Protesters shut down streets, disrupt traffic in South Los Angeles, Cerritos

Rob Hayes Image
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Protesters shut down streets, disrupt traffic in South Los Angeles, Cerritos
Black Lives Matter protesters staged six simultaneous protests Monday morning.

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Black Lives Matter protesters staged six simultaneous protests Monday morning.

They started out peaceful, but soon turned disruptive and confrontational. Frustrated motorists were upset that protesters shut down the intersection of South Street and Gridley Road in Cerritos for more than 15 minutes.

The blockage jammed traffic and drew mixed reactions from drivers caught in the mess.

Another protest was held outside the Los Angeles Police Department's Newton Division in South Los Angeles. The mother of Ezell Ford, a mentally ill, unarmed man who was shot and killed by officers last August, said she wants answers.

"Today I still don't know what really happened to my son and I'm waiting for answers from the police," Tritobia Ford said.

There was also a demonstration at Artesia and Pires Avenue, where 21-year-old Nephi Arriguin was shot by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy after allegedly hitting the deputy with his car.

During all of the demonstrations, speakers called for widespread disruptions of everyday life, promising to shut down freeways and airports.