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The Los Angeles<\/span> Police Department deployed drones intended for public safety uses to surveil a No Kings rally and a protest against the Trump administration\u2019s anti-immigrant campaign, flight data reveals.<\/p>\n Last year, the LAPD launched its \u201cDrone as First Responder\u201d program with a clearly articulated goal: to protect and even save lives. The pilot program authorized the rapid deployment of drones to the scenes of certain emergency calls before human officers even arrive. After receiving a 911 call, authorities can dispatch a drone to get a better picture of what\u2019s happening from the sky, potentially reducing the number of officers dispatched. This means police resources could, theoretically, be more efficiently deployed to other emergencies around the city.<\/p>\n \u201cThis innovative program not only aims to enhance transparency in Department operations but also prioritizes the protection of individual privacy,\u201d the LAPD explained<\/a> in a webpage about the program. \u201cBy deploying drones as an invaluable resource for patrol officers, the DFR Pilot Program provides a cutting-edge tool that can respond swiftly to emergencies, ensuring a safer environment for all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The LAPD turned to Skydio, a California-based drone startup that previously marketed its aircraft to consumers but has pivoted to supplying militarized, weapons-compatible hardware for the U.S. Army, Israeli Defense Forces<\/a>, and other governments.<\/p>\n The LAPD insists the DFR program presents no threat to personal privacy or civil liberties. \u201cUnless you are in the commission of a crime or under criminal investigation for the commission of a crime,\u201d assures the website, \u201cthe officers utilizing the drone are not interested in recording you.\u201d<\/p>\n But according to flight data shared publicly by the LAPD and Skydio, the city has used DFR not only to respond to emergencies, but also to monitor multiple protests across Los Angeles. Software engineer and flight data researcher John Wiseman has tracked DFR aircraft to at least two protests in Los Angeles this year, he told The Intercept, raising questions as to whether the city is operating an aerial surveillance program against nonviolent, constitutionally protected activity.<\/p>\n Flight records show DFR drones were launched at least 31 times to surveil the January 31 \u201cICE Out\u201d protest in downtown Los Angeles, which saw thousands peacefully march against the administration\u2019s deportations raids and street violence in Minneapolis. The Los Angeles Times said<\/a> the \u201cmostly peaceful protest took a turn as day turned to night in downtown Los Angeles and the crowd refused to disperse,\u201d whereupon police began firing tear gas<\/a> at remaining demonstrators.<\/p>\n At the March 28 \u201cNo Kings\u201d protest against the Trump administration, city data shows the LAPD again launched drones 32 times over the area where the demonstration took place. A heat map visualization created by Wiseman based on the city data shows the drones lingered for extended periods over the Metropolitan Detention Center and the intersection of North Central Avenue and East Temple Street in Los Angeles\u2019s Little Tokyo neighborhood. <\/p>\n