Protest against the Summit of the Americas closes streets in DTLA

Los Angeles police have advised drivers to avoid streets in downtown Los Angeles as protestors have closed several roads. 

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, drivers should use alternate routes and should expect "rolling street closures." Police initially advised drivers to avoid Olive Street near Pico Boulevard. As protestors continued to march, they updated the street closures to Figueroa Street and Pico Boulevard near Crypto.com Arena. 

According to the People's Summit, the protest was in response to the Summit of the Americas which has brought world leaders, including President Joe Biden, to Los Angeles. 

"As people from across the Americas, we will march to reject this Summit of Exclusion. Biden's Summit has unilaterally barred Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua from this space of regional debate," the group said in a press release.

The organizations said in the press release they expected more than 200 groups to participate. LAPD said a few hundred people showed up to the protest. 

The crowd began to disperse when the protest reached LA Trade Tech College at Washington Boulevard and Grand Avenue.