(LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA) — Demonstrators gathered at Placita Olvera on January 24, 2026, to protest the fatal shooting of 37-year-old American citizen and ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents (Border Patrol/ICE) in south Minneapolis earlier that morning.

At least 400 people took part in the downtown Los Angeles rally, which grew to block traffic on Los Angeles Street and then congregated in front of the federal building.

Chants included “The people united will never be defeated,” as the crowd moved through the area and expanded into other neighborhoods.

By nightfall, LAPD issued a dispersal order before 9 p.m. on Alameda Street between Temple and Aliso streets. The main rally ended without major incidents, and police reported no arrests there.

Demonstrators also organized interfaith vigils and anti-ICE demonstrations outside the federal building, with protesters shouting at officers on one side while leaders prayed on the other.

Crowds spread beyond downtown into North Hollywood, Boyle Heights, and other areas as the day unfolded, reflecting a wider citywide response.

A member of the Democratic Socialists of America used a megaphone to denounce ICE for “murdering and kidnapping our neighbors,” urging labor unions to carry out political strikes and calling for abolition of ICE.

Organizer Jordan Pena called for unity against “barbaric and dehumanizing acts” targeting protesters who document federal operations.

LAPD monitored the demonstrations with a helicopter overhead, and officers later issued dispersal orders to some lingering crowds after the main rally concluded.

The Los Angeles protests followed the death of Pretti at approximately 9 a.m. near Nicollet Avenue and 26th Street outside Glam Doll Donuts during Operation Metro Surge, a federal immigration crackdown.

Videos show Pretti, a lawful gun permit holder, directing traffic and holding a phone, not a gun initially, as he intervened amid agents pursuing a man wanted for domestic assault.

Footage also shows agents struggling with him on the ground, with one hitting him with a gun before firing multiple shots as he lay prone. A NYT analysis described “10 in 5 seconds.”

Tricia McLaughlin, DHS spokesperson, said Pretti “approached with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun” and “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him, prompting “defensive shots” as agents feared for their lives.

“approached with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun”

“violently resisted”

McLaughlin identified the gun as a “SIG Sauer Emperor Scorpion with two magazines,” and a handgun photo was released.

Brian O’Hara, Minneapolis Police Chief, confirmed Pretti died an hour later. Agents called 911 and provided aid, he said.

The shooting marked the second fatal ICE-related shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis this month, after Renée Good on January 7, and it drew over 100 local protesters amid tear gas, flash bangs, and 2 arrests.

Political leaders and party officials offered sharply different reactions as the protests widened.

LA Mayor Karen Bass called for an end to armed federal presence and condemned the violence.

“This violence has to stop. remove these armed federal forces from Minneapolis and other American cities,”

Bass also called Operation Metro Surge “unacceptable” for claiming innocent lives and terrorizing families.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he spoke with the White House after “another horrific shooting by federal agents.”

O’Hara said DHS provided limited information about the incident, and he refused an ICE demand to dismiss local police.

The LA County Republican Party Chairman urged caution in assigning blame. “We were not present. neither was Mayor Karen Bass,” the chairman said.

Trump Officials branded Pretti a “terrorist” planning “maximum damage and massacre.”

A judge granted a restraining order against DHS as protests continued amid national tensions surrounding federal immigration enforcement and incidents in Minneapolis.

In Los Angeles, Pena framed the Minneapolis shooting as part of a broader pattern tied to enforcement operations and the response to those who document them. “barbaric and dehumanizing acts” became a refrain as demonstrators moved from Placita Olvera toward the federal building and nearby streets.