LOS ANGELES, CA – A social media content creator says he was choked, punched in the jaw and stabbed in the leg at the end of a “No Kings” protest in downtown Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Police Department said it had no record of any arrests connected to the attack.
The creator, who identified himself only as Dante and runs the account In The Streets LA, said the attack happened Saturday, Oct. 17, near the Metropolitan Detention Center after the protest ended. He said he needed medical attention for his injuries.
Dante said he believes his interviews with people from across the political spectrum made him a target. The account of the assault comes from Dante himself, and no official page or police statement describes the stabbing.
Creator describes choking, punch and leg wound
Dante said he was choked, punched in the jaw and stabbed in the leg. He said the attack came after the demonstration wound down, outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, where a handful of protesters had gathered.
He did not describe the people who attacked him, and the information available does not say how many people were involved. It also does not say where he received treatment or whether he was taken to a hospital.
Dante said he is not angry but disappointed. “Anything physical can harm us. Pain is temporary, and we’ve all been hurt before,” he said.
Accused of “snitch-jacketing”
Dante said he was accused of “snitch-jacketing” people. The term describes labeling someone a snitch or a police informant, which can put that person at risk.
He described the accusation this way: “It’s when they call you a snitch and say that you’re a police informant when you’re really just there for your own reasons.” He said he believes the handful of protesters outside the detention center took exception to his interviews.
Interviews span political views
In The Streets LA features interviews with protesters and with people who hold a range of political beliefs. Dante said about 80% of his content is liberal-leaning, but he has also interviewed Zionists and supporters of President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
He said he supports the protest movement. “I’m for the movement,” he said. “I’m just not for people hijacking things and using oppression to fight oppression, which is totally backwards.”
Dante said he plans to keep interviewing people with different backgrounds and political beliefs despite the attack.
Criticism of press members at the scene
Dante said journalists and other members of the press were nearby when he was attacked. He said he was disappointed by what he described as a lack of intervention from them.
“As I looked around, I saw press members turning a blind eye to what was happening to me,” he said. That account is his own, and the information available does not identify anyone he was referring to.
Rally began at Grand Park
The daytime “No Kings: Vote Early” rally began at Gloria Molina Grand Park, near City Hall. A march was scheduled to follow Spring Street for about 1.5 miles and return to City Hall, with the event set to end about 5 p.m.
Hundreds of people attended, a smaller crowd than at earlier No Kings rallies. The event promoted early voting ahead of the November midterm elections.
The downtown event was organized by 50501 SoCal with more than 30 partner organizations. Assemblyman Isaac Bryan was among the scheduled speakers.
The LAPD said on the day of the rally that the demonstration did not have a permit but remained peaceful, and that no arrests were made. The department also warned drivers to use caution on Spring, Los Angeles, Aliso, Commercial, 1st, Temple and Alameda streets near the Civic Center.
Earlier No Kings protest led to arrests
An earlier No Kings demonstration in downtown Los Angeles, known as No Kings 3.0, drew a different police outcome. According to a Chief of Police statement, LAPD officers made 72 arrests at that protest at Grand Park. Those included 63 adults and 8 juveniles for failure to disperse and one adult for possession of a dirk or dagger.
The statement also said one officer and two Mounted Unit horses sustained minor injuries at that protest. It concerns a separate event, and nothing in the available information connects it to the alleged attack on Dante.
LAPD publishes citywide assault data
The LAPD publishes crime mapping and COMPSTAT citywide profiles that include Part I crimes such as aggravated assault. The department has not published an incident report for the alleged attack on Dante.
No arrests recorded in connection with attack
A department spokesperson told a Los Angeles TV station that the LAPD had no record of any arrests connected to the alleged attack. The department has not released a news release, a report number or any description of suspects. No elected official has commented publicly on the case.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department.
For now, the only public account of the assault is Dante’s, and the police department has recorded no arrests in connection with it.
