority of people who were [at MacArthur Park] were behaving appropriately." Bratton indicated he may ask the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
to investigate the chain of events.
At the time of the events, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
was on a trip to El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
. He cut his trip short three days later, in order to personally oversee the investigation of the chain of events, and asked Police Chief Bratton to oversee a "complete and comprehensive review of this incident, including deployment, tactics, and use of force." At a Sunday morning mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, also called "COLA" and the Los Angeles Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California, United States...
on May 6, Villaraigosa said "I come today with a heavy heart ... Nobody, nobody should be victimized in a way we saw women, children and families victimized just a few days ago."
Los Angeles city council member Herb Wesson
Herb Wesson
Herb J. Wesson, Jr. is an American politician. He currently serves as a Los Angeles City Councilman, representing the 10th district. He served in the State Assembly representing the 47th district from 1998 until 2004. He served as Speaker of the California State Assembly from 2002 until 2004...
, whose district includes neighborhoods near MacArthur Park, criticized the police response by comparing it to beating of civil rights leaders in the South in the 1960s. He praised Bratton's response, though, saying "I'm proud that the chief said quickly that some inappropriate actions took place." Fabian Núñez
Fabian Núñez
Fabian Núñez has been a labor union adviser and a Democratic politician. He served three two year terms as a member of the State Assembly, leaving office late in 2008...
, Speaker of the California Assembly whose district includes MacArthur Park where the events took place, condemned the actions of the police by saying "To say we are outraged is an understatement ... We want those responsible in the highest levels of the LAPD to pay consequences." Robert Baker, president of the Police union, responded, calling Wesson's and Núñez's words "police bashing that erroneously insinuates racial bias".
Investigations
Four separate investigations were created to investigate the incident, one of them being a special task force set up by city council president Eric GarcettiEric Garcetti
Eric Michael Garcetti is an American municipal politician. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council. He serves as its President and represents the 13th District. He is the son of the former Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early...
. The task force is composed of five councilmembers, and is co-chaired by Los Angeles city councilmembers Ed Reyes
Ed Reyes
Eduardo Perez Reyes is an American politician. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council, representing the 1st district. Reyes was re-elected in 2005 to serve a second Council term, capturing 78 percent of the votes. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
and Jack Weiss
Jack Weiss
Jack Stephen Weiss is an American politician. He is a former member of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 5th district from 2001 to 2009. He previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California from 1994 to 2000...
. The FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
also investigated the incidents for civil rights violations
On May 17, the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
filed a request with U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess to look into whether the incident at MacArthur Park violated a 2001 consent decree
Consent decree
A consent decree is a final, binding judicial decree or judgment memorializing a voluntary agreement between parties to a suit in return for withdrawal of a criminal charge or an end to a civil litigation...
which was a result of the Rampart scandal
Rampart Scandal
The Rampart scandal refers to widespread corruption in the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums anti-gang unit of the Los Angeles Police Department Rampart Division in the late 1990s. More than 70 police officers in the CRASH unit were implicated in misconduct, making it one of the most...
. If the judge finds the LAPD in violation of the decree, federal oversight of the LAPD could be extended beyond the current deadline of 2009.
On May 29, Chief Bratton presented preliminary findings of an internal police investigation to the civilian police commission, and on May 30 he presented the preliminary findings to the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
. According to Bratton, the main reasons for the mêlée were "a command and control breakdown," [which] began at the planning stages and dominoed throughout the event itself".
On October 9, 5 months after the incident, the LAPD released the results of an internal investigation.
Community response
On May 17, approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people marched in protest of the events that took place on May 1. The march started at a church 10 blocks west of MacArthur Park with a "town hall meeting", and ended at MacArthur Park. The march was peaceful, without a single arrest, and the town hall meeting featured speakers such as Mayor Antonio VillaraigosaAntonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez
Fabian Núñez
Fabian Núñez has been a labor union adviser and a Democratic politician. He served three two year terms as a member of the State Assembly, leaving office late in 2008...
, who later marched with the protesters. Police Chief William Bratton was also present at the march and town hall meeting.
Fallout
On May 7, 2007 Chief William J. BrattonWilliam J. Bratton
William Joseph "Bill" Bratton CBE is an American law enforcement officer who served as the chief of police of the Los Angeles Police Department , New York City Police Commissioner, and Boston Police Commissioner....
announced a departmental reorganization. Cayler "Lee" Carter, who was a deputy chief and the highest ranking official at scene, was demoted to commander and assigned home duty. On May 17, Carter announced his resignation from the LAPD, effective June 6. In his May 7 announcement, Bratton also announced that Carter's deputy, Louis Gray, would be reassigned to the operations bureau, and that about 60 officers who were involved in the incident would be taken off the street, pending the outcome of the investigations.
On May 9, the Multi-Ethnic Immigrant Workers Organizing Network filed a class-action suit against the Los Angeles Police Department and the city. In November 2008, it was disclosed that the city was in negotiations and was willing to pay as much as $13 million to settle the lawsuits.
On May 30, Bratton announced the creation of a new Incident Management & Training Bureau, and assigned Deputy Chief Michael Hillmann to head the newly created bureau.
Over a year later, on July 8, 2008, the LAPD announced "that 17 officers and two sergeants from the department's elite Metropolitan Division should be punished for their roles in