More than 500 demonstrators gathered in downtown Tuesday to decry recent federal immigration raids and demand the Long Beach City Council allocate millions of dollars more to a municipal fund that provides legal aid to those facing deportation proceedings.
Protesters began assembling at Harvey Milk Promenade Park around 3 p.m. before marching the half-mile route to the Long Beach Civic Center, where another 5 p.m. rally was scheduled to push for the City Council to bolster its current sanctuary laws, which already bar most forms of cooperation with federal immigration officials.
Many rallygoers left as evening fell, but a smaller group of about 250 stayed beyond, blocking lanes as they marched on Ocean Boulevard. Eventually, they occupied the street in front of the Civic Center. Police formed a skirmish line and declared the assembly unlawful around 8 p.m…