Donald Trump

Thousand Turn Out For LA Tax Day Protests

An estimated 10,000 to 12,000 people marched Saturday in downtown Los Angeles to demand that President Donald Trump release his tax returns.

The march began at 11 a.m. at Pershing Square at Fifth and Olive streets and wound up at Los Angeles City Hall, where speakers included local and state lawmakers.

No arrests or injuries were reported, according to Officer Aareon Jefferson of LAPD Media Relations.

Event organizers for the march said the event was meant to demand transparency and fairness from the president.

"Throughout his campaign, Donald Trump told the American people he would release his tax returns. Despite intense public pressure, President Trump has not yet done so -- breaking with 40 years of precedent in the process," said a statement on the Tax March website. "His administration's excuse? 'People don't care.' We do care. Without seeing his tax returns, we have no idea what he's hiding.''

April 15 is normally the national deadline for people to file their tax returns, although this year since the date falls on a Saturday, the deadline has been moved to Tuesday because the District of Columbia is observing Emancipation Day, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Similar marches took place across the country today, including one in the nation's capital.

In Berkeley, at least four people have been arrested after violence broke out Saturday between groups of supporters and detractors of President Donald Trump holding rallies in downtown Berkeley. About 200 people were at Berkeley's Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park when several people started pushing each other. Dozens of police officers in riot gear were standing nearby and quickly arrested one man. Others were arrested as several fistfights broke out.

Demonstrators have left the park and are walking on Berkeley streets while police closely follow them.

The rally follows a March 4 confrontation planned by several of the same groups that left several people injured and led to arrests.

In February, protesters threw rocks, broke windows and set fires outside the UC Berkeley's student union building, where then-Breitbart News editor and provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos was set to speak. His presentation was cancelled.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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