Protests spread to cities nationwide over this week's police shootings

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Black Lives Matter protesters block the 405 Freeway in Inglewood on July 10.

(Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times)

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Protester Tammy Sum cries as she holds her son, Romeo Flores, during a Black Lives Matter rally in Inglewood on July 10. Protesters briefly blocked the 405 Freeway and held up traffic.

(Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter block traffic on the 405 Freeway in Inglewood on July 10.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter block traffic in both directiona on the 405 Freeway in Inglewood on July 10.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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LAPD officers watch as Black Lives Matter protesters block the 405 Freeway during a protest in Inglewood on July 10.

(Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter confront officers of the California Highway Patrol after briefly blocking traffic on the 405 Freeway in Inglewood on July 10.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters yell in celebration after shutting down the 405 Freeway during a Black Lives Matter protest in Inglewood on July 10.

(Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter lock arms and chant as they block traffic on the 405 Freeway in Inglewood on July 10.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Downtown Los Angeles resident Phoebe Unter, 24, writes a message regarding the police in chalk on the corner of La Cienega Boulevard and Manchester Street during a July 10 protest in Inglewood.

(Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter hold up signs as they head toward the 405 Freeway during a July 10 demonstration in Inglewood.

(Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times)

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Tatiana McLee-Jackson marches outside of the LAPD headquarters before the start of a protest in response to the police shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille.

(Dillon Deaton / Los Angeles Times)

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Protestors march outside the LAPD headquarters in response to the police shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Colton Jones protests outside LAPD headquarters in response to the police shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Jelecia Smith joins a small protest at Florence and Normandie Avenues against the fatal shootings of black men by police officers.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Barnard Miller raises his hands as he shouts at the LAPD headquarters before the start of a protest in response to the police shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille.

(Dillon Deaton / Los Angeles Times)

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Protest (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters gather in front of LAPD headquarters in response to the police shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters outside LAPD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Black Lives Matter protesters and others march in Los Angeles.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters outside Los Angeles City Hall.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Justin Mullen listens to a speaker outside LAPD headquarters during a Black Lives Matter protest downtown.

(Dillon Deaton / Los Angeles Times)

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Protester Akeem Henry and bus passengers raise their fists as the bus passes a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Los Angeles.

(Dillon Deaton / Los Angeles Times)

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A Black Lives Matter protest outside LAPD headquarters.

(Dillon Deaton / Los Angeles Times)

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Black Lives Matter protesters lead a demonstration outside Los Angeles City Hall.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Ernestine Brass, holding her 9-month-old daughter, Amy Green, protests the recent deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and other black men in the hands of the police. She was at the corner of Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Jr. in Los Angeles on July 7, 2016.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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Officer Flynn raises his Taser and tells protesters on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to stop blocking traffic and step back onto the sidewalk.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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Mac Bevans, left, and Karone Tolliver, 5, march with protesters at Martin Luther King Jr. and Crenshaw boulevards.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters face off against police in riot helmets at the LAPD’s southwest station to voice their concerns after the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile in Louisiana and Minnesota, respectively.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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Black Lives Matter protesters.

(Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times)

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Kia Smith holds a picture of her cousin in front of the southwest station as LAPD officers secure the front of the building.

(Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times)

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Anthony Bevans, Karone Tolliver, Curtis Bevans and Malaysia Bevans chant during the Black Lives Matter protest.

(Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times)

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Mac Bevans confronts an LAPD officer in front of the station.

(Harrison Hill / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters talk to officers at the station.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters confront LAPD Officer Doster about his race and being an officer.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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Protesters confront police at the station.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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A protesters shows a hand symbol of a gun to police as demonstrators march to the LAPD’s southwest station.

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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Erica Allen raises her fist as protesters march along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard toward the LAPD’s southwest station

(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

By Matt Pearce

July 7, 2016 6:13 PM PT

Demonstrators took to the streets in major cities around the United States on Thursday night to protest this week’s police shootings of two black men whose deaths were caught on video.

Thousands gathered in some of the nation’s largest cities to protest the shootings of Philando Castile in a Minneapolis suburb and Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La., which are under investigation.

In New York, demonstrators filled Times Square. In Los Angeles, they marched down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. In Chicago, they blocked traffic. In Washington, they gathered in front of the White House. Many held signs bearing Castile’s and Sterling’s names, or simply, “Black Lives Matter.”

Here are some photos and videos from around the country.