Teen Stabbed At Downtown Immigration Protest Melee

LOS ANGELES, CA — One person was stabbed and is in critical condition following an outbreak of violence on the sixth consecutive day of immigration protests in Downtown Los Angeles Friday.

The victim, a 17-year-old boy, was rushed to the hospital by paramedics, said Los Angeles Police Department Officer Tony Im. The attacker, a juvenile, remained at large as of 5 p.m., he said.

The majority of protestors are high school students who walked out to protest President Trump's threat of mass deportations, which are deeply unpopular in a county where an estimated 1 in 10 are undocumented immigrants and foreign-born residents make up at least one-third of the population. The protests all week had been peaceful, for the most part.

As of Friday, there were no confirmed reports of ICE raids or sweeps in Los Angeles County. A spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement told Patch the agency conducts targeted arrests — frequently individuals with arrest records.

The protest began earlier Friday morning near Los Angeles City Hall berfor marcing toward Grand Park.

However, at about 1:30 p.m., a fight broke out among some youths. Footage from the scene showed students fleeing in various directions following the stabbing.

Los Angeles police declared the protest an unlawful assembly. The students were ordered to disperse.

The public is advised to avoid the area as Spring Street will be closed from Temple Street to 1st Street while investigators gather evidence and locate witnesses.

This investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to call LAPD Major Crimes Detectives at (213) 486-7280 between 6:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

Many false reports of ICE raids have circulated around Los Angeles, which is considered a sanctuary city.

ICE "Enforcement and Removal Operations law enforcement activity takes place around the clock however, ICE does not conduct raids or sweeps, nor does the agency operate roadblocks or checkpoints, an agency's spokesperson told Patch. "ICE’s enforcement resources are based on intelligence-driven leads and ICE officers do not target noncitizens indiscriminately."