Black Lives Matter protesters and other activists interrupted a speech by Mayor Eric Garcetti at a town hall meeting in South Los Angeles, then blocked his car as he attempted to leave.
No arrests were made, according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Mike Lopez, but police were forced to clear a path for Garcetti’s vehicle, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The community meeting Monday was in its second hour at the Holman United Methodist Church when the unrest escalated, The Times reported.
One speaker accused Garcetti of “treating the symptoms” of a rising crime rate by sending more officers to troubled areas, The Times reported.
Other speakers shouted over each other, according to The Times.
“You can boo. You can do whatever you want,” Garcetti said.
Afterwards, the mayor issued a statement saying he was disappointed by what happened when “there is so much work for us to do together.”
The meeting ended when protesters swarmed the church altar, The Times reported.
—City News Service