ANTI-WAR PROTEST RESPONSE STUDIED LAPD INVESTIGATING FIVE COMPLAINTS AFTER WEEK OF PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer

An estimated 10,000 people have participated in 22 anti-war demonstrations in the week since the Iraq war began, with 150 protesters arrested and five complaints filed against LAPD officers, officials said Wednesday.

Two of the complaints claim improper use of batons against demonstrators, two claim improper remarks, and one concerned pushing, Cmdr. Paul Kim told the City Council. The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an investigation into the use of the batons during a demonstration in West Los Angeles, which was captured on video by a television news crew.

Kim said the protesters did not have a permit to demonstrate, but that the LAPD had tried to accommodate them. Officers began blocking them, he said, to prevent them leaving the area around the Federal Building and heading toward Westwood Village, where there was greater concern about potential property damage.

Separately, Mayor James Hahn said Wednesday that the city is trying to respect freedom of speech, but will not hesitate to arrest protesters if necessary.

``I encourage people to enjoy their First Amendment rights,'' Hahn said on his monthly appearance on KFWB-AM's (980) ``Ask the Mayor.'' ``But if they go and break the law, they will be prosecuted.''

Hahn said he was concerned that demonstrators who acted to stop traffic not only served as an inconvenience to motorists, but could present a problem in emergencies.

``Ninety-nine percent of the people are law-abiding,'' Hahn said. ``It just seems there is a small percentage that is not happy unless they get arrested.''

An official with the National Lawyers Guild, which has had observers at most of the protests, said there have been more instances of officers beating people, denying their rights, or arresting them improperly than has been made public, and said he expected additional complaints to be filed.

James Lafferty, executive director of the guild's Los Angeles chapter, said he respects the rights of the police to arrest people who are, for instance, sitting down in the street to block traffic, but at times they go too far. But he also acknowledged the LAPD's leadership has tried harder than in the past to work and communicate with the protesters to maintain order without violence.

``The question for the mayor is: Is he prepared to make the same statement about the unlawful activities of his Police Department?'' Lafferty said. ``Is he willing to say he is going to prosecute officers of the LAPD who violate the Constitution of the United States in the course of policing unlawful demonstrations?''

Deputy Mayor Matt Middlebrook said incidents of alleged improper behavior by officers will be thoroughly investigated, and noted that under the department's consent decree with the Department of Justice, such complaints follow a standard procedure.

``Any complaints of problems by officers will be investigated,'' Middlebrook said. ``Absolutely. We will enforce the laws.''

Kim said most of the 150 arrests were for failure to disperse, while a few were for interfering with officers. One protester was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after he swung a stick at an officer, Kim said.

Officers, he said, are trying to show restraint and maintain cordial relations with the demonstrators, respecting their rights while trying to protect the neighborhoods and businesses from unruly crowds. The police have set up a semipermanent command post near the Federal Building in Westwood, where most of the protests have occurred, and encourage demonstrators and other citizens to drop in to speak with them about concerns.

``We are committed to respecting First Amendment rights, while not ignoring the rights of the neighborhood and trying to return the situation back to what was normal for that area of the city,'' Kim said.

Staff Writer Rick Orlov contributed to this report.