Timetable of Confrontation
Rage Against the Machine, a Los Angeles rock band, took the stage Monday evening at the designated protest area near Staples Center. After its concert ended and a second band played, trouble erupted. A timetable, with approximate times, of key events:
* 5 p.m. Crowd of about 600 has formed around the stage. It's made up mostly of Rage fans, not protesters.
* 6:15 p.m. Marchers begin to arrive in the protest area.
* 6:45 p.m. The band takes the stage; lead singer Zack de le Rocha criticizes Democrats and Republicans, talks briefly about the crowd's right to protest. Group opens with "Fools on Parade." Among other songs: "Testify," 'Guerrilla Radio," "Killing in the Name."
* 7 p.m. The crowd pushes forward as the band keeps playing. Police helicopters hover overhead and officers gather nearby.
* 7 p.m. About this time, away from view of most concert-goers, a black-shirted anarchist climbs the fence separating Staples from the protest area. Police fire pepper spray at him; protesters throw bottles at police. The scene is calmed down as concert continues.
* 7:23 p.m. Rage leaves the stage; band members quickly leave the backstage area.
* 7:30 p.m. Police confiscate 15-foot-tall puppets left unattended; later police give up puppets.
* 7:35 p.m. After short break, another band, Ozomatli, begins its show.
* 7:40 p.m. About 25 to 35 anarchists mass at south end of protest zone and begin throwing rocks, bottles and pieces of concrete over south fence at police in riot gear. Police then use pepper spray on people along the fence.
* 7:45 p.m. Anarchists continue throwing bottles, rocks and signs from behind mass of reporters and cameramen. Richard Montoya, the concert emcee from the Culture Clash comedy group, asks people to stop throwing things.
* 7:52 p.m. One anarchist climbs to top of south fence, and flies small black flag.
* 8 p.m. Another anarchist joins him atop fence with another black flag.
* 8:07 p.m. With Ozomatli playing, police shut down the lights on stage, though not the loudspeaker system.
* 8:10 p.m. LAPD Cmdr. Gary Brennan identifies himself over speaker system, declares an illegal assembly, and directs people to leave.
* 8:15 p.m. Most of the several thousand concert-goers have begun filing out. But a core of 800 to 1,000 people remains near the stage and along the south fence.
* 8:20 p.m. LAPD directs its officers to "move in."
