Thousands of people took to the streets in Southern California on Sunday to protest President Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations. The largest demonstration took place in downtown Los Angeles, where protesters blocked a major freeway for several hours.
The march began in the morning at LA’s historic Olvera Street, a site with ties to Spanish and Mexican history, before heading toward City Hall. Demonstrators rallied for immigration reform, displaying banners with messages such as “Nobody is illegal.”
By the afternoon, protesters had blocked all lanes of U.S. 101, causing significant traffic delays in both directions, including on surface streets. The demonstrators sat down in the lanes while California Highway Patrol officers stood nearby. It took over five hours for the freeway to be cleared, according to CHP Lt. Matt Gutierrez.
Both the CHP and the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that no arrests were made during the protest.
In Riverside, to the east, hundreds of people also took part in the protest. Demonstrators gathered at an intersection, waving flags, as passing drivers honked and shouted their support.
In San Diego, hundreds of people gathered near the city’s convention center on Sunday to protest.
Meanwhile, in Texas, demonstrators assembled in downtown Dallas for two separate rallies against recent arrests made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Dallas police estimated that around 1,600 people participated in the protests.
Protesters carried both Mexican and American flags, and speakers voiced their anger over President Trump’s rhetoric and his administration’s efforts to escalate deportations. One of the signs held by marchers read, “Immigrants Make America Great.”