Members of Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles plan Friday to demonstrate outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s official residence for a fourth consecutive day in an attempt to persuade President-elect Joe Biden not to appoint him to his cabinet.
The group calls Garcetti “the worst mayor in the nation,” claiming he “has racked up a dismal record of handling Los Angeles’ housing catastrophe, providing for the city’s growing unhoused population and following through on transportation projects.”
Various news outlets have speculated that Garcetti is under consideration to be Secretary of Transportation or Housing and Urban Development.
A crowd estimated at between 50 and 100 people demonstrated outside of Getty House in Windsor Square Thanksgiving morning. An unlawful assembly was declared and two protesters were arrested.
They were likely processed and issued misdemeanor citations for remaining at an unlawful assembly after the police ordered them to disperse, according to Officer D. Orris of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operations Center.
They arrived late to the event and didn’t hear the order to disperse, according to Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles.
Garcetti, who was a co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign, has repeatedly said he is not seeking a cabinet position at this time, and his political team has told City News Service since Election Day that he has not considered a position.
Garcetti most recently said he was not seeking a cabinet position on Monday when reporters asked him about it during a COVID-19 update.
“I have been focused 110% on these numbers and on COVID and on saving lives,” Garcetti said. “It’s one of the last things on my mind right now. You know, we have deaths that are going to be increasing, we have record numbers of cases and so I don’t have anything to add on that, not because I have anything to hide, I just have nothing to add.
“Right now my job No. 1 is to make sure I protect the lives of Angelenos.”
Garcetti has also drawn protests from the right. Demonstrations against coronavirus-related restrictions organized by the conservative group SaveCalifornia.com were held last Friday and Sunday outside Getty House.