6th Street Bridge near downtown Los Angeles blocked by ICE protesters
Protesters blocked off the 6th Street Bridge near downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday as tensions remain high across the city due to recent immigration enforcement activity.
The protest was first reported by the L.A. Police Department around 12:27 p.m. The department said on a that a group of demonstrators was blocking all lanes of traffic on the bridge, leading to a closure.
Images captured by SKYCal show a group of about 150 to 200 protesters gathering on the bridge, CBS News Los Angeles' Mark Liu estimated. Protesters were seen carrying signs calling for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to leave L.A.
Several flags being flown show the logo for the , an organization advocating for tenants' rights throughout the city. Last week, the union called on city officials like Mayor Karen Bass to impose an eviction moratorium, as many unauthorized immigrants are fearful of going to work as ICE officers continue to conduct operations, they said. The office for Mayor Bass did not respond to a request for comment at the time.
"We know that many tenants will not be able to pay their rent come July 1," said one LATU representative, who said she's undocumented. "Why? Because this militarization of our community ... has closed down businesses, taken away street vendors, separated families and then people cannot pay their rent. They have barely the minimum to survive."
In the last week, the organization has calling for a "community strike against ICE" for July 1.
As of 1:15 p.m., the bridge remained blocked. It wasn't clear how long the bridge would be closed.