Police violence began when police deliberately provoked marchers at Wilshire & Parkview when they drove a column of motorcycles head on into the march. Another incident at 7th & Alvarado became the flashpoint for the police attack and storming of the park. Thousands of people fled as the police fired hundreds of rounds of rubber bullets into the crowd. Entire families with young children were caught up in the attack. Many injuries from rubber bullets and batons have been reported.
Journalists from Telemundo were also injured in the police attack. Video broadcast on local TV evening news shows the reporters getting beaten, in the video a cameraman is seen knocked to the ground and his camera smashed by rioting police.
Police swept the park clear and broke up a rally estimated at over 15,000 people. People were forced into the surrounding streets and police pursued people for a number of block and then cordoned off the area. There are unconfirmed reports of incidents of street fighting with police at some locations, but most all of the people fled the park for their own safety.
At a press conference later that night police chief “Baton” claimed the police attack was in response to people throwing rocks and bottles at the police, but numerous eye witnesses discount this. Victims of the attack stated the police attack came without warning and that it was the police that initiated an unprovoked attack on the May Day Celebrations.
This was taken on Wilshire 3 blocks west of the park.
