Wondering if there’s going to be trouble during the Democratic National Convention? The answer may come the day before the big event starts, on Sunday, Aug. 13.
A downtown protest march scheduled for that day is being seen by some central city business people as a bellwether for the entire convention. If there’s trouble during the march, some plan to lock their doors and stay home for the whole week; if not, they might just go to the office as normal.
Police said the largest protest expected Aug. 13 is being organized by supporters of death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal. Some of the rowdiest protesters at the Republican National Convention were also Abu-Jamal supporters, though LAPD officials were uncertain whether the same people who marched in Philadelphia will be involved in the Los Angeles event.
A coalition group of Abu-Jamal supporters has a permit to march from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 13, according to LAPD spokesman Lt. Horace Frank, who did not have details on where the march would take place. Jack Kyser, chief economist with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., said the group is set to march from Pershing Square west on Sixth Street to Figueroa Street, then south to Staples Center.
“It’s expected to be a big one,” Kyser said.
Dean Perton, associate vice president at Catellus Development Corp. in downtown L.A., is keeping a close eye on what happens at the march.
“I think what we see on Sunday (will reflect the overall) level of demonstrations that materializes,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a clear indication yet.”
Robert Maguire of MaguirePartners, a firm that owns 6 million square feet of downtown office space, says a trouble-free day on Sunday would certainly help calm the fears among downtown business people.
“If it starts smoothly, you have a leg up in terms of maintaining that atmosphere and attitude,” Maguire said. “It’s very important that people stay in town and stay involved. I think it would be a very bad idea if the streets were deserted.”
Peklar Pilavjian, a co-owner of St. Vincent Jewelry Center next to Pershing Square, said he is recommending that tenants stay away for the week, if possible. Pilavjian said he is asking jewelry merchants not to put their wares out in the windows.
“There’s no sense in wrecking anybody’s lives,” Pilavjian said.
