Overview
- Caltrans installed swing gates at the Los Angeles Street on- and off-ramps to the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles ahead of Saturday’s No Kings protests.
- The California Highway Patrol requested the gates as a proactive safety step, and officers will decide when to close the ramps while coordinating with Caltrans.
- Caltrans says the Los Angeles Street gates are permanent, though officials have not detailed how many other ramps citywide could get similar barriers.
- Dozens of demonstrations are planned across Southern California on Saturday, with a downtown rally scheduled for the afternoon; one outlet estimated turnout could reach 50,000, which remains a projection.
- Officials point to past freeway incursions and clashes during protests in 2020, 2024, and 2025 as the reason for the gates, aiming to reduce risks for pedestrians and drivers and to limit sudden traffic shutdowns.