Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Video: Hundreds Of Anti-Trump Demonstrators Walk Through Hollywood, Protest Outside CNN Building

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

As you may have heard, there was a huge anti-Trump protest that went through the streets of downtown on Saturday. It was the climax of what feels like a week-long protest that started on election night. Despite the enormous success of that demonstration, Angelenos are showing no signs of letting up.

At 11 a.m. on Sunday, protestors gathered at 5453 Hollywood Boulevard, then marched about 1.5 miles to the CNN building on Sunset Boulevard. According to ABC 7, there were at least 300 protestors at the event. Wallace Mulligan, one of the event organizers, believes the figure was closer to 400 or 600.

In one video posted on the event's Facebook page, protestors were heard chanting "black lives matter." Demonstrators were also carrying signs that had the rainbow hue of gay rights advocacy. Here are some other images from the scene:

Sponsored message

Greg Mills of CBS 2 said that, at one point, officers shut down the eastbound lanes of Sunset by Cahuenga Boulevard. By 1:20 p.m. the lanes were open again.

Sponsored message

Mulligan, who is 15 (!), said that there were no arrests, and that the attitude was overwhelmingly positive. "Being able to bring so many passionate people together for one cause was incredible. Although we came together to express our anger, you could feel the love in the crowd," she wrote in a message to LAist.

You may be wondering if the location (CNN) was a deliberate choice. The network has been knocked for what is perceived to be poor handling of the election coverage. In an interview with the Financial Times, Dean Baquet, the New York Times' executive editor, said that the coverage at Fox News and CNN was "bad for democracy."

"This mix of entertainment and news, and news masquerading as entertainment, is kind of funny except that we now have a guy who is a product of that world nominated as Republican presidential nominee," said Baquet. The sentiment was shared by Mulligan, who said that, yes, she had deliberately chosen the CNN building as a spot for the protestors to gather: "Hollywood is very busy so it was a good place to raise awareness. Another reason is obviously due to the fact that CNN did not represent this election fairly; rather than protecting us from Trump, they normalized his behavior."

Mulligan said that she and a friend organized the protest by themselves. When asked about the fact that she'd put this event together even though she was still in high school, she said that, "Being in 10th grade, unable to vote, is one of the main reasons I wanted to organize something. Kids my age need to realize that we can make a change."

No one at the LAPD was immediately available for comment.

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today