Photos: Santa Monica Police Protests Rage On Outside Cop Station

Nicole Charky
Updated ·5 min read

SANTA MONICA, CA — A Black Lives Matter protest was held Wednesday with locals critical of Santa Monica police for the events that unfolded on May 31 during protests, unrest and looting in the city and across Los Angeles.

Protests were held across Los Angeles County Wednesday all day from downtown Los Angeles to Sherman Oaks and Santa Monica.

The weekly protest in Santa Monica is led by Santa Monica Democrats and meets outside the police department at 333 Olympic Drive at 5 p.m. Wednesdays. People drive by, honk and cheer, while others ride by on motorized scooters in the middle of the protest. A musician plays the drums in tune with Beyonce's "Love On Top." Tourists even walk by and watch.

Bardo Lopez is a student at Santa Monica College and helps organize the event.

"We want to amplify Black voices and the Black Lives Matter movement," Lopez told Patch. "Obviously the African American population is small in Santa Monica but we're here to remind people it's not over. We want to hold our city accountable."

Lopez criticized police for their response to people protesting, describing the use of force during the arrests on May 31 and June 1, including tear gas and rubber bullets fired on people. Two reporters from KPCC who were reporting on the protests had weapons drawn on them by both Santa Monica and Los Angeles police officers that day.

Lopez wants to remind people of that day, and that police don't hurt people who assemble to protest.

"We want to make sure they apologize for what happened," Lopez told Patch.

Police fired rubber bullets at a group of several hundred people protesting near the Santa Monica Pier on May 31, while several blocks away, mass looting and destruction left some businesses in disrepair and others destroyed. People at the protests were walking away from the area where looting happened, heading south toward Ocean Park, were critical that police officers were attacking a peaceful protest while looters were attacking businesses near downtown Santa Monica. Later that night, the National Guard arrived, stationed around the Santa Monica Mall and the Third Street Promenade area.

"We want to make sure we ban the use of tear gas and rubber bullets on protesters," Lopez said. "There's no need for that. People are upset and they're protesting."

More than 400 people were arrested in Santa Monica following the unrest from May 31 to June 1, according to Santa Monica police Chief Cynthia Renaud. A majority of the people arrested were not Santa Monica residents, Renaud said, and they were arrested on suspicion of looting, burglary and assault with a deadly weapon. The city later said they would not press charges against peaceful protesters.

Some locals have been critical of local law enforcement for their responses to protests and have called on the Santa Monica police chief to resign in the wake of the events on May 31, saying that police did not act to protect people and local businesses and appeared to be caught by surprise by the events of that day. As of Wednesday, more than 65,834 people have signed a change.org petition calling for Renaud's resignation.

"After seeing the widespread looting and vandalism of our city and local businesses, we can do better," according to the statement on change.org. "After seeing our brave law enforcement officers stand by without strong leadership or overarching strategy to protect themselves, our city, and its citizens, we have to do better."

Following community outcry, Councilmember Sue Himmelrich requested that Santa Monica Police Department conduct an after-action review of the events of May 31 to be reviewed by the city's Office of Independent Review, a third party.

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In Los Angeles Wednesday, protests focused on calling for Jackie Lacey's resignation. Lacey is seeking her third term as the county's top prosecutor. She is facing a runoff election in November with former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon.

Misdemeanor assault charges were filed this week against Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey's husband, who pointed a handgun out his front door while ordering a group of Black Lives Matter protesters to leave his Granada Hills property in March. David Allan Lacey, 66, was charged Monday with three misdemeanor counts of assault with a firearm involving the early-morning run-in March 2 with demonstrators, according to Politico, which obtained the charging document filed by the California Attorney General's Office. His arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 13 at the San Fernando courthouse.

The protest occurred before sunrise on March 2. David Lacey was seen on video pointing a handgun out the front door of the couple's home and ordering Black Lives Matter protesters to leave the property. No arrests or injuries were reported.

Members of Black Lives Matter who took part in the protest immediately condemned David Lacey's actions. Activist Jasmyne Cannick posted the video online and circulated links to it via email to local media outlets.

Black Lives Matter has repeatedly protested against Jackie Lacey, criticizing her for what they see as a failure to hold law enforcement officers accountable for shootings of Black suspects, and accusing her of failing to meet with them to discuss the issue.

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This article originally appeared on the Santa Monica Patch