Tens of thousands of people gathered in downtown L.A. on Saturday to not only protest, but to critique the Trump administration’s executive orders targeting the LGBTQ and immigrant communities across the country. 

Angelenos showed up by the numbers for the second week in a row, with some reports suggesting that upwards of 50,000 demonstrators filled the streets of downtown L.A., to protest the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids happening across the country, with many of those raids happening in L.A. and its adjacent counties. 

Last weekend marked the first major round of protests across SoCal and the nation, as ICE raids began to take more people off the streets.

Many of the demonstrators who showed up to protest against ICE deportations and rally in support of those affected by the executive orders, showed up with Pride flags, Pride gear and poster boards with references to the queer and trans communities. 

Since Trump’s first day in office, he has actively made moves that strip marginalized communities from rights, resources and deport people like Andry Hernandez Romero — a queer, Latinx, make-up artist — to countries they don’t belong in, and for reasons they did not deserve.

“No Kings Only Queens” sign held by protester on ‘No Kings Day,’ in Los Angeles on June 14, 2025.

(Photo credit Gisselle Palomera)

‘No Kings Day’ was deemed a nationwide protest taking place on Saturday, June 14, which was  meant to be Donald Trump’s 79th birthday celebration, as well as the U.S. Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade. Media outlets have reported that Trump’s birthday celebration drew in very few people and the U.S. Army’s 250th Anniversary Parade did not see the major turnout that was expected. 

The protests were planned as a movement showing the federal government, as well as the local governments, that Angelenos are hurt, angry, tired and desperate for change. 

At the protest, Los Angeles Blade spoke to sources on the ground who were spotted wearing Pride gear, and other gear mixed with the Pride flag and Mexican flag, signaling their intersectional identity in both communities being attacked by the federal government.

E. Torres, 31, was at the protest carrying a Pride flag on his back, peacefully protesting for immigrant rights and against ICE deportations and kidnappings. 

“I think it’s really important for me to be out here to kind of show my own representation as a queer, Latinx person,” said Torres. “You guys can’t see this, but I’m currently wearing my LGBTQ flag because it’s important for me as a Latino, to show up and show out and represent our community.” 

Torres says he grew up in the San Fernando Valley, as a child of immigrants from Mexico. In the interview on the streets with LA Blade, Torres stated the importance of showing up to support the communities being affected. 

“If we don’t [show up] then who’s going to do it for us?” he said. 

The Blade also spoke to Hannah Prawat, 39, who was at the protest with her group of friends, carrying a totem pole with a Pride flag at the top. 

“This facism has been encroaching on us. We live in a fascist state under cognitive dissonance and this belief that we have freedom. But we don’t,” said Prawat. “Our job is to stand like a shield and say: ‘This is as far as it goes’.”  

Another friend in their group, Melissa, 34, who only felt comfortable sharing her first name, says that she feels that as a white woman, it is her duty to be out there protesting.

“For us as a group, it is important as white women, to come out and use our voices and our bodies, because we know that our voices are sometimes heard above others,” she said. “So for us, it was just kind of imperative just to be out here and to say that we stand with you and that we will be your voice, if you can’t [use yours].” 

Protester waves Mexican flag across from L.A. City Hall during ‘No Kings Day’ on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

(Photo credit Gisselle Palomera)

In Downtown Los Angeles, protestors danced, chanted, waved flags, carried poster boards with critical messages to ICE agents, police force, military and those who support them. The unruly part came around 3p.m., when police force began shoving protesters, hitting them with battons and deploying tear gas on crowds that had already begun moving out of the area. 

More protests are planned in the upcoming days, with many organizers and organizations saying that more protests should be planned across smaller cities where ICE presence has been spotted taking people such as Montebello, Pico Rivera, Downey and South Central. 

This is a developing story. Check our website for other updates and resources.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced that the area of Downtown Los Angeles will be under an emergency curfew starting tonight. The mandatory curfew will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and is likely to remain in place for a few days, she stated.

Jim McDonnell, Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, said anyone in the area “without reason” will be arrested.  

The curfew will be in effect for a limited area of about 1 square mile in Downtown L.A.

“[A] curfew has been in consideration for several days,”  she said in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, but said the violent acts and vandalism of last night were the “tipping point” in the city’s decision to institute and announce the curfew. 

Apple maps Screenshot of affected area. (Photo courtesy of Brenda Fernanda Verano)

In response to a question from a reporter, she says the widespread violence and vandalism of last night was the “tipping point” in her decision to institute the curfew, which had been under consideration for several days.

McDonnell said he hopes the curfew will “restore peace” in the city, which has been subjected to multiple ICE raids and citations over the last few days. 

“This curfew is not about silencing protest,” Ysabel Jurado (CD-14), councilmember overseeing the DTLA area, said in the press conference. 

The curfew does not apply to people who live in the affected area, workers, homeless people, or members of the media.

ICE raids have taken place across Los Angeles County over the last few days and tens of thousands of Angelenos have taken to the streets to protest against the raids and the police brutality involved in the arrests.

The Trump administration has threatened to arrest Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass if they were to interfere with the ICE raids. In response, California has now filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

Early Monday morning, the U.S. Northern Command announced that it activated around 700 Marines, after the Pentagon and the Trump administration deployed around 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles over the weekend. As of today, Trump has deployed double the amount of National Guard troops and ICE raids are said to continue for the next 30 days. The deployment is set to cost $134 million and last 60 days or more according to Secretary Pete Hegseth and a senior defense official. 

Reporters have been hit with rubber bullets, batons and have been tear gassed while trying to document the protests. There are eyewitness reports and video footage showing police officers trampling people over with horses, running people over with squad cars and detaining people who have legal status.

In a broadcast interview with CNN, Mayor Bass stated that she believes that if ICE raids hadn’t happened on Friday, we would not be seeing the type of disorder we are seeing. The Los Angeles Police Department declared Downtown L.A. an unlawful assembly area after union president David Huerta was detained by ICE along with several undocumented immigrants. Huerta appeared in court on Monday and was released on a $50,000 bond. 

LAPD Chief Jim Donnell says they have adapted their tactics to arrest people, but that they are ultimately “overwhelmed” by the number of protesters. 

“We have adapted our tactics to take these people into custody and to be able to hold them accountable,” said Chief Donnell. “We are overwhelmed as far as the number of people out there engaged in this type of activity,” 

Mayor Bass said she was “completely in sync” with what the police chief stated, adding that she believes there is enough video footage to prosecute protestors even if they did not get arrested on scene.

“Some people might think that just because they haven’t gotten arrested on the spot, that they’ve gotten away with it and the message I would send is: there’s ton of video tape and people who didn’t get arrested today for committing violent acts — don’t plan on the fact that you get off because you can get arrested in the next few days,” said Mayor Bass. 

Mayor Bass doubled-down on her statement regarding the ICE raids and how L.A. is a city of immigrants and ICE raids will continue to affect the local economy. 

There have also been reports that ICE raids are taking place across schools and graduation ceremonies. 

Los Angeles Unified School District is set to deploy school police to set up safe zones around graduations and school campuses amid these raids targeting celebrations. According to the LA Times, school police will patrol and guard campus entrances when ICE and Border Patrol are seen in the area. Graduation ceremonies will become sanctuaries for families until immigration agents disperse from the area. 

Medical providers like St. John’s Community Health released a statement on the issue. 

“The aggressive increase in ICE activity is forcing already vulnerable people to fear going to the doctor, school, or even the grocery store — and putting countless families in danger,” said Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John’s Community Health.

Community leaders like Tony Hoang, executive director at Equality California stated that as a child of immigrants, it deeply saddens him to see the ICE raids take place across Los Angeles.

“Equality California joins Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta in calling for an end to National Guard deployment. We condemn the raids that have occurred and are continuing, which are xenophobic and traumatizing to families, individuals, and communities,” he said.

“We stand in solidarity with immigrant communities across Los Angeles and the state—and we call on every leader, at every level of government, to reject this assault on our values and take urgent action to protect those under threat.”

Over the last three weeks, glendaleOUT — a local LGBTQ group based in Glendale, California and city leadership have been at odds over securing financial support of a family-friendly Pride event set to happen on Saturday, June 7. As of Tuesday, Glendale’s city council voted 3-2 in favor of funding the event, ending a weeks-long argument over securing the funds.

The controversy began when the group highlighted how neighboring cities have visibly demonstrated support for Pride Month celebrations across the county, while the City of Glendale has yet to sponsor events with banners, city logos and financial sponsorship. 

Councilmember Dan Brotman proposed $5,000 in sponsorship funds, noting that the city has funded other cultural events with much larger amounts. 

Local leaders, but specifically Mayor Ara Najarian — who was just re-elected for a fifth term — are pushing back and opposing the proposal for funding. According to sources, Mayor Najarian openly opposed the proposal, stating a distant conflict of interest as the reason for the opposition. 

LGBTQ advocates have been quoted as saying this is a “bad-faith political tactic, not grounded in any real conflict of interest.” 

The next potential vote is expected to happen today at a city council meeting. Organizers say that the Pride event will happen regardless, but that they still hope to shed light on the patterns of sexual orientation-based discrimination in the city council. 

For more information about the free community Pride event, visit glendaleOUT’s website.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s May Revise for the 2025-26 budget proposes to eliminate two major initiatives from the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity: the California Reducing Disparities Project (CRDP) and the Gender Health Equity Section (GHES). 

The move would rescind funding which has already been awarded through existing contracts with nearly 70 community-based organizations across the state, with nearly 40 of those organizations being in Los Angeles. 

“These cuts come at a time when LGBTQ communities are already facing national rollbacks, from Medicaid slashes and  cuts to bans on gender-affirming care and shrinking access to mental health services,” said Dannie Ceseña, MPH, Director of the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network. “With trauma mounting from political attacks, California should be leading, not cutting lifelines. Slashing nearly half of the Office of Health Equity’s budget, the only state office specifically dedicated to addressing health disparities, breaks trust.”

Earlier this year, L.A. County’s Department of Public Health sent a notice to 39 organizations across the county, alerting them of the termination of over $19 million in Centers of Disease Control and Prevention funding, effective May 31. 

The Trump administration released a budget proposal for 2026, where $3.59 billion would be cut from the CDC — which currently handles 90% of all HIV prevention funding on a federal level.  This includes the elimination of millions of dollars worth of funding for community-based healthcare providers in Los Angeles, such as the LA LGBT Center, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Equality California, Trans Latin@ Coalition and others. 

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also moved to eliminate the CDC’s prevention division as part of the plan to restructure the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

Due to the widespread budget cuts coming from all levels of government, healthcare providers are now urging state legislators to allocate over $60 million from the AIDS Drug Assistance Program rebate fund to supplement and sustain the HIV prevention programs for the next year. 

Healthcare providers like the LA LGBT Center have expressed their concerns and have sounded the alarm for the serious repercussions this budget cut will have on the progress that has been made over the past 30 years. 

“We are sounding the alarm: Los Angeles County’s decision to eliminate HIV prevention services now is a direct threat to public health. It will fuel a surge in new HIV transmissions, deepen existing health disparities and saddle the county with far greater long-term costs,”  continued. “We demand that the Department of Public Health and the Board of Supervisors immediately reverse these reckless terminations and honor their contractual funding commitments.” 

The proposed cuts include cutting grants from programs that were created with explicit legislative direction and funded by the Legislature in previous budget cycles. These include programs supporting health equity, LGBTQ foster youth and access to reproductive healthcare. 

The grants fund grassroots mental health services, trauma-informed care, peer support and capacity-building in underserved regions and communities too often overlooked by mainstream systems.

“If the County has truly lost federal funding at a level that warrants terminating all HIV prevention contracts, its leadership should be working overtime with the State, elected officials, and community partners to secure emergency support and fill the gap,” said Joe Hollendoner, CEO of the LA LGBT Center. Instead, last week’s actions revealed a troubling lack of commitment to HIV prevention—and to the very communities most at risk for the virus.”

Ending the HIV Epidemic, a statewide coalition advocating for funding to eliminate health inequities, end HIV, STI, viral hepatitis deaths and substance overdoses in California, is pushing for state legislators to allocate around $60 million in the state’s fiscal budget for next year, toward sustaining HIV prevention programs across the state, including L.A. County. 

“In this critical moment, California must double down, not retract, its efforts to advance health equity and reduce health disparities,” said Jodi Hicks, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California.

On Feb. 7, Linda Becerra Moran contacted the Los Angeles Police Department in a phone call where she reported that she was being held against her will in a San Fernando Motel. 

At around 9:40AM, Moran called the Foothill Division of the LAPD, and was recorded stating that she was not only being held at the motel against her will, but that she was being forced to bring men into her motel room. In the audio call recording, she is heard crying as she answers the questions regarding her safety. 

When the officers found her in the hotel room they stated that she didn’t remember how she got there, while speaking in Spanish to the officers. 

The statement released regarding the officer-involved shooting says that ‘when officers arrived, they entered the motel room and met with Moran. During their investigation, Moran became agitated, armed herself with a knife and held it to her neck.’ 

The officers responded by drawing their guns, further agitating her. The attorney representing the family of Moran says the released video proves that the shooting was unlawful and unjust. 

Now, the TransLatin@ Coalition is looking for justice for Moran and her family, especially considering that she was someone who received services directly from them. They hosted the first vigil for her on Friday, March 14, in front of the LAPD headquarters. 

“Linda Becerra Moran, a trans immigrant who received services from our organization, was brutally shot and murdered by the Los Angeles Police Department. We held a vigil and we invited the community to join us in solidarity as we demand justice and honor Linda’s life,” said the TransLatin@ Coalition in a statement. 

The police officer who shot and killed Moran was Jacob Sanchez, 24, who was hired in 2021. 

Moran was pronounced dead after three weeks on life support in late February.

Somos Familia Valle, is hosting a poster-making event today from 2PM to 8PM where they will be preparing for a call to action. The call to action is scheduled for Saturday, March 22 at the Foothill Division Police Department, at 1PM. The organization posted a list of demands, along with their statement on Moran’s death. 

“At a time where our trans siblings are being attacked politically and socially, now more than ever is the time for us to be loud and seek accountability,” reads the statement. “The murder of Linda Becerra Moran by the Los Angeles Foothill Division Police Department was unwarranted and speaks to the disregard for trans lives, but also the lack of de-escalation tactics.”

On Tuesday, the former Fire Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department fought for her job to be reinstated through an appeal process that did not go in her favor. She will not get her job back, though she is expected to continue working for the department. 

At the meeting, Crowley pushed back for the first time against the arguments Bass used to justify her termination. Crowley argued that she was facing retaliation for publicly highlighting a lack of resources at the department. 

Going into the special meeting on Tuesday, she had to count on the support of at least 10 of the 15 councilmembers, or two-thirds. The appeal was almost certain to fail because she only counted on the support from Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez and Traci Park.

The main justification for her removal comes from Mayor Karen Bass, who claims Crowley allegedly made decisions that ultimately caused the Palisades fires to burn out of control. 

”A thousand firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke, were instead sent home,” said Bass in a previous press conference. 

Crowley responded to her accusation. 

“As for the 1,000 firefighters who were allegedly sent home prior to the fires, we did not have enough apparatus to put them on,” Crowley said. “Because of budget cuts and lack of investments in our fleet maintenance, over 100 of our fire engines, fire trucks and ambulances sat broken down in our maintenance yards unable to be used to help during the worst wildfire events in our history.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Mayor Bass doubled-down on her claims, adding that Crowley allegedly refused to conduct an after-action report following the Palisades fire. 

A claim that Crowley says is false. 

“I did not refuse to conduct an after-action report,” said Crowley to the council. “And let me be clear, this is a false accusation.”

“During our discussions about an after-action report, I advised the fire commissioners about my opinion that was best in regard to how to use LAFD resources,” continued Crowley. 

“I said that the LAFD is not capable, nor do we have the proper resources to adequately conduct an after-action report for the Palisades Fire.” 

Bass was in Ghana when the Palisades fire broke out, leaving council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson as acting mayor. When Bass returned, she blamed Crowley for not warning her of the powerful Santa Ana winds that put Los Angeles at high-risk of fires before she left. 

Back in January, Crowley took to the news media to talk about the lack of resources the fire department struggled with and that Crowley says ultimately caused the lack of response to the fires. 

Councilmember Imelda Padilla, who represents the central San Fernando Valley, also publicly criticized Crowley for making the public announcement while the fires were still raging through Pacific Palisades. 

The former fire chief also counted on the support of many LAFD firefighters who spoke in favor of her leadership skills and decisions.

Former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva is currently serving as interim Fire Chief, as the search for someone to fill the position begins.

The Los Angeles City Council originally scheduled Kristin Crowley’s hearing on Friday at 5 P.M. in Van Nuys, but is now rescheduled for Tuesday, following backlash from community members and firefighter representatives who say the timing of the Friday hearing was meant to bury the issue.

On Thursday afternoon, City Council members received an email from former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley stating that she is appealing her termination.

“Today I notified the City Council of my appeal as provided for in Los Angeles Charter, Article V, Section 5.08(e), due to Mayor Bass’ removal of me on February 21, 2025, from the position of Fire Chief of the Los Angeles City Fire Department,” said Crowley in a statement.

The UFLAC is the union that represents LAFD firefighters.

“It is outrageous that the City Council has scheduled, on just 24-hour notice, a ‘special meeting’ for Friday at 5:00 P.M. in the Valley to hear Chief Crowley’s appeal of her dismissal,” said The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City in a statement.

In order to successfully appeal her termination, Crowley would have to count on the support of 10 of the 15 council’s members.

At least four council members stood alongside Bass at a news conference on Friday, announcing Crowley’s ouster — Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson and members Curren Price, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Adrin Nazarian.

Crowley’s decision to appeal has already been publicly opposed by at least two council members, Monica Rodriguez and Traci Park.

“This is not transparent, fair, or just. It’s yet another public blunder coming out of City Hall that makes the people of Los Angeles continue to question the motives and trustworthiness of our city’s leaders,” said the union, criticizing City Hall’s decision to handle the issue.

This is a developing story and we will continue to report as more details become available. 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass fired Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley who served as not only the first woman, but also the first openly out fire chief, after receiving pushback from the Palisades fire.

Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement at noon on Friday ahead of the press conference regarding Crowley’s immediate removal.

“Acting in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department, I have removed Kristin Crowley as Fire Chief,” said Bass. “We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch.

This move comes after Bass and Crowley disagreed on tensions surrounding the blame for the fires back in January. Crowley blamed Bass for budget cuts that she says impacted their response time for the Palisades fire that caused thousands of structures to be damaged and destroyed. Shortly after, Crowley spoke to the media regarding budget cuts approved by Mayor Bass, a petition for the removal of Bass as mayor began circulating and received 172,137 verified signatures.

Bass summoned Crowley into her quarters on Jan. 10, where they met for quite a while, where rumors began to circulate about Crowley being fired.

Bass is claiming that Crowley did not alert or warn her of the incoming windstorm that was widely expected and publicized days in advance of Jan. 7, making the ideal conditions for fires to start in the high-risk areas of Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon.

“Furthermore, a necessary step to an investigation was the President of the Fire Commission telling Chief Crowley to do an after action report on the fires. The Chief refused. These require her removal. The heroism of our firefighters–during the Palisades fire and every single day–is without question. Bringing new leadership to the Fire Department is what our city needs.”

Former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva will serve as interim fire chief. Villanueva is a Latino leader with over 40 years of experience in the LAFD. He will serve as interim chief as the search for the next fire chief is now underway.

Following Trump’s executive order, healthcare facilities like the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles have paused the initiation of gender-affirming treatments and St. John’s Community Health is unable to access the rest of a $4 million dollar grant to continue providing services for trans and nonbinary people. 

The Children’s Hospital of LA has been known as a refuge from discrimination in a country that has set forth many restrictions for trans healthcare and other barriers for equitable access to life-saving services. 

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez (CD-13) released a statement regarding their move to pause surgeries and hormone replacement therapy. 

“In Los Angeles, we won’t abandon our most vulnerable communities when they need us most. Instead of caving to Trump’s threats, we must come together, mobilize resources, and ensure every child continues to receive the care they need,” said Soto-Martinez. “We urge Children’s Hospital LA to take a stand against these hateful and illegal policies – and work with the city to ensure this critical care can continue.”

St. John’s was the first healthcare provider which reported service impacts as a result of Trump’s executive orders. On Monday, they reported that the CDC terminated a federal grant that started in 2022 through the CDC’s HIV prevention program. The grant allowed St. John’s to operate a program for transgender adults that included life-saving resources like health education, substance abuse treatment, food stamps, HIV testing and connections for social service programs. 

St. John’s released a statement regarding the loss of funding, stating that they believe the revocation of the fund is in direct violation of both the law and the court of order which restored federal funding after the temporary freeze.

Other top leaders in California have also responded, reminding California hospitals and federally-funded healthcare providers that they have an ongoing obligation under California’s anti-discrimination laws to continue providing care. 

California leaders support transgender youth to live as their authentic selves and they have issued reminders and notices of the state’s obligation to continue supporting patients. 

“We will not let the President turn back the clock or deter us from upholding California values. I understand that the President’s executive order on gender affirming care has created some confusion,” said Att. General Bonta in a statement. “Let me be clear: California law has not changed, and hospitals and clinics have a legal obligation to provide equal access to healthcare services.”

Attorney General Bonta joined 14 other Democratic General Attorneys nationwide in defense of trans youth. Late January, Att. General Bonta and 22 other state attorneys general filed suit in federal district court to halt the federal government’s illegal efforts to freeze $3 trillion in vital federal funding. 

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado stepped in to say that she stands with trans, gender diverse and intersex patients who rely on these life-saving resources.

“Everyone deserves the chance to be their most authentic selves free of persecution. Gender-affirming care is health care. To those who have had their healthcare disrupted: I stand with you. I see you. I will fight for you,” said Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, CD-14. 

If Trump were to cut federal funding to all organizations and agencies that provide gender-affirming care and promote ‘gender ideology’ as his executive order puts it, then over 220,000 trans, gender nonconforming and intersex adults in California alone are at risk of losing access to gender-affirming care and having to engage in legal battles to obtain life-saving treatments.