President Joe Biden arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday for the Summit of the Americas at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Just after the president arrived, a group of protesters stood near Figueroa and 11th streets. A woman jumped in front of a motorcade which was empty at the time. The Secret Service tackled her to the ground. The Los Angeles Police Department assisted in his arrest. The woman said she was protesting for women’s rights.
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Biden was greeted by the governor. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Eric Garcetti at Los Angeles International Airport just before 2 p.m. He must first travel to Hollywood to record an appearance for “Jimmy Kimmel Live” at the El Capitan Theater complex on Hollywood Boulevard. He is then scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. with summit delegates at the Microsoft Theater before his 5:15 p.m. remarks at the summit’s inaugural ceremony.
The president’s exact route between Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles has not been released, but area motorists should anticipate a possible turnover. closures to accommodate a presidential motorcade.
A senior administration official said the summit “is an opportunity for us to come together as a hemisphere to address some of the key concerns of people in the region, including achieving and maintaining economic prosperity, climate change, the migration crisis and COVID. -19 pandemic. Five official documents will be released at the summit, “reflecting an ambitious hemispheric consensus on everything from supporting civil society to promoting digital connectivity,” the official said.
Biden announced the “Partnership of the Americas for Economic Prosperity,” a five-pronged effort to strengthen regional economies by building on free trade agreements and addressing “inequality and lack of economic opportunity. and Equity” at the opening ceremony on Wednesday. The president is also expected to announce more than $300 million in regional assistance to address food insecurity, health initiatives to prepare for future pandemics, and a partnership with the Caribbean community to address climate issues. On Friday, the final day of the summit, Biden and other leaders are expected to sign the “Los Angeles Declaration on Migration,” which is described as a pact to pursue a “comprehensive” approach to addressing the crisis.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will not attend the rally, even though his country is among the nations expected to sign the declaration. Obrador withdrew from the summit due to the Biden administration’s refusal to invite the autocratic leaders of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
A protest rally, called the People’s Summit for Democracy, was held at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. Other protests outside the summit will also be staged by LA Republicans against high gas prices and inflation, and climate activists who say they will drop a banner from the La seventh street off the 110 freeway to speak out against the Biden administration’s reliance on fossil fuels. fuels.
This week’s gathering in Los Angeles marks the first time the Summit of the Americas is the first time a US city has hosted the event since 1994. The summit fits once every three or four years.
