Dozens More Black Lives Matter Protests In LA Saturday

Updated at 9:39 p.m. June 6, 2020

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA — Thousands of people again took to the streets of Los Angeles County Saturday in numerous demonstrations to call for justice and condemn police tactics for the death of George Floyd, who died in custody in Minneapolis, and Breonna Taylor, killed in a police raid of her Louisville apartment.

Large, peaceful marches were held Saturday morning near the USC campus and in San Pedro, and continued through the day in several parts of town.

In the Fairfax District, hundreds of people left Pan Pacific Park around 2 p.m. and began marching west on Beverly Boulevard. Separately, crowds numbering more than 1,000 people showed up for the City Hall protest and another march in Hollywood.

The former march, which began at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street around noon, swelled into a few thousand people and made its way into West Hollywood and Beverly Hills in the late afternoon, then went back through West Hollywood, where it continued into the evening.

With thousands marching in downtown L.A., Long Beach and Hollywood, Metro officials cautioned riders to expect rolling bus detours and possible delays around those areas Saturday. In West Hollywood, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials blocked off several streets through Monday morning to accommodate protesters.

The day's events began at 8 a.m. with the protest at Los Angeles City Hall, where Cal State LA professor of Pan-African Studies Melina Abdullah told the cheering crowd it is not enough to call for police reform. "Policing evolved from slave catching," Abdullah said. "You cannot reform policies that evolved from slave catching. You have to abolish it."

Other protests in Los Angeles County included: USC, Chatsworth, Reseda, Carson, Wilmington, Koreatown, Pasadena, Century City, Torrance, San Gabriel, Pomona, Lancaster and Signal Hill.
Organizers at many of the events asked protesters to wear face coverings and observe social distancing to guard against further spread of the coronavirus.

No arrests were reported at any of the events as of 8:30 p.m.

Original post:

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA — Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Los Angeles County Saturday, with at least 30 protests scheduled across the Southland to call for justice and condemn police tactics following the deaths of George Floyd, who died May 25 at the hands of Minneapolis police, and Breonna Taylor, who was killed in March during a police raid of her apartment in Louisville.

Large, peaceful marches were held Saturday morning near the USC campus and in San Pedro, while an array of gatherings were held in Orange County.

In the Fairfax District, hundred of people left Pan Pacific Park at around 2 p.m. and begin marching west on Beverly Boulevard. Separately, crowds numbering more than 1,000 people showed up for the City Hall protest and for another march in Hollywood.

With thousands marching in downtown L.A., Long Beach and Hollywood, LA Metro officials cautioned riders to expect rolling bus detours and possible delays around those areas Saturday. In West Hollywood, meanwhile, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials blocked off several streets through Monday morning to accommodate protesters.

Events began at 8 a.m. with a protest at Los Angeles City Hall and were scheduled to run as late as a 5 p.m. candlelight service at La Palma Avenue and Beach Boulevard in Buena Park.

Other planned protests in Los Angeles County include:

  • 10 a.m., the USC Black Alumni Association will march in support of Black Lives Matter. The march begins at Jefferson Boulevard and McClintock Avenue, near the USC Village. Participants must wear a mask and be prepared to socially distance. Attendees were asked to remain peaceful and not attempt to destroy or vandalize;

  • 10 a.m., a peaceful youth protest in support of Black Lives Matter is scheduled at 4946 Balboa Boulevard, near Moorpark Street, in Encino;

  • 10 a.m., the NAACP and members of Los Angeles Police Department's Harbor Division will march from the police station, 2175 John S. Gibson Blvd., in San Pedro to Councilman Joe Busciano's office at 638 S. Beacon St.;

  • 10 a.m., a peaceful protest at King Hall at Cal State LA. Masks and social distancing required;

  • 11 a.m., protesters will march from Porter Ranch Drive and Rinaldi Street to Harvest Street near Van Norman Park;

  • 11 a.m., a peaceful protest against police violence in front of the LAPD's West Valley station, located at 19020 Vanowen Street;

  • 11 a.m. a march and demonstration for George Floyd begins at Bonita and Carson streets in Carson and will proceed to the steps of City Hall. Attendees are asked to wear a mask;

  • Noon, Black Lives Matter will hold a protest at Figueroa Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Wilmington;

  • Noon, a peaceful protest against police brutality and racial injustice on the steps of Pasadena City Hall, 100 Garfield Ave. Protesters are asked to wear masks and practice social distancing;

  • Noon, a demonstration of solidarity with Black Lives Matter is scheduled at Liberty Park, 3700 Wilshire Blvd., in Koreatown. Masks are required and social distancing is recommended;

  • Noon, a protest in Hollywood near Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street;

  • Noon, a protest outside ICM Partners Building, 10250 Constellation Ave., in Century City. Protesters must wear a mask and practice social distancing;

  • Noon, a Justice for Breonna Taylor rally at Pan Pacific Park, 7600 Beverly Blvd.;

  • Noon, bicyclists will participate in a Ride for Justice for George Floyd in Leimert Park. A a specific location was not announced;

  • 1 p.m., Black Lives Matter will protest at 3331 Torrance Blvd., near Torrance City Hall. Protesters are asked to wear a mask;

  • 1 p.m., a Black Lives Matter rally and march begins at the San Gabriel Library, 500 S. Del Mar Ave., and will continue through the city of San Gabriel;

  • 2 p.m., Black Lives Matter will protest at Artesia and Crenshaw boulevards in Torrance. Protesters must bring a mask and are asked to remain peaceful;

  • 2 p.m., the ICNA Council for Social Justice will hold a rally outside the Federal Building, 11000 Wilshire Blvd., in West Los Angeles. Masks and gloves are required;

  • 4 p.m., a We Need a Change protest is scheduled at Lancaster City Hall, 44933 Fern Ave.

Friday protests largely peaceful

On Friday, thousands of residents gathered for rallies at the Venice Pier, Los Angeles City Hall, LAPD headquarters, in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Northridge and Santa Monica. There were no reports of violence or confrontations with police.

In Lakewood, however, deputies used tear gas on a large group of protesters outside Lakewood City Hall sometime before 4 p.m. Sheriff's Lt. Michael Shaw said an unlawful assembly was declared due to some people in the group allegedly throwing objects at deputies.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Lakewood Mayor Todd Rogers wrote on his Facebook page that "deputies deployed pepper ball rounds and inert smoke adjacent to the suspects they identified as assaultive and it eventually succeeded in dispersing the crowd. One suspect was arrested. I am told that no tear gas was used."

Beginning early Friday morning in downtown Los Angeles, a drive-up protest was held, sponsored by Justice L.A. Organizers encouraged residents to drop off roses -- both real and paper -- at the Hall of Justice, 211 W. Temple St. The demonstration was held in memory of the first person to die from COVID- 19 in Los Angeles County jail, the eight people who died in sheriff's department custody in 2019, the 941 people who died at the hands of police in the county since 2000 and the 12,000 people in Los Angeles County jails.

Activists claim excessive force in 2,600 arrests

Black Lives Matter-LA filed filed a lawsuit in federal court Friday against the Los Angeles Police Department and its chief, alleging the recent mass detention of more than 2,600 peaceful protesters, held handcuffed on buses without access to bathroom facilities, water or food, was a violation of their rights under the U.S. and California constitutions.

The class-action complaint, filed in Los Angeles federal court, alleges excessive force and civil rights violations against the so-called George Floyd Solidarity protesters.

The suit seeks damages, declaratory, and injunctive relief on behalf of a class of thousands of protesters who allegedly sustained injuries by police and were subject to excessive detention without access to bathrooms or medical care.

Kath Rogers, executive director of the National Lawyers Guild of Los Angeles, said that at least 575 protesters have signed up with her organization for criminal defense after they were arrested and held "in terrible conditions."

City News Service contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on the Beverly Hills Patch