BLM protesters clash with riot police in protest over Biden appointment of LA mayor

Critics say Eric Garcetti’s record on homelessness and public transport is disqualifying

BLM protesters clash with riot cops in protest over Biden appointment of LA mayor (Getty Images)

Black Lives Matter protestors clashed with police in Los Angeles over the possible appointment of the city’s mayor to the Joe Biden administration.

Activists have protested outside Eric Garcetti’s home for two weeks to persuade the president-elect to not give him a cabinet job.

BLM and other demonstrators say that Mr Garcetti’s record on transportation and homelessness in the city should be disqualifying.

Mr Garcetti has been linked to both portfollios in Mr Biden’s White House.

He endorsed Mr Biden as the Democratic nominee back in January and will now help organise the inauguration.

Los Angeles Police Department officers in riot gear engaged with protestors outside Getty House, the mayor’s official residence, on Sunday with officers being filmed striking with batons.

“LAPD advanced without warning and violently attacked us,” said Black Lives Matter Los Angeles in a statement.

An LAPD spokeswoman said the officers were “in crowd management mode” when they saw someone using a bullhorn in violation of a municipal code and tried to make an arrest.

When that happened the crowd “moved in on officers, punching, pushing and kicking at officers,” said LAPD’s Melissa Podany.

“They basically ambushed us, and swung their batons,” countered BLM LA co-founder Melina Abdullah.

LAPD eventually declared an unlawful assembly and arrested one person on suspicion of removing another person from police custody, according to Ms Podany.

The arrested person was Jamie Penn, a representative on the local neighbourhood council, according to the Los Angeles Times.

She later said she had been trying to prevent an older person from being trampled when she was arrested.

“I don’t know how the person could have been arrested for attempting to intervene in an arrest when no one was arrested, no one was doing anything that was illegal or violent,” said Ms Abdullah said.

“We had two people who were hospitalized, we had someone who had her teeth knocked out.

“We had elders who were tackled to the ground —over 70 years old— tackled and pinned on the ground.”

The activists said they intend to protest again outside Mr Garcetti’s house on Monday.

“There is no acceptable justification for LAPD to use force against Angelenos who are peacefully exercising their right to free speech,” said Los Angeles city councillor Nithya Raman.

In total at least three people have been arrested since the protest began.