LAPD fires projectiles during clashes at Tujunga rally

The Los Angeles Police Department fired projectiles as two groups of protesters clashed in Tujunga on Friday afternoon, authorities said.

About 3 p.m., officers with the LAPD’s Foothill division responded to the area by Lowell Avenue and Foothill Boulevard to disperse a crowd of supporters of President Trump and counter-protesters, the department said in a news release.

LAPD spokesman Officer Mike Chan said that about 200 people had arrived to rally against a pro-Trump demonstration often organized in the area. About 100 Trump supporters had showed up on Friday, he said.

The groups began to clash, and at one point, a counter-protester hit a Trump supporter with a pipe, according to the department. While officers tried to take the protester into custody, a second counter-protester tried to prevent the arrest. Both protesters were then taken into custody.

Police declared an unlawful assembly and told the crowd to leave. Officials said that the protesters then began throwing objects at officers who were trying to disperse the crowd. “Less lethal” munitions like fired projectiles were used in response, Chan said.

Chan said he did not know how many rounds were fired or by how many officers. The department, he said, is investigating whether any civilians were injured as a result.

“The LAPD will continue to provide the necessary resources to ensure the safe and peaceful expression of opinions,” the department said in a statement. “When demonstrators begin to violate the law and create unsafe conditions for the demonstrators, officers, and the public, department personnel will continue to take appropriate enforcement action.”

By about 6 p.m., both groups of protesters had dispersed, authorities said.