On July 12, 2012, around 9:30pm, the intersection of 5th Street and Spring Street seems to be blocked off by cones and LAPD presence at Downtown LA Art Walk. People begin to come into part of the intersection to see what the riot police are up to in the middle of a peaceful event.
Videos, show cones blocking half the intersection and a parking enforcement officer directing traffic.
At approximately 9:30pm, the LAPD starts pointing their weapons at Occupiers in the crowd seemingly unprovoked.
An Occupier can be heard telling the crowd not to fall for the Police antagonism, “They are trying to trick you”.
At some point, the group starts chanting, “Whose streets? Our streets!”
At this point there are about 15-20 Occupiers remaining in this area, most of them are documenting the events with video, streams, or photos.
People begin chalking in the street in front of the cops. Some people pose infront of the cops lines and take photos.
Around 9:28pm, the bicycle cops, which were facing west, turn around and ride east on 5th Street. As they ride away the crowd starts singing, “Naah nah naaah nah, hey hey good bye”. Left in the street is a couple of dozen cops with tactical/riot gear on. They have helmets with face shields.
This is when art walkers start to enter the intersection because the street appears to be closed down with cones and police blocking card from coming east on 5th Street or south on Spring Street.
Then around 9:32pm, 5th Street just east of Spring Street fills with Motorcycle cops with their lights on, reving their engine, and turning on their sirens. Occupiers report almost getting run over (or into) by the motorcycle cops.
People start chanting “Show me what a police state looks like. This is what a police state looks like”. The group then chants something in Spanish.
Around 9:35pm, LAPD begin pushing people off of the sidewalk and into the street on the north and south east corners of 5th Street and Spring Street. So more people move into the intersection.
The police clear 5th Street and the sidewalks of civilians and form a skirmish line going from North side of 5th Street to the southside on the east end of the intersection. All the people who were on the sidewalk on 5th street just east of Spring Street have been pushed into the intersection by LAPD.
There were a few hundred people at this time with only a handful of Occupiers remaining.
Some people continue chalking.
None of the Occupiers were prepared for the police to esculate like they did. Normally Occupiers would bring protection for police weapons if they feel the police might get violent but the only ones prepared for the riot were the riot police.
A few voices can be heard chanting “Take of your riot gear, I don’t see a riot here”.
And that’s when the LAPD makes their 7th arrest of the evening. A pettite female who had drawn a smiling stick figure on the pavement. To some, this was the tipping point of the night when the LAPD took their violence on peaceful people too far.
This video seems to have 2 segments in it. From my best guess part of this happened around 9:30pm and the other part happened before 10pm. This appears to be taken from the building directly east of the Alexanderia building on Spring Street.
Two officers throw the girl around like a rag doll before slamming her face first in to the pavement. They body slam her brother to the ground as well.
Bicycle Cops Turning Around and Riding Off
After the Bicycle Cops Ride Away, These Guys are Left
Two Sgts talk in Front of Other Officers in the Street
Rows of Riot Cops at Peaceful Art Walk
Someone in a Costume Taking Photo in Front of Cop Lines
More Sgts in the Streets
Motorcycle Cops on Standby as Captain Frank Talks to Sgt
A Dozen or so Cops Listen to LAPD Officer Casey
9:39pm Look Closely at the Cop Putting on Green Strapped Gun
Can You See the Taser Gun in this Photo?
About 30 LAPD in this Photo. One has a Taser Gun. One has a Green Shot Gun.
Moments after Motorcycle Cops Ride their Bikes in to the Crowd
Photo of 14 LAPD Officers in the Street
Crowd Move Back from Motorcycle Cops while Many Record and Watch
More LAPD Officers in the Street
LAPD Officer Loza
Even More LAPD Officers
Notice Officer Swailes (2nd from Left) has a Different Kind of Baton
LAPD Officer Swailes Also Appears to be the Same Officer who had the Taser Earlier
LAPD Pushes Forward in to the Crowd
LAPD Officer Casey Behind the Police Lines
9:45pm, Guy with Chalk in Interesection with Crowd in Background
Ustream footage captured live, very blurry and choppy but the audio is good. This goes fro 9:21pm to 9:38 when the 7th arrest occured.
A diffrent Ustream footage captured live, very blurry and choppy but good audio. This goes from 9:23 to 9:37pm. This video doesn’t show the 7th arrest, just what happens leading up to it.
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