BEVERLY HILLS—An unlawful assembly was declared and one person was arrested in the Beverly Hills protest on Saturday, August 29. Supporters of President Donald Trump occupied the streets and conflicted with counter-protesters, as a part of recent series of protests in the region.

The protest was mainly by the side of Trump supporters, who criticized the Mayor’s COVID-19 measures including business restrictions and face covering rules, Beverly Hills police Lt. Max Subin said to the Canyon News. At 2:46 p.m., the Beverly Hills Police Department announced the “peaceful” protest to the public via an alert. Eighty protesters gathered at Beverly Gardens Park at the Beverly Hills sign. Both sides insulted each other, and authorities shut down the traffic after a suspicious item was discovered, Subin noted. The item was discovered to be safe after an investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Subin told to the Canyon News.

At 3:29 p.m., authorities warned the public to avoid the area of N. Santa Monica Blvd. between Crescent Drive & Rodeo Drive, after the groups moved to that area. A member of the counter-protest group threw an object at officers, and police announced an unlawful assembly at 4:21 p.m., the BHPD reported. Authorities alerted the crowd to disperse, and one person was arrested with a felony of using threatening language or behavior while interfering with police efforts to break up the crowd, Lt. Subin told the Los Angeles Times.

The pro-Trump protest was named “Freedom Rally,” and  organizer Shiva Bagheri stated she was upset with Beverly Hills Mayor Lester Friedman who she says “is not a leader but a follower.” Bagheri is against local face covering requirements, claiming life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness in a video posted on Twitter.

Some protesters moved to the Mayor Friedman’s house located on a residential street  between Sunset and Santa Monica boulevards, and chanted “Blue Lives Matter.” One of the protesters, a student at Beverly Hills High School, claimed the need of going to school physically, saying he has to go to a chiropractor due to the physical burden of remote learning.

The city of Beverly Hills prosecuted protesters for a curfew violation during a protest in June.