Officers deploy tear gas, rubber bullets to clear protesters in downtown L.A.

A day of peaceful protests in downtown Los Angeles took a turn late Saturday afternoon when law enforcement began ordering the thousands of demonstrators to disperse from the area surrounding the L.A. Federal Building complex.

Officers deployed flashbangs and tear gas, and Sky5 captured the moment officers on foot and horseback moved into the large crowd. The L.A. Police Department reported that some protesters were “becoming increasingly unruly” and that people were throwing rocks, bricks, bottles, and other objects.

The dispersal order covered Alameda Street between Aliso and Temple, and Los Angeles Street between Aliso and Temple. Additionally, the LAPD stated that all on- and off-ramps of the 101 Freeway would remain closed between Alameda Street and the 110 Freeway.

Police also told protestors to leave the Civic Center area near 1st and Broadway. As officers cleared the crowds, around 7:30 p.m., LAPD said commercial-grade fireworks were being launched at officers near Broadway and 3rd Street.

Saturday’s protests in Los Angeles and hundreds of locations across the U.S. coincided with Flag Day, the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army, and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.

According to a spokesperson with “No Kings,” over 200,000 people participated in demonstrations across the Los Angeles region, with nearly 5 million total demonstrators across the country.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators in the Los Angeles area took to the streets to protest the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy and recent raids in Southern California.

A curfew will be in place beginning at 8 p.m. on Saturday night through 6 a.m. Sunday morning.