Los Angeles Council Orders Withdrawal of Bid to Weaken Court Limits on LAPD at Protests

Overview

• The City Council voted 12-0 to direct City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto to pull an emergency motion that sought to lift or stay a federal order protecting journalists and nonviolent protesters.
• Hours after the vote, the city informed the court it was withdrawing the request, while LAist separately reported a judge denied the motion on procedural grounds.
• U.S. District Judge Hernán D. Vera issued the September injunction after the Los Angeles Press Club and Status Coup sued over June incidents, citing a recurring pattern of unlawful force against the press.
• The city argued the order creates ambiguous, impracticable standards and sought relief ahead of large 'No Kings' protests, but council sponsors Eunisses Hernandez and Monica Rodriguez criticized the filing.
• The city has also appealed to the Ninth Circuit, with a hearing tentatively set for mid-November, as officials cite more than $68 million in police-related liability costs and urge protections for peaceful demonstrators and reporters.