Contact: Ermias Alemayehu, BOND, 323-782-1980, 213-804-1872

LOS ANGELES, May 10 /Christian Newswire/ -- In the wake of last week's clash between Los Angeles police officers and pro-illegal alien supporters, the FBI is being called in to investigate; and two high ranking veteran officers have been downgraded and reassigned. The action stems from a May 1 rally in MacArthur Park where LAPD officers were forced to use batons and fire rubber bullets to disperse 75 to 100 violent agitators. The group attacked officers with bottles and frozen cans. A few officers were videotaped pushing and hitting protestors and members of the media. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief William Bratton both prematurely condemned the actions of the officers, prompting Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, a Los Angeles based activist and leader to call for a fair investigation into this matter.

"Shame on Mayor Villaraigosa and Chief Bratton for giving the benefit of the doubt to the criminals over the police," said Rev. Peterson. "The mayor is absolutely pandering to Hispanics and illegals." He added, "Where's the compassion for the injured officers; where's the outrage over illegal aliens, communists, and anarchist thugs attacking the cops? We don't need the FBI to investigate, we need INS and ICE to detain and send these illegal aliens back to Mexico."

According to reports, some of the agitators provoked the cops, calling them "fascist pigs." They also beat "war drums" while waving Mexican and communist flags and refused police orders to disperse. Ten officers and more than a dozen protestors and members of the media were injured during the melee. The LAPD and the Police Commission are expected to present a full review of the incident within 30 days. 

"Our lawmakers and city officials have perverted the law to the point where criminals have more rights than law enforcement officers. These officers deserve a fair hearing! City leaders must stop playing politics and stop endangering the security of our citizens," Rev. Peterson said.

Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson is Founder and President of BOND (Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny); a Los Angeles based nonprofit organization. He's also an author, columnist, and sought after speaker, who appears in the media as an expert commentator on race, family, and gender issues. For more information, visit www.bondinfo.org