Los Angeles Police Commission Meeting Hijacked by Protesting Activists
A tense standoff unfolded at a Los Angeles Police Commission meeting on Tuesday, as hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters stormed the room, drowning out speakers and forcing officials to flee. The dramatic takeover was orchestrated by BLM Los Angeles, which had openly called for supporters to attend and disrupt the meeting.
The protest was sparked by the fatal shooting of Keith Porter, 43, who was killed in an off-duty federal immigration agent's apartment on New Year's Eve. Authorities claim that Porter fired a rifle into the air before being shot by the agent, but his family and activists argue that he was simply celebrating the start of the new year.
The protesters, many wearing "F–k the police" t-shirts and carrying signs with slogans like "Abolish Police," demanded that the ICE agent involved in Porter's death be arrested. Despite efforts by newly installed commission President Teresa Sánchez-Gordon to regain control, the chanting crowd overpowered her attempts to restore order.
The disruption was no spontaneous outburst, as BLM Los Angeles had organized the event weeks in advance, encouraging supporters to attend and make their voices heard. The group's tactics mirrored those used at a recent anti-police presentation hosted by Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, where protesters wore "Abolish Police" jackets and called for slashing LAPD funding.
As the protest escalated, officials cleared the room, citing safety concerns. Meanwhile, Porter's family and supporters continued to push for accountability, with many calling for the arrest of the ICE agent involved in his death. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between protesters and law enforcement in Los Angeles, with some activists accusing police of overreacting to perceived threats.
A tense standoff unfolded at a Los Angeles Police Commission meeting on Tuesday, as hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters stormed the room, drowning out speakers and forcing officials to flee. The dramatic takeover was orchestrated by BLM Los Angeles, which had openly called for supporters to attend and disrupt the meeting.
The protest was sparked by the fatal shooting of Keith Porter, 43, who was killed in an off-duty federal immigration agent's apartment on New Year's Eve. Authorities claim that Porter fired a rifle into the air before being shot by the agent, but his family and activists argue that he was simply celebrating the start of the new year.
The protesters, many wearing "F–k the police" t-shirts and carrying signs with slogans like "Abolish Police," demanded that the ICE agent involved in Porter's death be arrested. Despite efforts by newly installed commission President Teresa Sánchez-Gordon to regain control, the chanting crowd overpowered her attempts to restore order.
The disruption was no spontaneous outburst, as BLM Los Angeles had organized the event weeks in advance, encouraging supporters to attend and make their voices heard. The group's tactics mirrored those used at a recent anti-police presentation hosted by Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, where protesters wore "Abolish Police" jackets and called for slashing LAPD funding.
As the protest escalated, officials cleared the room, citing safety concerns. Meanwhile, Porter's family and supporters continued to push for accountability, with many calling for the arrest of the ICE agent involved in his death. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between protesters and law enforcement in Los Angeles, with some activists accusing police of overreacting to perceived threats.
Just watched this crazy scene unfold on my screen... so messed up that it's like a movie script. Can't believe how the protesters took control and made everyone flee. It's not just about justice for Keith Porter, but also about the systemic issues that lead to these situations. We need more dialogue, not just shouting matches 
! hundreds of ppl from BLM stormed the room & took ovr 
! they r protestin against some dude who got shot by an ICE agent while celebratin new yr... but it didnt stop ther. protesters started chantin & yellin & even wore "Fk th police" tshirts 
! officials tried 2 regain control but no luck 
. its like somethin out of a movie 
. i feel 4 the fam of that dude who got killed tho... dey r clearly hurtin 
Those protesters were literally screaming over the officials trying to speak... it's crazy how passionate people are about this issue 
But honestly, can't we all just talk about this stuff without resorting to chaos? 
The fact that someone lost their life and now there's an agent being investigated is super concerning 
... can't believe what's happening at the LAPD meeting 
I get where the protesters are coming from, all about justice and accountability for Keith Porter's death 
... but isn't there a way to do it without being so... confrontational? 
? also, I feel bad for the ICE agent involved - was he really justified in shooting Porter? 
did he even follow protocol? 
.
. The fact that BLM Los Angeles organized this protest in advance just adds fuel to the fire 
. Can't we all just try to understand each other's perspectives and work together to create positive change? 
I'm not saying the police don't have a role to play in addressing systemic racism, but surely there are more constructive ways to do it 
.
BLM's tactics are so dramatic and attention-seeking 
and the LAPD officials overreacted big time 
they're just trying to do their job but everyone's so caught up in being "woke" 
. and honestly can we talk about how ridiculous it is that Keith Porter's family is getting all this attention just because he was celebrating the start of a new year 
who else has died over that? 
and what even is with the "Abolish Police" nonsense 
or schools? 
. On one hand, I get why Black Lives Matter is getting so upset about this case - it's just another example of how the system can be so messed up 
. Can't they just find a more constructive way to make their voices heard? 
OMG I am so done with these protests already! Can't they just let the people in charge do their jobs? I mean, come on, a guy gets killed by an ICE agent and suddenly everyone's all about "abolish the police"? Like, isn't that just a fancy way of saying we don't want to follow the law anymore? 
. This whole thing feels like a bigger mess than just one guy getting shot...