Fact check: How many of the protesters acted in a violent way against police and damaged property in LA protests

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, no source provides a specific number of protesters who acted violently against police and damaged property during the LA protests. However, the evidence confirms that violent incidents and property damage did occur:

• 78 people were arrested, mostly for refusing to disperse ^[1]
• Approximately 400 people were arrested by the LAPD overall ^[2]
• Over 30 people were arrested in Spokane during related protests ^[2]
• $1.4 million was spent on cleaning up public property damage and $86,000 on graffiti removal ^[3]
• $593,000 in damages to city buildings occurred ^[4]
• Total protest-related costs reached over $32 million for Los Angeles ^[3]

The sources describe incidents where some protesters threw objects like traffic cones into fires and threw debris ^[2], and mention "some agitators turning destructive" ^[4]. Police responses included using tear gas and making arrests ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about the scale and nature of the protests:

• The question doesn't acknowledge that foreign adversaries including Russia, China, and Iran are exploiting divisions by publishing false claims and advancing conspiracy theories about the protests ^[6]
• Russia is specifically amplifying conspiracy theories about the LA protests ^[7]
• There are fake videos and conspiracies fueling falsehoods about the events ^[8]
• The question doesn't distinguish between different types of arrests - many were for "refusing to disperse" rather than violent acts ^[1]

Media organizations and political groups would benefit from either inflating or minimizing violence numbers depending on their agenda. Foreign adversaries like Russia directly benefit from amplifying divisive narratives about American protests to deepen social divisions ^{[7] [6]}.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself may reflect bias by:

• Assuming a quantifiable number of "violent protesters" exists when sources indicate this data is not readily available or tracked
• Focusing solely on protester violence without acknowledging the broader context of misinformation campaigns targeting these events ^{[8] [7] [6]}
• Potentially amplifying foreign disinformation efforts that seek to characterize American protests in divisive terms ^[6]

The framing suggests the questioner may have been influenced by conspiracy theories and false claims that are being deliberately spread about the LA protests ^[8]. The question's emphasis on violence numbers aligns with disinformation narratives that foreign adversaries are promoting to exploit American divisions ^{[7] [6]}.