Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters rally in Los Angeles on Black Friday

LOS ANGELES - Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters rallied in the Fairfax District Friday, marching through city streets and into The Grove shopping center as part of a nationwide effort demanding an immediate and lasting ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, as well as an end to U.S. aid for Israel.

Backers of the Shut It Down for Palestine effort organized boycotts, disruptions and rallies on Black Friday across the country "to make it clear that there will be no business as usual until Palestine is free," according to the ANSWER Coalition, one of the local organizers.

The coalition's name is an acronym for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism.

The group initially gathered at 10 a.m. in Pan Pacific Park adjacent to The Grove shopping center, which was bustling with Black Friday shoppers. Many in the crowd at the park waved signs, including one reading "Stop killing children," and took part in organized chants, including, "Israel is a terror state."

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A short time later, the crowd moved out of the park and began marching on city streets around the area, passing entrances to The Grove, and eventually several hundred people began marching through the outdoor shopping center itself. By late morning, no major disturbances had been reported inside the center.

The group then moved back onto city streets, circling the area of the grove before eventually gathering at the intersection of Third Street and Fairfax Avenue, where many sat in the intersection. The group also brought in several trucks to block traffic in all directions.

Reports from the scene indicated some small skirmished erupted during the march, but there were no immediate reports of arrests or injuries.

The Los Angeles Police Department went on a citywide tactical alert in response to the march, allowing the agency to keep officers on duty beyond their normal shifts to respond to a major incident.

"The LAPD's objective is to ensure public safety for ALL, while facilitating the Frist Amendment rights of those peacefully demonstrating," the department said in a statement earlier Friday as the protest began. "Equally the department will enforce the law when individuals engage in acts of violence."