A woman stands with her first in solidarity with marches in Compton, California for Andrés Guardado

In Pictures: Marching for Justice Along Compton boulevard for Andrés Guardado

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(Pandemic in Los Angeles: Day 95)

Marchers hold a sign up with a statement from Bob Avakian regarding the role of police in America
Marchers hold a sign up with a statement from Bob Avakian regarding the role of police in America
A row of motorcyclists led the way and cleared the path for the march along Compton boulevard in honor of Andrés Guardado, who was shot and killed by L.A. Sheriffs department
A row of motorcyclists led the way and cleared the path for the march along Compton boulevard in honor of Andrés Guardado, who was shot and killed by L.A. Sheriff’s department
A woman stands with her first in solidarity with marches in Compton, California for Andrés Guardado
A woman stands with her first in solidarity with marches in Compton, California for Andrés Guardado
A woman and her daughter raise their firsts in solidarity with marches in Compton, California for Andrés Guardado
A woman and her daughter raise their firsts in solidarity with marches in Compton, California for Andrés Guardado
A woman stands with her first in solidarity with marches in Compton, California for Andrés Guardado
A woman stands with her first in solidarity with marches in Compton, California for Andrés Guardado
Marchers atop a pick-up truck make their way past a Compton boulevard sign en route to the Compton sheriff department station
Marchers atop a pick-up truck make their way past a Compton boulevard sign en route to the Compton sheriff’s department station
Marchers hold signs up, as well as the Salvadoran flag, along Compton boulevard en route to the Compton sheriff department
Marchers hold signs up, as well as the Salvadoran flag, along Compton boulevard en route to the Compton sheriff’s department station
Marchers hold signs up, as well as the Salvadoran flag, along Compton boulevard en route to the Compton sheriff department
Marchers hold signs up, as well as the Salvadoran flag, along Compton boulevard en route to the Compton sheriff’s department station
Marchers hold signs up, as well as the Salvadoran flag, along Compton boulevard en route to the Compton sheriff department
Marchers hold signs up, as well as the Salvadoran flag, along Compton boulevard en route to the Compton sheriff’s department station
A pair of hot dog vendors pursue crows at Compton City Hall, where marchers descended at the end of the march for Andrés Guardado.
A pair of hot dog vendors pursue crows at Compton City Hall, where marchers descended at the end of the march for Andrés Guardado

J.T.

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Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center Pharmacy in East Hollywood, Los Angeles

West Hollywood Makes Way: All Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles

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(Pandemic in Los Angeles: Day 87)

This Sunday, June 14th, marks the first All Black Lives Matter march in Hollywood, beginning at 11:00 AM. The march will commence at Hollywood and Highland boulevard, proceed through West Hollywood, and consolidate at West Hollywood Park on San Vicente boulevard, marking the first large-scale march of its kind between the Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles.

In its press release for the public, the organizing board for the march states:

“On June 7, 2020, an Advisory Board, made up of all Black LGBTQ+ leaders was formed to move forward in organizing the All Black Lives Matter solidarity march on Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 11:00am in Los Angeles, in honor of our beloved trans brother Tony McDade, who was murdered by police at that time. The protest is in direct response to racial injustice, systemic racism, and all forms of oppression.”

Why is the march taking place in West Hollywood? Apart from being the most popular destination for the queer community in Los Angeles, West Hollywood is 80% white, while the Black community there makes up less than 3.6% of the population, according to U.S. Census data. This plays a major role in the policing of non-white bodies through the area, as well as their invisibility from representations of queer culture. In an interview with the L.A. Times, Brandon Anthony, a gay Black man who is co-organizing the march, explains:

“The most shocking aspect of West Hollywood for me is going to every club there, every bar, and hearing them play our music, but not seeing me in there.”


For more information, visit the All Black Lives Matter website, or follow updates from the L.A. Times.

J.T.

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Police cruisers parked along 1st street and Hope street in Los Angeles

To the Board of Police Commissioners in Los Angeles: Your Time Has Come

J.T.3 Comments

(Pandemic in Los Angeles: Day 76)

The following is a statement edited for publication on the site and delivered by yours truly to the Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) in Los Angeles, in what would turn out to be eight hours’ worth of public comments for the meeting this past Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020.

LAPD COMMISSION:

I want to echo all of the Black & Brown voices who have made themselves heard at this public meeting thus far.

I want to commend the public for their bravery in speaking against this police and military state that we are seeing unfold across our city and across cities all over America.

To the board:

You have a chance to be on the right side of history by standing against the militarization of the state in response to working class communities marching for an end to genocidal practices against Black and Brown bodies.

Even before the protests, you were already overseeing a caste system in the L.A. County Jail with a daily population of more than 17,000 people, where Black people make up 29% of that jail system while making up less than 9% of the population in Los Angeles.

You, the board members, have a chance not to stand with the fascists. You all heard the president just yesterday declare war against unarmed Black & Brown people, even while only a few days earlier he praised armed white militias for standing for liberty against covid-19 restrictions.

Mayor Garcetti originally said he would not be calling the National Guard. An hour later, he called the National Guard. You’re closer to fascism than you would like to think.

You all need to call for the national guard to LEAVE. They’re armed with M-4 assault rifles and intimidating our community and you are standing by, doing nothing.

You need to call to disarm the LAPD right this second, who, in line with police departments across the country, are battering and injuring unarmed civilians.

You’re closer to fascism than you think.

You have enough blood and injuries on your hands already, but you still have a chance to scale all of this down before it gets worse.

If you think today’s meeting has been long, just wait until the summer when more than 2.5 million people are out of work and looking into their city’s budget, and into the leaders and representatives tasked with overseeing the interests of the people.

Finally, consider that you live in a city where more than half of the population speaks a language other than English at home, yet you offer no captions for non-English speakers.

How much do you really want to hear from your city?

J.T.

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