Inauguration Protest in Los Angeles

* I was one of the thousands who participated in the protest at Pershing Square on Jan. 20. As we inched along the protest route to the downtown federal building, I glanced over to see a whole line of helmeted police trotting along the sidewalk beside us. At Pershing Square it had been impossible to miss the fact that there were police everywhere: plentiful foot officers, a line of bicycle cops wheeling through, even a helicopter hovering over the crowd and swooping down to noisily circle the gathering when the two most popular speakers, both Democratic elected officials, got up to address the rally.

I set about figuring out just who it was the Police Department expected to get out of hand. Maybe the individual with the pacifier in her mouth. I myself observed her kicking quite militantly, but when I mentioned it to her companion, he just laughed and strolled off with the subject riding on his shoulders. Surely not the woman in the wheelchair? I nervously moved away from her and her large “Hail to the Thief” sign. I finally decided it must be the teenager carrying the pug. The dog looked innocent, but perhaps he was waiting for his chance to nip at the ankles of law and order. And I saw him begging--a violation of the panhandling laws.

MYRNA HILL

Sylmar

*

When thousands of Angelenos peacefully congregate to demonstrate their displeasure and disbelief at having the presidential election stolen from them by an illegitimate action of the U.S. Supreme Court; when they assemble to march for democracy, against racism and to oppose the right-wing agenda that threatens our freedom of choice, our environment and our children’s safety; when the streets of downtown L.A. are closed to traffic for an entire day; when half our police force, it seems, lines the march route, our city newspaper has a responsibility to publish an accurate, prominently displayed article on this important event, rather than relegating it to A13 (Jan. 21).

I was there. The crowd was not “raucous.” Ed Asner spoke, he did not “boom.” We were not “clamoring for the release of Mumia Abu-Jamal.” We were protesting an unfair election. It is unconscionable that The Times printed such a biased depiction of this peaceful and well-planned event.

MICHELE HUTCHINS

Van Nuys