Thousands of participants in an “All Black Lives Matter” demonstration rallied in front of TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday and were expected to march to West Hollywood as part of nationwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality.
The march was organized by the Black Advisory Board, made up of Black LGBTQ+ leaders and organizations. On the event’s website, the board posted a statement announcing a protest “in direct response to racial injustice, systemic racism, and all forms of oppression.”
Some activists gathered around President Trump’s star on the Walk of Fame and demanded his removal from office because of his divisive rhetoric and insensitivity to racial justice issues.
Chantelle Hershberger, an organizer with RefuseFascism.org in Los Angeles, connected the swell of concern about police tactics and racism with the president’s rhetoric in office.
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“Trump is not separated from what’s happening right now. There is a whole connection with this normalization of police brutality,” she said, recalling a speech the president once made in which he jokingly encouraged rough treatment of people arrested by police. “It’s unbelievable that he’s in power. We can’t live another day in this nightmare.”
Some protesters gathered around the president’s star, which has been defaced in the past, and a handful of young men stopped to bang their skateboards on his name.
By 11 a.m., a large and peaceful crowd of protesters that appeared to number in the thousands swelled along a stretch of Hollywood Boulevard, between North Highland and La Brea avenues, that had been painted with the words “All Black Lives Matter” in rainbow colors to represent the diversity of the LGBTQ community.
A portrait of George Floyd, killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, flashed on a screen outside the legendary Chinese Theatre as protesters chanted, “No justice, no peace.”
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Greg Austin, 31, said Saturday’s massive turnout, where activists for gay rights and racial justice carried rainbow-infused “All Black Lives Matter” signs and marched together, was evidence of a desire for change that’s been building for years amid high-profile police shootings across the country. He said the national outcry over Floyd’s death signaled momentum toward police reform.
“All Black Lives Matter” is painted on Hollywood Boulevard in front of TCL Chinese Theatre, historically known as Grauman’s, in Hollywood on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
“We’re not saying that every cop is bad. We just wish they would follow a different method,” said Austin, who is gay and Black. “This is an eye-opener for everyone. I’m hoping that this will show that the police need better training for their officers.”
Additional protests were scheduled across Los Angeles for Sunday — the latest actions in a weekend of demonstrations.
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June 15, 2020 at 02:26AM
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Thousands march in Hollywood for gay rights, racial justice - Los Angeles Times
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