The Brief

Several hundred people gathered at La Placita Olvera in downtown Los Angeles this afternoon in solidarity with protesters nationwide who are calling for immigration agents to get out of their communities.

The eclectic crowd of Angelenos included high school and college students; veterans; clergy members; unions; local politicians; and parents who took the day off from work.

At a rally in the historic center, several people held up signs calling for “Justice for Renee Nicole Good,” the woman shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis earlier this month. Other protesters carried signs bearing the names and faces of those who’ve died in immigrant detention centers during the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort. One protester held up a sign that simply read: “Due Process. Google it.”

Impact on families  

Centro CSO, a local grassroots organization, made sure students participating in the protest made it safely from school to La Placita Olvera.

“We were getting messages from parents asking if we can help their children get safe passage to get here because the organization that set this up, [they] were calling for students to walk out, but [they] weren't really providing any guidance or protection,” said Verita Topete, co-chair of the group’s immigration committee.

Students see immigration enforcement activity taking place locally and in other states, and they want to get politically involved, Topete added.

Students from Roosevelt and Mendez high schools joined the march. Both campuses are on the Eastside of town, where raids have been rampant.

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Julia Barajas

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That was the case for 11th-grader Jazz, who said she walked out of school Friday to speak up for those who can’t.

“My mom is very brave. Ever since I was little, my mom has never once backed down from a fight,” Jazz said. “And to see her hide away for the first time in her life really spoke to me. It made me really upset.”

Laura Pastor, a freshman at Cal State L.A., said she’s been inspired by anti-ICE activism across the country, especially among students.

“I'm holding a sign that says ‘Justice for Renee Nicole Good,’” Pastor said. “Not only did she represent an American citizen, but a white American citizen. That means that anybody could be a target now, and I think more people are starting to see that.”

Good’s death and those of people held in detention centers moved Pastor and others at the event to call for changes to enforcement policy.

For some, the demonstration Friday was a family affair. Tina Ponce joined the call to action along with her 17-year-old daughter, Loki.

“Everything that's going on, it's too close to home. It feels like my ancestors went through this, and it's just a repeat,” Ponce said. “We have to do better.”

What’s the point of protest?  

Following the rally at La Placita Olvera, the protesters marched to the Metropolitan Detention Center, where immigrant detainees are often taken for initial processing. There, organizers asked everyone to face northeast, toward Minnesota. Then, as some of them kneeled, they sang “Hold On” in unison.

At the event, some protesters resolved to boycott Home Depot until the company agrees to intervene with the arrests of people in and around their stores. Others, including state Sen. Renée Pérez, vowed to ensure a state law that requires immigration agents to unmask is fully implemented.

Raúl García, an elementary school teacher in East L.A., said he knows a single protest won’t change the nation’s immigration policy — but he did not find it futile.

Laura Pastor, a freshman at Cal State L.A., made time to participate in the protest before heading to her internship.

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He said he recently asked his students to write about what they’re afraid of. When he gathered their response, one student wrote: “I’m scared ICE will take my mom.”

“Then I saw multiple entries [with] similar sentiments,” he added. “I was heartbroken.”

For García, it was enough to meet like-minded people and continue organizing.

It may be entering a new era, but walking into the Original Pantry Cafe still feels like stepping back in time. The caged cash register is still there, with a worn spot on the floor in front of it, and the wood-board menus listing the day’s specials in chalk.

The iconic diner, which had served downtown L.A. from the corner of Ninth and Figueroa streets for over 100 years, closed in March 2025 amid a labor dispute, after the trust that owned it decided to sell the property. Now, under new ownership, it reopens Thursday, Nov. 19.

Leo Pustilnikov, a developer, bought the building in September 2025, and Hope the Mission, a San Fernando Valley nonprofit, will now run it, with all profits going to shelters for L.A.’s unhoused community.

Longtime staff are returning under a new contract with UNITE HERE Local 11. Rowan Vansleve, president of Hope the Mission, called bringing them back “incredibly emotional.”

What’s back and what’s not

Fans of the Pantry will find familiar names on the menu, including the famous coleslaw and sourdough toast from Frisco Baking Co. And of course, the beloved pancakes make their triumphant return, now made from scratch.

“We’ve got the same sourdough that we were using prior to Hope the Mission coming in,” Vansleve said.

The Pantry’s dining room and long counter keep their classic diner look, with a new bakery case near the front windows.

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Other dishes got a 2026 makeover. The Denver omelet now uses poblano peppers, the fried chicken sandwich comes with a spicy chile glaze and pickled radish, and a new bakery case is stocked with cookies, pies, chocolate malt crunch cake and peach cobbler.

“There are a few alterations on the menu,” Vansleve said. “Tastes have changed, and this needs to be successful.”

Two new sandwiches are named after donors who helped fund the reopening. The Betty Burger comes with Cooper sharp cheese, grilled onions, house pickles and Pantry Gold sauce on a sesame bun. Grant’s Sky High Deli piles half a pound of warm corned beef with Gruyère, horseradish slaw and mustard on toasted rye.

“I’m really excited for people to try our burger,” said executive chef Daniel Hur.

A stack of buttermilk pancakes made from scratch costs $16.

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Buttermilk pancakes are $16, and the classic breakfast platter — eggs, meat, Pantry potatoes and toast — is $21.

“We did a lot of research to make sure that we’re just under pretty much everyone else in the local area,” Vansleve said. “We’re not gonna gouge you.”

The Pantry no longer runs around the clock, and it now takes cards.

But Vansleve hopes the shortened hours will be temporary. “The Pantry’s not truly back until it’s 24 hours,” he acknowledged, adding that hours will expand as demand allows. He also hopes to reopen Riordan’s Tavern, the adjoining bar, “in some renewed format sometime late next year.”

Not everyone is sold

As soon as the new menu was posted online, commenters flooded the restaurant’s Instagram page and Reddit, pleading for nothing to change.

Hur, who grew up in Culver City, said he understands. “I love Tito’s Tacos. It’s been around since the ’50s. If someone came in there and changed the Tito’s Taco, I’d be like, ‘Why?’” he said. “So I get it.”

The specials board greets Angelenos ahead of the Nov. 19 reopening.

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Hur said he’s had to weigh purists against diners looking for something new, aiming to welcome back regulars while drawing in a new crowd. He’s open to feedback. “I know even if I’m not open to it, I’m gonna get it,” he said. “So I might as well be open to it.”

Vansleve’s pitch is simpler: “Give it a go, come in.”

Every meal helps, he said. “100% of the profits is gonna go back to the charity.” Hope the Mission runs 35 shelters housing about 3,500 people on any given night, according to Vansleve

To reach its 24-hour goal, he said, “We need to see those lines around the corner like they used to be.”

One of Broadway’s most popular shows in years, Oh, Mary! is now at the Ahmanson Theatre through Dec. 6. It stars drag performer extraordinaire Alaska Thunderf*ck 5000, known mononymously as Alaska.

Alaska caught up with LAist host Julia Paskin to talk about taking the Tony Award-winning dark comedy on the road, how competing on RuPaul's Drag Race has changed over the years, and where to see a great drag show in Los Angeles.

A role she was made for

The list of actors who have played the titular role of Mary ranges from seasoned comedians, like show creator Cole Escola, to Jane Krakowski and Bowen Yang, the latter of whom is currently on an extended Broadway run.

Jane Krakowski during her broadway run in "Oh, Mary!"

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Emilio Madrid

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Center Theater Group

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“It's going on my tombstone,” Alaska said. “Like, it's the biggest deal ever.”

The role not only has big proverbial shoes to fill, but also requires donning a large, heavy hoopskirt for a costume. That was not a problem.

“If you ever just wanna, like, change your entire personality, just put on a hoopskirt,” she said. “It really changes the way you move and the way you kinda act and the way you stand. That's drag, I guess, because drag is sort of transforming based on what you're putting on your body, and it really does change everything.”

The higher cost to compete on Drag Race 

Speaking of drag, Alaska initially rose to fame appearing on Season 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2013 and the second season of the All Stars spinoff in 2016, which she won. Longtime fans of the reality show can confirm a lot has changed over the years with the competition becoming more expensive and queens investing in pricey, commissioned costume pieces and drag accessories.

Alaska said she’s grateful she competed when she did.

“I got in under the wire,” Alaska said. “I got onto that show back when you could show up with a bag of dirty laundry and you could do pretty well. When I went on that show the first time, I was borrowing stuff from other girls. I really just went to the thrift store and got some stuff. I had my friends make some stuff with me as well.”

She says the pressure is also more intense with the audience expecting a high production quality.

“The viewership is so knowledgeable about fabrics, and designers, and fashion, and polish and wig lines,” Alaska added. “That's good. I mean, I think that it's a pendulum, and it swings back and forth. Yes, we love to see exquisite, fabulous costumery on Drag Race. But, we also like to see some, stupid, silly drag as well.”

Where to catch great drag in LA 

Alaska recommends Meatball’s Phat Slut show at Precinct in downtown L.A., and added "anything happening at Precinct is going to be unique, fierce, fun, and just like an excellent vibe.”

Another top recommendation is “The Golden Girls Live” from drag queens Jackie Beat and Sherry Vine.

“It happens in a very small room,” Alaska said. “So you're literally sitting onstage with the Golden Girls. There's really nothing like it.”

You can see Alaska in Oh, Mary! at the Ahmanson Theatre and when her Revolution Tour stops in at Pacific Electric May 8, 2027.

Rhea Borja and her husband, Eric Wee, bought their home in Altadena in 2022. After the January 2025 Eaton Fire, it still stood, in a pocket of other homes that also survived.

At first, that was a relief. As many fire survivors have found, though, remediating smoke damage has been nearly as daunting as rebuilding a home that burned.

That has been true for Borja and Wee too. They’ve been living in Northern California since the fire, while they work to get their home cleared of the toxic remnants of the smoke.

The Eaton Fire destroyed 9,414 structures, including homes and businesses. For the thousands of structures were left standing, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed laws in September setting new rules for smoke damage cleanup.

What has that looked like in practice? Three Eaton Fire survivors spoke with LAist recently about the challenges they’ve faced.

Remediation challenges

Rhea Borja stands in her driveway just a month or so before the January 2025 fire. All of the houses behind her across the street burned down, including all the trees and greenery.

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Rhea Borja

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On the blocks around Borja’s home, the frames of homes being rebuilt are taking shape. But her home has stood empty for 22 months.

“It has been an enormous test of patience,” she said.

Her home has gone through four remediations. The lead test results after the most recent remediation cleared EPA standards. Since then, Borja has had a new HVAC system installed.

Next up, re-insulating the attic.

She’s hoping to be back in Altadena early next year but recognizes there’s still a lot to do, including remediating the front and back yards. She’ll have to pay for those projects out of pocket.

“I miss Altadena. I miss Los Angeles. I miss being by the San Gabriel Mountains,” Borja said. “So I just feel kind of removed from the area, and sometimes it almost just seems like a dream.”

A hallway in Rhea Borja’s home after it was remediated for a third time in June 2026.

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Rhea Borja

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Rhea Borja removed the remediator’s tape and plastic covering over a living room window of her Altadena home in mid October.

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Simon Perry and his partner have two properties in Altadena that still require remediation.

One is their home right outside of the fire zone, and the other is a rental property right in the middle of it.

At Perry’s home of 15 years, the contamination was off the charts.

“To give you an indication of how badly contaminated it is, the attic crawl space tested at 3,391 units of lead,” Perry said. “So there's 50 times the safe level of lead in the crawl space of the attic.”

Perry had intended to retire the week of the Eaton Fire. He postponed that while he dealt with the fire’s aftermath — spending hours itemizing personal items, then throwing them away.

By the end of September, he and his partner moved for the fourth time since the fire.

Before that move, their temporary home was “full of cardboard boxes and boxes full of stuff, you know, because everything is in transition and has been in transition for 20 months,” he said.

A return home

After 19 months of being displaced, Susan Mohini Kane, husband Bernard Kane and their cat returned to Altadena.

Being displaced was unsettling, but Kane said she learned a lot.

Susan Mohini Kane shared this photo with LAist from March 2026 after most of her home’s contents were removed. The walls were cut up for rewiring.

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Susan Mohini Kane

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Susan Mohini Kane and her husband Bernard Kane began moving in over the summer. A friend gifted her hand-sewn quilt to replace one they lost to smoke damage.

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Susan Mohini Kane

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“More things happened every day that I didn't expect,” Kane said. “They ended up, basically, having to tear our house down.”

The walls of the Kane home were removed and then replaced. They filled and hauled bags of fire-damaged goods out of their home.

Now that she’s back, Kane is excited to return to her work as a voice teacher, singer and songwriter.

Susan Mohini Kane and her husband Bernard Kane are happy to be back in their home after 19 months of remediation and repairs after the Eaton Fire.

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David Rodriguez/LAist

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She wants people who didn’t experience the wildfire to know what people are still going through nearly two years later.

“We're still here. We're still suffering. We're still needing so much help,” she said.