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. \r\n<\/p>
\r\nJournalists 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.\r\n<\/p>
\r\nPolice 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.\r\n<\/p>
\r\nAt 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.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","summary":"LOS ANGELES, May 2, 2007 \u2013 A massive police attack on a peaceful rally in MacArthur Park brought a violent end to yesterday\u2019s May Day celebrations.","numcomment":1,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/2007\/05\/victim-of-lapd.jpg","filesize":"118.2 kibibytes","article_url":"\/news\/2007\/05\/197907.php","image":{"original":"\/uploads\/2007\/05\/victim-of-lapd.jpg","small":"\/uploads\/2007\/05\/victim-of-lapd.jpgthumb.jpg","medium":"\/uploads\/2007\/05\/victim-of-lapd.jpgmid.jpg"}},"attachments":[{"id":197908,"heading":"Police blocking the march","article":"Photo of police blocking the march at wilshire & Parkview","author":"A","parent_id":197907,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2007-05-03 12:02:55","modified":"2007-05-03 12:02:55","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2007\/05\/pd-1-stop-march.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2007\/05\/pd-1-stop-march.jpg"}},{"id":197909,"heading":"People chanting against disruption of the march","article":"","author":"A","parent_id":197907,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2007-05-03 12:02:55","modified":"2007-06-01 12:02:42","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2007\/05\/people-protest-1.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2007\/05\/people-protest-1.jpg"}},{"id":197910,"heading":"Suspect fire","article":"This was taken on Wilshire 3 blocks west of the park.","author":"A","parent_id":197907,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2007-05-03 12:02:55","modified":"2007-05-03 12:02:55","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2007\/05\/fire-on-wilshire.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2007\/05\/fire-on-wilshire.jpg"}}],"comments":[{"id":198259,"heading":"WHAT??","article":"Would the same have been done if this was a rally of a different race??? This is awful these people were not doing anything different than what they did last year by ralyying. I thought that everyone has the right to freedom of speech. These "POLICE OFFICERS" need to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.\r\n...... Oh by the way I thought that the police were here to protect and serve NOT beat women and kids.\r\nThis is why other countries laugh at us! What a disgrace to even say I am American right now! Thanks alot!","author":"Crystal","parent_id":197907,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2007-05-06 09:40:19","modified":"2008-10-30 12:10:57","fileurl":""}]}