The Brief

Thousands of protesters turned out in downtown Los Angeles Friday in one of several planned demonstrations calling for the withdrawal of federal immigration agents.

The massive downtown protest was one of several “ICE Out” events expected in the L.A. region and around the country Friday and Saturday in response to the Trump administration’s immigration actions, which many have described as overreaching and unconstitutional.

It was overwhelmingly peaceful, but as night fell, some protesters clashed with Los Angeles police, which issued a dispersal order shortly before 6 p.m. The LAPD also cited “violent agitators” on Alameda street between Temple and Aliso in going to tactical alert. Television footage showed a group of protesters throwing objects at federal agents guarding the entrance to the downtown detention center.

Around 7 p.m., the LAPD said arrests had been made after objects had been thrown at officers, also resulting in "less than lethal munitions being deployed."

Crowds of protesters participate in an "Ice Out" demonstration in downtown Los Angeles.

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FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

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The protests are also in response to the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti — both fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis — and the deaths of people held in ICE custody.

By mid-afternoon, there appeared to be as many as 5,000 people or more assembled downtown. Initially, many people gathered on Spring Street in front of City Hall and around a flatbed truck that was being used as a makeshift stage. Other protests were planned in Santa Monica, Culver City, Torrance, El Monte, Monrovia and Pasadena.

Later, the crowd moved along Temple Street toward the Metropolitan Detention Center. Shortly before 3 p.m., people were heading toward Chinatown.

Many carried signs with the words, "ICE OUT" and other pointed messages referencing the immigration raids and President Donald Trump.

People fill the streets during an "ICE Out" protest that became a march in downtown Los Angeles Jan. 30,2026.

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Steve Frintner, 66, from Burbank was marching with his son and daughter.

"There's people who have been out here every time for these rallies, but there's got to be more of us," he said. "We all have to show that we're not going to stand for what this administration has been doing to our country."

Frintner said marching was a little tough for him physically, but he felt it was important to be there. In addition to the shootings in Minneapolis, he noted the fallout from ICE activity in L.A., Chicago, Portland and other cities.

"This is the kind of thing that in other societies our country fought against, and now we are seeing it happening on a daily basis," he said. "And I don't know how people can not see what the problem is."

There did not appear to be a large law enforcement presence early Friday afternoon. However, LAist reporters did spot a few Los Angeles city police and county sheriff's vehicles around the crowd perimeter.

Demonstrators sit in grass in downtown Los Angeles during an "ICE OUT" protest on Jan. 30, 2026. The protesters are calling for an end to federal immigration raids and reacting to recent fatal shooting by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

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Matt Carlin, 48, of Los Angeles said he decided to participate in the protests because he believes "a line has been crossed" by federal authorities, whom he repeatedly called "fascists" and accused of acting as secret police. He said the deaths in Minnesota were "disgusting" and "upsetting," but were the logical progression of an administration that wants to rule by fear.

"It's unacceptable and it's time for people to stand up," he told LAist. "And I think doing it on a weekday sends a stronger message, and not shopping and not getting on Facebook and Instagram."

He said it's important to show supporters of the Trump administration that "we're serious about this."

People gather during a protest on Jan. 30, 2026, in downtown Los Angeles.

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Christina Sanchez Lopez said she and her husband gave their three children — ages 3, 6 and 8 — the option of going to school or to the protest. They chose the latter.

"We've had conversations about what ICE is doing," Sanchez Lopez said. "We're Mexican, we're in L.A., so we've had to have the real conversations with them.

"And they know to a certain extent how dangerous it is for families in L.A. especially brown people like us," she said, her voice quivering with emotion. "So it's important to them, it's important for me to bring my kids so they can see we're not alone, and we're all helping each other."

She said she is a "proud Mexican" born in the U.S., and that it is important for her and her family to speak up for those who cannot.

Uma Sanasaryan, 50, said she is originally from the former Soviet Union. She said she has seen people get "snatched up" in her Atwater Village neighborhood — a violation of human rights.

"I am an immigrant myself and we literally escaped Soviet tyranny to come to the United States so that we could feel free and have the freedom of speech and, you know, the ability to pursue our dreams," she said. "To do things with our lives that we could never do anywhere else."

Sanasaryan noted she is a naturalized citizen, but that doesn't ease her concern.

"They could come for me they could come for anyone," she said. "It doesn't matter anymore."

The Department of Homeland Security has said immigration agents were targeting violent criminals, but there has been ample evidence to the contrary.

Reports released last year noted that about half of the thousands of people held in ICE custody had no criminal convictions.

Alysa Liu’s comeback at this year’s Olympics — and her stunning gold medal win — has rocked the world of figure skating, making headlines due to her joy while performing and her commitment to mental health on and off the ice.

Though she primarily trained in Oakland, Liu, who’s also a psychology student at UCLA, has used a facility in Lakewood as one of her home bases away from home. The 20-year-old started training there as she came back from retirement and prepared to take the gold medal (not that that was necessarily her goal, to hear her tell it).

It’s part of a long history for the Rinks-Lakewood ICE, which has also hosted many champions and Olympians over the years, including Mariah Bell, Nathan Chen, Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon, and counts prominent figure skaters among their staff.

“ We're not unfamiliar with Olympic ties,” said Braden Overett, the skating manager at Lakewood ICE, though he also clarified, “that does not in any way diminish the fun and the coolness [of Liu’s win].”

Lakewood ICE’s place in this year’s Olympics

Working with her coaches remotely, Liu started to drill down on perfecting her skating while also attending classes at UCLA. And though she moved on to her home base at Oakland Ice Center as the Olympic training started to ramp up, the staff who worked with her at Lakewood ICE kept cheering her on.

Overett said that he loves highlighting the Olympic connections at the rink, which may not be obvious to everyone who skates there.

“It's always fun just to connect the dots, right?” Overett said. “It's like going to a restaurant and then you find out later it's your favorite actor's restaurant.”

Ashleigh Ellis runs the nonprofit Unity Ice Academy, which focuses on increasing access to figure skating for kids of all backgrounds at Lakewood ICE.

“ That's just very much how the skating world is. It's very small, you never know who you're going to run into at any time,” Ellis said. “ Could you imagine just being on the ice with a national champion and Olympic skater of any sort? It's just so inspiring for the kids to see that and be within the vicinity of that.”

And Liu wasn’t the only 2026 Olympic figure skater who's used the facility. Li Yu-Hsiang, the Taiwanese national champion who represented Chinese Taipei in Milan this year, also trains in Lakewood.

The rink’s coaches

The small world of skating means that even novice skaters can take classes from world-class skaters: 1976 Olympic silver medalist Dianne de Leeuw teaches there, as do national medalists (and future Olympic contenders) Starr Andrews and Josephine Lee.

 "To get to see them and to get to share ice with them just has a layer of magic that you can't replace and you can't get anywhere else,” Overett said. “ You see the turnover of generations, and it brings in a huge element of history.”

What Liu’s win means for the skating world

Ellis is already using Liu’s example to stress the importance of mental health to the kids and families she works with, like one parent who was worrying about her child taking two weeks off skating due to pneumonia.

“I was like, ‘Alysa Liu took two plus years off and she just won the Olympic gold. Do not worry about it this two weeks,’” she said.

A bipartisan bill aimed at protecting pets during disasters has been introduced in Congress, with a Southern California representative citing the rescue efforts of local organizations during last year’s L.A.-area fires.

The PETSAFE Act of 2026 — which stands for Providing Essential Temporary Shelter Assistance For Emergencies — would expand the use of emergency management funds so local governments can plan for evacuations that move animals to safety, as well as provide veterinary care and rescue equipment during disasters.

Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) helped introduce the bill earlier this month with several House of Representatives colleagues, including Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida and Democrat Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada.

Chu, who represents Pasadena and Altadena in the 28th Congressional District, said when the Eaton Fire tore through her district, many families delayed evacuations because they couldn’t bear to leave their pets behind.

She told LAist she’ll never forget seeing the cats, dogs and other animals with burned feet and singed fur who were being cared for by Pasadena Humane in the aftermath.

“But to think, if there is even one more thing we could do to keep our precious pets safe, wouldn't we want to do that?” Chu said. “So this PETSAFE Act could go a long way towards making sure that our loved pets can indeed survive a disaster.”

About the bill

Pasadena Humane teams looked for pets and wildlife in Eaton burn zones, dropping off food and water along the way.

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The PETSAFE Act now has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill would amend the Emergency Management Performance Grant program to increase the federal cost share for certain animal-related preparedness activities from 50% to 90%.

Supporters say this would lower barriers and make it more affordable for communities to roll out emergency protection plans for people and pets.

Specifically, the PETSAFE Act would allow state, local and tribal governments to use grant money awarded by FEMA toward pet supplies, crates, veterinary equipment, emergency generators and training, among others.

Pet owners whose homes are under disaster-related evacuation orders can be faced with an “impossible choice” — leaving their pets behind or staying home with them, which risks the owner’s own safety and complicates rescue efforts for first responders, according to Chu’s office.

The bill aims to address the challenges pet owners and first responders face without authorizing new federal spending, according to Mast’s office.

How we got here 

Chu said local shelters, including Pasadena Humane, and communities across California stepped up to care for all kinds of animals during the Eaton Fire, which ignited in January 2025.

Pasadena Humane helped more than 1,500 pets and wildlife during the fire and in the aftermath by providing shelter, medical care and emergency resources.

A horse was housed in the organization’s garage when Chris Ramon, Pasadena Humane’s president and CEO, ran into its owner walking down Raymond Avenue for miles.

“Part of me likes to think that this won’t happen again,” Ramon told LAist last month. “But the realist in me realizes … disaster preparedness is something that just is an ongoing conversation for us at Pasadena Humane.”

Chu also cited the work of the ASPCA, which helped more than 530 animals during the Eaton Fire, including goats, parakeets, pigs and a gecko, according to the organization.

She said local organizations did “tremendous” work and “lovingly cared for” the rush of animals affected by the fire.

“But what we would want to do is to make sure that there is an even better system for animal evacuation and ways to ensure that pets could be safe,” Chu said, adding that would relieve the burden on places like Pasadena Humane.

Other laws aiming to protect pets

This is not the first time last year’s fires have led to new legislation focused on protecting pets during emergencies.

A new state law known as the FOUND Act, which went into effect Jan. 1, was inspired by Oreo the Pomeranian, who reunited with its Pacific Palisades owner in an emotional, viral video during the Palisades Fire.

The law requires cities and counties to include procedures for rescuing pets during mandatory evacuations in their next emergency plans, which need to be updated every five years to qualify for FEMA assistance.