April 30--In a weekend full of political rallies and labor protests, the latest wave of people will hit downtown Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon when backers of Bernie Sanders converge to voice support for the Democratic presidential candidate and higher wages for laborers.
Sanders supporters are expected to gather at Olympic Boulevard and Main Street and march the 10 blocks to City Hall beginning at 3 p.m., said Officer Norma Eisenman, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman.
The permit for the event allows for 1,000 people to participate, Eisenman said.
Unlike recent demonstrations in Costa Mesa and the Bay Area, in which protesters took violently to the streets and clashed with police over their oppostion to Donald Trump's run for the White House, Los Angeles police expect Saturday's event to be peaceful, Eisenman said.
"We'll have extra officers on hand to monitor things, as we always do, but we have no indication anything unusual is expected," she said.
Organizers could not be reached for comment, but Sanders is not scheduled to attend the event.
Saturday's march comes a day after thousands of unionized janitors took to the streets of downtown to demand higher wages and expanded rights.
The weekend will culminate Sunday, when thousands of people are expected downtown for May Day demonstrations that will rally for immigrant rights and improved working conditions and pay for laborers.
After years of May Day celebrations, including the massive gathering a decade ago that drew hundreds of thousands of people, LAPD is well-versed in monitoring and shepherding protests through downtown's congested streets.
"We'll be using the play book that we have successfully used for a number of years," said LAPD Assistant Chief Michel Moore, adding that police officials have been meeting with event organizers in recent months to prepare.
joel.rubin@latimes.com
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