At a news conference outside police headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, community activists displayed canisters they claim were left in the streets that were used by police to fire rubber bullets into the crowd.
"This case is about the irony of people in the streets protesting against police brutality, and they're met with police brutality," said attorney Jorge Gonzalez.
In a statement Wednesday, the LAPD said 40 investigators have been assigned to ongoing investigations into "allegations of misconduct, violations of department policy, and excessive force during the recent civil unrest.
"We will look into every complaint thoroughly and hold every officer accountable for their actions," the statement said, adding that 56 complaint investigations have been opened, 28 of which involved alleged uses of force.
LAPD officers seen striking protesters with batons in Fairfax district confrontation captured on video
LAPD officers seen striking protesters with batons in altercation captured on video
Black Lives Matter co-founder Melina Abdullah said: "We also need to think about what the intention is. The intention is not just to cause harm against those who are directly met with batons, but also to have a chilling effect on protests."
Seven LAPD employees have been assigned to non-field duties as a result, the news release said.
Lawyers say the protesters were overall peaceful, yet the department used dangerous tactics. They say after the arrests, people were held for eight to 12 hours even though the offense was a violation of the curfew.
Mayor Eric Garcetti has said the police commission will look at video and the tactics used by the department during the protests to see if laws were followed properly.