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May Day protests generate few problems for L.A.

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The came from the east, west, north and south, but still the May Day marches and rallies across the city and in downtown Los Angeles were mostly peaceful, with most arrests taking place during a strike near Los Angeles International Airport, police said.

Thousands of workers, immigrant-rights activists and other protesters turned out in support of causes ranging from better-paying jobs to immigration reform, and the crowds were generally peaceful.

Four men and six women were taken into custody. The protesters sat in the middle of an intersection and were arrested for failing to disperse after an unlawful assembly was declared, police said.

After the arrests, most of the protesters dispersed.

A Los Angeles police officer suffered minor injuries when she was hit in the head with a skateboard during a skirmish with demonstrators about 5 p.m. at Fourth and Hill streets downtown, said Los Angeles police Officer Karen Rayner. The blow put a dent in her helmet, according to the Los Angeles Times. The assailant remains at large, Rayner said.

Only one arrest was reported in connection with the downtown protests, an officer at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Station said. The march downtown caused traffic disruptions, with street closures triggered to accommodate protesters as police, sheriff’s deputies and fire department personnel patroled on foot, by bicycle and Segways.

The downtown activities culminated with a large rally that began at 7 p.m. at Pershing Square.  A tactical alert was issued at 6:40 p.m. to keep officers available in case there should be problems, but none arose and the thousands who had thronged the square left by the time the park closed at 10:30 p.m., Rayner said, adding that the tactical alert was canceled around 9:45 p.m.

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