Mayor Eric Garcetti 'Proud' Of Peaceful Protestors, Warns Against Vandalism And Blocking Freeways

Anti-Trump protests have been raging across L.A. County since election night. The most prominent, so far, was a demonstration on Wednesday night that saw about 3,000 people flock to City Hall, then later overtake a section of the 101 Freeway. Numerous acts of vandalism were also performed, with various anti-Trump graffiti being tagged across the downtown area. According to the LAPD, 28 arrests were made during Wednesday night's protest.

Mayor Eric Garcetti, in a statement issued Thursday morning, referred to the event and said that he was "proud that the demonstrations in Los Angeles have been mostly lawful and peaceful." He added that, "I understand that the results of Tuesday's election are painful for many of us, and this kind of engagement can be a meaningful part of the healing we need after such a long and divisive campaign."

In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, he reiterated his praise for the demonstrations and said, "I think we're modeling good behavior. We're showing what a democracy is about."

Garcetti did, however, also warn against certain actions that had taken place on Wednesday night, saying that, "walking and throwing objects onto freeways is dangerous for pedestrians and drivers—and it puts a heavy burden on people just trying make it home to their families or get to work safely."

These warnings were repeated at the press conference. "We want to make sure that destroying property or other things don't get in the way of the important messages that people have to share with their fellow Americans," Garcetti said to reporters.

"I urge everyone to look out for their fellow Angelenos and put safety first," Garcetti concluded in his statement. Here's a video of the conference taken from KCAL 9:

The protests have continued on Thursday. Reporter Stephanie K. Baer followed a group of high school students from the Santee Education Complex after they'd walked out of class to stage a protest. She reported that there were at least a couple hundred students involved, and that their demonstration led them through the USC campus and to a 110 Freeway overpass.

Walkouts were also reported at Franklin High School and Eagle Rock High School. ABC 7 reports that students from Manual Arts High School had also taken to the USC campus:

Also, out in Boyle Heights, a group of demonstrators waving signs had blocked the westbound lane of the 10 Freeway on Thursday afternoon. According to CBS 2, the demonstration started at around 3 p.m. by the N. Eastern Avenue exit. LAPD officers cleared the crowd at about 3:45 p.m.