OS ANGELES - Political activists have said they will not create violence at the Democratic National Convention in August.
Violence erupted in Los Angeles this week after the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA title, leaving business owners and residents to question whether authorities are prepared to handle potential unrest at the August convention, where nearly 30,000 protesters are expected.
Convention demonstrators say they worry the NBA title riot may cause police to keep them from the convention, fearing similar violence.
''It's an affront to free speech if they try to keep us away just because some people now think they need to beef up police protection,'' said Shawn McDougal of the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker group.
During Monday's unrest, revelers stomped on cars, started bonfires, and burned two police cruisers and other vehicles when thousands celebrated the Lakers' victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Yesterday, groups of young men rocked vehicles, ransacked a food truck, and harassed drivers during a parade to celebrate the title. About 30 people were detained for ''unruly'' behavior, police said.
Nearly 200 activist groups have united under an umbrella group known as the Mobilization to Protest the Democratic National Convention 2000 - or D2K Network.
''It's really ironic that parallels have been drawn between a well-organized political demonstration and the spontaneous reactions of people celebrating outside a basketball game,'' McDougal said.
Many of the D2K groupswere active in Seattle and Washington recently at world trade and banking summits, where protesters and police clashed.
News footage of Seattle demonstrators looting stores have fueled convention concerns in Los Angeles, where riots occurred in 1992 after the Rodney King trial.
D2K organizers said the Seattle demonstrators do not represent their supporters, many of whom are trained in nonviolent civil disobedience.
Los Angeles police say they will not impede the demonstrations as long as the activists remain peaceful.
