For weeks now, ignited by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protesters have taken to the streets around the Southland, demanding a fundamental re-envisioning of the American system of policing and incarceration. The Los Angeles area has not seen civic outrage and unrest so sustained and widespread since the 1992 acquittal of officers in the beating of Rodney King.
On the night of June 12, a contingent of protesters – myself among them as press – took to the streets of Beverly Hills. The action was organized by one of the many new organizations to rise out of this moment, the Black Future Project, which described the event as “a peaceful protest through Beverly Hills as we bring the conversation to the center of white wealth in Los Angeles.” Participants were advised to gather at the intersection of Doheny Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard. From there, the group would make their way together to the lily pond at Beverly Gardens Park for a group discussion, complete with music, poetry, and history.
