These cops did not want doughnuts. Saturday about noon -- the time when the anti-war rally was set to begin at Olympic Ave. not far away -- my daughter and I were in Little Tokyo. We cut through the plaza at the Japanese America Cultural Center, as we usually do when she has a doctor's appointment, and were on our way to get lichee ice cream on the south/east side of 2nd Street when the bicycle cops started shooting past us -- one after another until they were about fifteen. They zipped over the sidewalk, stopped their bikes and dismounted with an air of purpose and urgency. All business, they parked their bikes in the plaza.

I asked if they were here for the demonstration (which I had hoped to attend). No, was the answer, that was going to be up on Broadway (2 blocks away). When enough of them had arrived, they were ready for the next phase of their mission: Pinkberry. They all went in, and then, as far as I know, they all came out with the yogurt frozen stuff they sell at Pinkberry. Meanwhile, Madeleine and I crossed 2nd street, got our ice cream, and passed the cops on our way back to Echo Park. Downtown, there were helicopters and blocked streets, it took us about half an hour to get back to EP, which of course was a different scene entirely: yard sales and languid yet busy cafe Chango, shoppers at Sunset and EP Ave., dogs going on walks, a "Free Daytime Party at Echo Park Lake" (also missed) with bands like Very Be Careful, James Lumb (Electric Skychurch) with Miss Darcey Leonard, Sam Sparro and a Puppet Workshop by Marcel deJure / Cinnamon Roll Gang: In EP things were peaceful.