A protest near the federal building in downtown Los Angeles, hours after the programmed “No Kings” rally had concluded nearby, the Los Angeles Police Department ordered the dispersal of crowds from the area.

At around 5:30 p.m., a small crowd was seen gathered in the intersection of Alameda Street and Aliso Street, in the area between the federal Metropolitan Detention Center and the 101 freeway.

That group quickly grew, with protesters chanting, dancing, and speaking over loudspeakers, calling on the Los Angeles Police Department to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Political graffiti was visible in the area, though it was unclear when it had been placed.

At around 7 p.m., LAPD officers began ordering the crowd to disperse. Police said lasers and industrial lights had been directed at officers on the ground and at a department helicopter.

After thousands of people gathered to express their constitutional 1st Amendment rights peacefully earlier in the day, nearly a hundred agitators marched over to Aliso and Alameda. During the demonstration at that specific location, lasers and industrial size flashing lights…

— LAPD Central Division (@LAPDCentral) October 19, 2025

The crowd did not immediately comply, and officers began to move forward.

NewsChopper4 images showed images of people being detained.

Confrontations followed, including what appeared to be an officer firing a non-lethal projectile that struck a woman in the torso or lower body, according to video from the scene.

One protester, dressed as a handmaid in reference to reproductive rights concerns, remained seated after the dispersal order and was detained and zip-tied.

“I was prepared for it to happen, and my goal was not to resist,” said Jennifer Johnson, who was among those detained. “I know they have a job to do. My job was to come out and protest peacefully.”

Johnson said she was grabbed by the shoulders by officers, lifted, and dragged to the sidewalk before being detained. Johnson was released a short while later.

It was unclear how many people were detained or whether any arrests were made.