Photo Set 1

https://la.indymedia.org/news/2020/05/299227.php

Photo Set 2

https://la.indymedia.org/news/2020/05/299247.php

Photo Set 3

https://la.indymedia.org/news/2020/05/299267.php

Photo Set 4

https://la.indymedia.org/news/2020/05/299287.php



May 1st is usually a day for marches in Los Angeles. May Day is usually a thoroughly celebrated day in LA with sometimes as many as three or four different marches taking place. They are usually peopled by unions and workers organizations from a mostly left / progressive tradition.

May 1st , 2020 was a bit different however.

A protest occurred at City Hall, where a sight not often seen in Los Angeles county; that of a crowd of at least 5 to 700 republican supporters of Donald trump stridently presenting their views concerning California's Covid 19 Shelter in Place restrictions.

The rally and protests were organized by various groups.



The principle demand focused on the immediate cessation of all business shuttering in California.

Swipes and accusations of facism were directed at Eric Garcetti and Gavin Newsom.

There were plenty of people representing the colorful potpourri of modern day American Alt -right fans.

Some folks were constitutionalist's. Citing the first and second amendments was a popular battle cry.

A few signs argued for Trump's divinity. They were joined by some End Times citizens who argued for the prophylactic qualities of christian conversion.

Some were anti vaccination people.

One protester was a special education teacher who cited the pain her students are going through without her.

One business owner I met expressed concern about his workers and their families. He was anxious to rehire.

A few truckers expressed outrage at inflated shipping prices from overseas.

A number of people were convinced that Bill Gates and Dr.Anthony Fauci were minions of a secret society bent upon population reduction.

Some people were having their kids chant about Dr. Fauci's verisimilitude.

Gratefully, this being Los Angeles county no one seemed to be armed although the second amendment was mentioned.

Large Trucks and common cars circled City hall, blasting their horns to the crowds cheers.

Almost everyone had an American Flag at the ready.

There were small business owners and workers as well as those who were fearful of losing their businesses. There were parents and children who talked of their fear of a fiscal depression, of losing what they have.

One woman alerted me to the psychological cost of social distancing and isolation.

Libertarians and an anarchist or two were also in enthusiastic attendance. The mildly racially mixed crowd was all in for the 45th presidents second term.

The Q crowd was there as well.

The protest was raucous but peaceful for the most part. There were a few skirmishes with anti-Trump counter marchers cruising through with bullhorns and video cameras but no blows were traded.

Empathy or even sympathy were not the orders of the day on this May Day at the front steps of Los Angeles City Hall.

No one seemed to address the pandemic's pathos directly.

There weren't really any mentions of the Covid viruses victims and it's toll in tears and loss to friends and families.

There was no citing of societal deficits due to the pandemic's wake of destruction such as rental, food and medical issues that the non-entrepreneurial classes must immediately face.

Quite a few people in the protest were self declared anti-science advocates. Some claimed that the WHO and the CDC were parts of a plot to do something nefarious. The word Plandemic was a popular moniker.

Mayor Garcetti later mentioned the protests.

They “ pissed him off ”, he said bluntly.



The police presence was moderate with no apparent arrests.





Robert Stuart Lowden

IndyMedia

Los Angeles, Ca

May 1 2020