Los Angeles Downtown News - For Everything Downtown L.A.!: For Everything Downtown L.A.!

The crowd of five thousand or so today in downtown Los Angeles wanted to march along Fifth Street to Pershing Square, but the police blocked the way. The march was supposed to end at Pershing Square, so blocking the way was like creating an unnecessary confrontation. I looked to shoot a gap in the line of officers. I don't condone violence. And I don't keep quiet about it, no matter who does the swinging. All the folks I know in the Occupy Movement are non-violent, and I look forward to peacefully participating in more events that show our fearless leaders what we think of this economy they have created. But hitting someone, especially a small woman, in the back of the head with something like a snare drum is an especially needless act of violence. I repudiate it.

Downtown News photographer Gary Leonard was at Clifton's Cafeteria last week, as workers lowered a veil over the old, damaged facade in preparation for a public unveiling. The facade was exposed for a while before it was prepped for the media event.

If you had a friend visiting from out of town, what is the one place in Downtown that you would insist on taking them? Thanks to everyone who participated: Carlo Vega, Brandon Bennet, Gary Malbrough, Rachel Washington, Eduardo Farias, Chris Shand, Jessie Constentino, Clarence Williams, H.P., Ashley Pillors, Bianca Pratt and Jenny Jauch.

Protestors pledge to stay put.

From DTLA Notebook: Elwood's 1996 video "1st and Hope," eschews the modern skate video editing mantra of trick, cut, trick, cut, trick, cut, and instead celebrates the improvised lines skaters dream up as they roll high speed down their invented street courses. A trio of skaters slaloms down Grand Avenue; they make their way to Little Tokyo and pop in for ramen and beers at Daikokuya; they skate the pedestrian bridge over Figueroa street, playing flatland games with Pizzanista's Salman Agah; you get the sense that they're going somewhere. That's how people skate. The sport, to me, was always first and foremost a means of exploring and being engaged with the fabric and geography of one's city.