Law enforcement leaders came together Friday to discuss their preparations ahead of demonstrations planned for the weekend.
The agencies present at the news conference included the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and the California Highway Patrol.
Over 2,000 protests are planned nationwide in what's being called "No Kings Day," which also coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday.
"We're talking about two things right now, one is the national exorbitant and frankly authoritarian military parade happening in DC tomorrow," said Hunter Dunn, one of the organizers for No Kings National Day of Defiance Coalition. "Our communities are under attack by the federal government, ICE has shown up without warrants, serving as the administration's personal Gestapo, kidnapping people from churches, graduations, from people going to their court appointments."
"No Kings" Day rallies will be held in over 1,000 communities across the United States on Saturday to protest President Donald Trump and his policies.
To curb any potential of violence over the weekend, the late-night curfew in downtown Los Angeles has been extended and will take place each night through the weekend from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
"The curfew has played a key role in helping to restore order, particularly by curbing the criminal activity that was largely ocurring during the evening hours," said LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell.
LAPD will continue to operate under a Unified Command with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, CHP and the Los Angeles Fire Department.
"The coordinated approach ensures that we're sharing intelligence, aligning resources and responding quickly and effectively as conditions continue to evolve," McDonnell said.
The chief reminded everyone planning to protest this weekend to do so peacefully.
"Help us to ensure that the focus remains on the message and not on mayhem," he said.
"We do not want violent agitators out there destroying property or committing acts of violence, specifically against our police officers, deputy sheriff's and CHP officers," said L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna.
Sheriff Luna said he has had 10 deputies injured as a result of these agitators' actions, which at times have involved rocks, Molotov cocktails and commercial pyrotechnics.
The sheriff added that as the lead Mutual Aid coordinator for Los Angeles County, he is in constant communication with other law enforcement agencies, including representatives from the California Office of Emergency Services, and conducts daily checks to ensure any required needs are met.
"So we are coordinating these requests, asking for additional personnel, not always only to be deployed but to be staged at strategic locations around this area to make sure that we are going to respond when our partners need us," Luna said.
Sheriff Luna said the agency is at about 170% over what they normally staff for the weekend, just to be prepared for the events this weekend that not only include over 30 planned demonstrations, but two major soccer matches at SoFi Stadium, and added vigilance stemming from the Israel-Iran conflict.
"We have activated special response teams, which are specially trained officers, and they will all be activated, working throughout the state of California," said CHP Deputy Commissioner Ezery Beauchamp.
Beauchamp said the CHP is on tactical alert in L.A. County, meaning that all days off for CHP officers are canceled.
"So that we can provide the highest level of safety and service to everyone here in Los Angeles County, and so that we're ready to stand with our law enforcement partners tomorrow in ensuring that safe events take place here in Los Angeles County," Beauchamp said.
CHP officers will be on active patrol throughout the state looking for areas of concern to ensure everyone remains safe, according to Beauchamp. He added that CHP will be flying their patrol aircraft to make sure demonstrations remain safe, as well as for the safety of law enforcement officers.
A rally is scheduled to take place in downtown Riverside Saturday at 5:30 p.m. near the intersection of Market and University.
"We're expecting a peaceful event. Our job as law enforcement is to help facilitate a safe and peaceful environment for anyone coming out to express their First Amendment rights, that's what we're going to do," said Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback. "If you're going to come here and try to harm our businesses, or try to harm law enforcement, we're not going to tolerate that, we're going to take the appropriate action that needs to be taken."
One of the largest SoCal demonstrations is set to begin around 10 a.m. in Grand Park in downtown L.A.
Watch the full news conference below:
Law enforcement leaders discuss preparations ahead of weekend protests across Southern California.
