LAPD & the Protest at the LA Temple

These are some pictures taken by the Public Affairs director showing our support from the LAPD.


This picture is on the temple grounds right next to the Visitor's Center.




The picture below is at the main gate of the temple.

Prop 8 Protests at the Los Angeles Temple pics

During the day on Thursday the protestors surrounded the temple grounds. We had LAPD, SWAT, and LA Fire Dept. inside the temple grounds. There was word that the protesters were going to burn the temple down. So extra measure was taken. The SWAT team was in full riot gear and were hiding in the bushes and trees. In pics and video you can see that the police formed a barricade around the gates. My favorite part was our volunteer temple protectors. A large group of Polynesians came up to help out. I noticed on the news that the protesters had put a bunch of signs and posters on the fence of the temple but when I got to the temple they were all gone. I wondered where they all went. Later I found out that the polynesians had walked through the crowd and tore all the signs down. I think that is the greatest thing! Every sign was gone. Who is going to stop a bunch of pissed off polynesians?

The following are pictures from the day.

Prop 8

And these are some short videos that the head engineer took.

Prop 8 Protests at the Los Angeles Temple

On Thursday there were 2,000 to 3,000 people protesting in Westwood at the LA Temple. I did not get there until 9pm so I missed all the fun. When I got to the temple there were about 30 LAPD cop cars inside the temple grounds lined up waiting for action. By the time I took these pictures a lot of the cop cars had left.


These next few pics are from the top of the temple taken about midnight. The thousands who were there earlier are now obviously gone.

Prop 8 Protests in West Hollywood

On Wednesday night I decided to take the bus to the temple. I like to observe the different characters in this crazy city. I need to start wearing a hidden video camera on my person. Wednesday night I really wished I had one. So I'm on the bus cruising down Santa Monica Blvd. The police have the road blocked at Fairfax. So the bus driver goes south to Melrose and then west a few blocks and then heads north again on Crescent Heights back up to Santa Monica Blvd. The bus driver was thinking he had passed the traffic jam. We approach the intersection of Crescent Heights and Santa Monica Blvd and there is a large crowd of people. The bus driver can't turn around so he proceeds. The crowd has traffic stopped in every direction. When they see the bus moving through they attack the bus. A hundred or more people were hitting, pounding, screaming, rocking the bus, etc. They broke out a window, tore off the wiper blades and broke the mirrors off. One guy put his motor cycle in front of the bus and the bus driver rolled up on it. No damage was done but it was declared as an accident so the bus driver could not go anywhere until police arrived. Fire and police arrived and dispersed the angry crowd. Most everyone on the bus got off but I waited thinking it would only be a few minutes and the bus would be on its way. After a half hour the driver informs us that he can't go anywhere. He gives the remaining passengers a token and we exit. By this time the crowd has moved on. I start walking west to get out of the gridlocked protest zone in order to catch another bus. The very next bus stop I notice some of the other passengers from the bus that we were just on waiting for the bus. One girl recognized me and asked where I was going. I told her we needed to get out of the gridlock protest zone because no bus is going to make it through the congestion to this bus stop. As I was explaining I looked up and saw a bus coming. I was shocked. I thought how did that bus make it? I was thankful that the girl stopped me because otherwise I would have kept walking and missed that bus. The following pics are from my cell phone. Not very good but better than nothing.








So I'm on the bus and we make it through Beverly Hills and Century City no problem. When the bus gets to Beverly Glen I notice large crowds of people heading toward the temple. The bus stop for the temple is a block before the temple. I exit the bus right in front of a large crowd. I walk a nice brisk pace to stay well ahead of them. After witnessing the anger and hostility of the crowd a few minutes before I'm a little bit nervous. I call the temple radio phone for security and tell them about the crowd and not to lock me out. When I get to Manning and turn the corner out of the sight of the crowd I start hauling serious A--. LAPD is at the main gate in the process of getting everything under lockdown. The crowd came and made a bunch of noise but the big event is yet to come.

More on Prop 8

On Saturday my ward rallied at the intersection of Vermont and Melrose near the on-ramp to the 101 freeway. There wasn't much of a turnout but I think its pretty good for our ward. That intersection is extremely busy. We had more positive response than negative. Our stake president joined us which was way cool. He's a total awesome dude! Even though our ward rally was scanty it is good to know that pretty much every ward in California did something that day. Afterwards another person from my ward and I joined the Wilshire Ward at the intersection of Western and Pico. The Huntington Park stake (Spanish) gathered at the USC game. I wanted to join them but had to work. It would have been fun because USC is very liberal. It would have been cool to see the Spanish people united under the same cause.

PS Check out the road in disrepair in the last picture. Typical of LA. They try to keep up on it but when you have 900 billion cars on the streets it can easily get out of hand.