Thousands of people again took to the streets of Los Angeles and Orange counties Saturday, as at least 30 protests were scheduled to call for justice and condemn police tactics for the deaths of George Floyd, who died while in police custody in Minneapolis, and Breonna Taylor, who was killed 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 protests in Los Angeles County included:
— 10 a.m., the USC Black Alumni Association began marching in support of Black Lives Matter. The march began at Jefferson Boulevard and McClintock Avenue, near the USC Village.
— 10 a.m., a youth protest in support of Black Lives Matter was 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 began marching from the police station, 2175 John S. Gibson Blvd., in San Pedro to Councilman Joe Busciano’s office at 638 S. Beacon St. LAPD Chief Michel Moore joined marchers.
— 10 a.m., a protest at King Hall at Cal State LA. Masks and social distancing required.
— 11 a.m., protesters marched from Porter Ranch Drive and Rinaldi Street to Harvest Street near Van Norman Park.
— 11 a.m., a 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 at Bonita and Carson streets in Carson, proceeding to the steps of City Hall.
— Noon, Black Lives Matter holding a protest at Figueroa Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Wilmington.
— Noon, a protest against police brutality and racial injustice on the steps of Pasadena City Hall, 100 Garfield Ave.
— Noon, a demonstration of solidarity with Black Lives Matter at Liberty Park, 3700 Wilshire Blvd., in Koreatown.
— Noon, a protest in Hollywood near Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
— Noon, a protest outside ICM Partners Building, 10250 Constellation Ave., in Century City.
— Noon, a Justice for Breonna Taylor rally at Pan Pacific Park, 7600 Beverly Blvd.
— Noon, bicyclists participating in a Ride for Justice for George Floyd in Leimert Park.
— 1 p.m., Black Lives Matter protest at 3331 Torrance Blvd., near Torrance City Hall.
— 1 p.m., a Black Lives Matter rally and march at the San Gabriel Library, 500 S. Del Mar Ave., through the city of San Gabriel.
— 2 p.m., Black Lives Matter protest at Artesia and Crenshaw boulevards in Torrance.
— 2 p.m., the ICNA Council for Social Justice held a rally outside the Federal Building, 11000 Wilshire Blvd., in West Los Angeles.
— 4 p.m., a We Need a Change protest was scheduled at Lancaster City Hall, 44933 Fern Ave.
Scheduled protests in Orange County included:
— 9 a.m., a march from University High School, 4771 Campus Drive, in Irvine to Northwood High School, 4515 Portola Parkway.
— 9 a.m., a paddle out at the Huntington Beach Pier.
— Noon, a protest at Commonwealth and Highland avenues, near the Fullerton Community Center.
— Noon, a rally outside the Placentia Police Department at 401 E. Chapman Ave.
— 2 p.m., protesters marching from Newport Harbor High School, 600 Irvine Ave. to Back Bay.
— 2 p.m., a rally at Chaparral Park, 1770 W. Broadway, in Anaheim.
— 3:30 p.m., a march in Costa Mesa will begin at Schiffer Park, on Bear Street, south of the San Diego (405) Freeway.
— 4 p.m., a rally at Westminster Park, 14402 Magnolia St..
— 4 p.m., a rally at El Toro and Trabuco roads.
Anaheim police said they expected a peaceful gathering and march at 4 p.m. starting at Sycamore Park and going to Eucalyptus Park in east Anaheim.
In Pomona, a small group was beginning to gather around the Civic Center at around 3:30 p.m. Nearby streets were closed for the safety of those attending, police said.
Organizers at many of the events asked protesters to wear face coverings and observe social distancing to guard against further spread of the coronavirus.
As for 1:30 p.m. no violence or arrests were reported at any of the events.
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.”
Rogers also wrote that he was “not reporting from an eyewitness account, as a critical family matter required that I be at another location at the time the incident occurred” and was relying on “information I have been able to piece together.”
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.
Hundreds of people also took part in a march from Long Beach City College to Lakewood, where protesters collectively sat in a street, peacefully holding signs and listening to a series of speakers.
About 100 protesters gathered again in Santa Clarita early Friday afternoon, a smaller version of a peaceful gathering that took place in the same location Thursday.