May Day Protests turn violent in Seattle, Oakland and Los Angeles

Seattle/Los Angeles: It didn’t take long for May Day marchers in Seattle to get a little rowdy. Then all of a sudden. Police respond with pepper spray, trying to disperse the crowd. And later…Stun grenades.. Protesters annually assemble on May 1 to focus on labor and immigration issues.

Police faceoff with Protestors

Police faceoff with Protestors

Several hundred protesters marched in Oakland, where more than 100 windows were smashed and several people were taken into custody.

In Los Angeles, peace on the streets. Protesters there — backed by civil rights groups CHIRLA and the ACLU — focused on immigration reform, better wages, and justice for the African American community.

One Protester said, “I am here to support this issue May Day, I am here to support black lives matter, I’m here to support CHIRLA, I’m here to support the ACLU and I’m here to support all people who are oppressed and do not have a voice.”

Thousands marched there under the watchful eye of authorities …. while in Portland protesters faced off with the police.

And like in some of the other cities on the West Coast, May Day here ended in a standoff before police dispersed the crowd with flash grenades.

Ventuno