Only one of them will speak. We had a bomb threat,'' he says. He has a shotgun in his arms. Rocks and bottles are being thrown at police. Police announce that the area must be cleared in 20 minutes.
People try to leave.
There are a few thousand people and one way out. When the 20 minutes are up and only half the crowd is out, LAPD mounted riot control officers ride in and begin firing hundreds of rubber bullets. They catch journalists and guests of the party for delegates along with rowdy demonstrators. City Council aide Kevin Rudiger was astonished by the level of police force. I've been in scenes of violent demonstrations, but this had my jaw dropping.