Less than two days after a white Minneapolis police officer is caught on video killing George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, by kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes, protesters took to the streets, calling for justice and the abolishment of police departments nationwide. Over the past 12 days, protesters and journalists have experienced pushback from law enforcement and government officials, even as instances of police brutality and escalation tactics have been documented and shared widely online.
Here, we have tried to organize the order of events that have taken place throughout L.A. County and neighboring communities.
May 25 — Monday
George Floyd is killed at the hands of Minneapolis police officers while gasping for air and calling out for his dead mother. A bystander captures his death on video.
May 26 — Tuesday
Once the video goes viral, protesters hit the streets in Minneapolis. Many notice the difference in how police treated protesters in Minneapolis compared to those in Michigan.
May 27 — Wednesday
Protests kick in around the nation, including downtown L.A., where a group halted traffic on the 101 Freeway near Union Station. Two California Highway Patrol vehicles show up, one has its back window broken by a skateboard, the other by a large piece of wood. One of the protesters is hurt later that night.
May 28 — Thursday
For the second night in a row, protests occur in DTLA, but on a slightly smaller scale.
The Culver City Police Department issues a statement saying it “shares in the public’s disappointment and outrage regarding the disturbing circumstances surrounding the death of George Floyd.”
May 30 — Saturday
The Whole Foods near the Grove is looted. “I guess they really wanted organic food,” said a Fox 11 anchor.
An Alexander McQueen store is looted in Beverly Hills. Earlier, Gucci was hit.
Protests happen across L.A., including in Santa Ana where police were allegedly targeted with mortars. Authorities arrest Jon Paul Worden. Upon searching his home, they find four AR-15s, a short-barreled shotgun, three handguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, several high-capacity magazines, bulletproof and load-bearing tactical vests and more than 600 pounds of illegal fireworks — and mortars.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency and calls in the National Guard.
In DTLA, an LAPD officer shoots his pistol at a motorist who was driving toward a skirmish line around 2 a.m.
May 31 — Sunday
L.A. sets a curfew starting at 6 p.m. Santa Monica’s is at 4 p.m.
Long Beach sees looting in six to seven locations. Later, photos come out of a Long Beach police officer holding his nightstick above a blood-splattered floor, sparking an investigation. One of the injured is KPCC’s Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, who was shot in the throat with a rubber bullet by the LBPD.
Santa Monica holds a peaceful protest but looting ensues after a few hours. Robberies and fires take over the city; the mayor would later call it “one of the most distressing days in Santa Monica history. We know better than to let the looters obscure the message of the protesters, who have indeed been heard.”
Commentary and photos from that day in Santa Monica: “Many have sought to link [the peaceful protesters with the looters] in order to delegitimize the larger movement for their own political gain, but what I observed was different.” However, that piece was criticized for many reasons:
The National Guard makes its first appearance, but mayhem continues.
An LAPD SUV drives through crowd and strikes protesters before speeding away.
June 1 — Monday
Curfew is set for 6 p.m.
Santa Monica announces it has arrested more than 400 people. Officials say 95% of those arrested do not live in Santa Monica.
LAPD’s Hollywood Division makes a single-day record of 585 arrests, including 20 for looting, while impounding 50 vehicles. The remaining arrests are largely for curfew violations.
NBA great Michael Jordan issues a statement saying: “I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry. I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage and frustration. I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough.”
LAPD Chief Michel Moore, as Mayor Garcetti looks on, says the blood of George Floyd’s death is on the hands of protesters. He later takes back those comments and apologizes.
June 2 — Tuesday
Curfew is set for 6 p.m.
Gregory Wong of Gardena is arrested in DTLA for impersonating an active National Guardsman and carrying several weapons including an assault rifle. Wong was formerly in the Guard and was spotted exiting an Uber by a current guardsman who correctly suspected fishy behavior.
A Boost Mobile shop and a Walgreens are ransacked in Van Nuys, while a Rite Aid is looted on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.
In Van Nuys, owners of a liquor store brandish weapons and, with the help of some customers, stop would-be looters from breaking into a gold store. When the LAPD arrives, they handcuff one of the helpful customers, a black woman, over the protests of a news reporter while live on TV.
Mayor Garcetti takes a knee alongside protesters outside LAPD headquarters.
Joe Biden asks Congress to outlaw chokeholds.
The mayor of Temecula sends out an email saying he doesn’t “believe there’s ever been a good person of color killed by a police officer” locally. He later apologizes, saying he had dictated the message and did not proofread it. Then, on June 4, he resigns.
Rubber bullets fired by the LAPD strike a man in a wheelchair.
The L.A. Police Commission, the board that oversees the LAPD, holds an epic meeting for over 8 hours. The majority of the time is spent on public comments, which mostly consists of people insulting the commission and demanding that Chief Moore resign or is fired.
At least 11 people were killed during U.S. protests seeking justice for George Floyd, many of them Black.
June 3 — Wednesday
Curfew is set for 9 p.m. across L.A.
Hundreds peacefully protest in West Hollywood and Hollywood.
Over 3,000 Angelenos have been arrested during the protests. The vast majority were arrested for non-violent offenses, such as failure to disperse or breaking curfew.
L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey says 61 people have been charged with crimes committed during civil unrest over the past several days. A majority of the charges stem from looting, while other charges involve assault and/or battery on a peace officer, robbery, burglary, possession of a destructive device, identity theft or receiving stolen property.
A man in Newport Beach pulls out a gun and yells “Black lives don’t matter,” before jumping in his car and speeding off as a crowd runs toward him.
Also in Newport Beach, a different man, this one in a cream Mini Cooper, plows through a group of marchers and is later arrested.
Mayor Garcetti announced he would take $100+ million from the LAPD budget and give it to communities of color.
The Rock asks President Donald Trump to come out of his bunker:
June 4 — Thursday
Due to the lack of looting on Wednesday, neither L.A. County nor the city are under curfew for the first time since the weekend.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia says, “I’m fucking tired. I’m a person of color. I’m gay. Those experiences are unique but they’re not the black experience. I want to apologize to every black person here for all the bullshit they have to go through.”
Kanye West launches a college fund for Floyd’s daughter. He also donates $2 million to charities associated with other victims of police violence.
The UCLA chancellor expresses outrage over the LAPD using the Jackie Robinson Stadium to process arrests.
A total of 17 people will be charged in the Santa Monica/Beverly Hills looting.
Several NFL stars call out the league in a powerful video:
Two members of the Board of Supervisors call on Sheriff Alex Villanueva and all 46 police departments in L.A. County to ban chokeholds.
Mayor Garcetti while concluding a speech at First AME Church in South L.A. said of police reform, “it starts someplace. And we say we are going to be who we want to be, or we are going to continue to be the killers that we are.”
June 5 — Friday
News outlets are criticized for being hyper-focused on the salacious aspects of the uprising. Despite the fact that the majority of the protests have been peaceful while police violence has been widespread and at times shocking if not illegal, media agencies like the L.A. Times have zeroed in on the looting. Currently, there are 100 pieces alone that mention looting.
The Santa Monica Police Department arrests David Brown, a 59-year-old black resident of Santa Monica, who has lived in the city since high school. They handcuffed him at a protest rally, drove him into L.A. city limits and told him not to come back to Santa Monica.
Jamie McBride, director of the L.A. Police Protective League, took issue with what Mayor Eric Garcetti said Thursday at First AME Church, and his proposed cuts to the LAPD’s $3 billion budget: “We’re here to warn the citizens and residents of Los Angeles that we’re worried and concerned about Eric Garcetti. He’s clearly unstable. We are worried about him and worried about his future, and the safety of our citizens. He is more interested in his image and how he’s looked upon, as opposed to being a leader in difficult times.”
The LA Galaxy cuts ties with its Serbian midfielder Aleksandar Katai after the soccer club learned that his wife shared “racist and violent” social media posts. One of her Instagram posts called for protesters to be killed. The second featured a suspected looter holding a shoebox with the caption “Black Nikes Matter.”
Fox News airs an infographic on “Special Report with Bret Baier” that showed positive stock market reactions to racial unrest sparked by the assault or killing of African American men. The graphic showed market gains after the assassination of MLK, the acquittal of police officers in the Rodney King case and the deaths of Michael Brown and George Floyd. The network apologized the next day.
Gabriel Estrada, a 28-year-old from Palmdale, is arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after being accused of firing on a group of LAPD officers near the Santa Monica and Venice border, wounding one of them.
Lakewood protesters are greeted with pepper ball rounds and “inert smoke” after a day of marching in what Mayor Todd Rogers says on his Facebook page “ended in a very ugly way.“
Walmart announces it will commit $100 million over five years to create a new center on racial equity.
Michael Jordan pledges to donate $100 million over ten years for social justice. “If I’m giving $100 million, along with Jordan Brand, then we’re going to make this go in a way that makes a difference. And this — attacking ingrained racism, supporting educational opportunity — is a very necessary step in society.”
June 6, Saturday
Billie Eilish joins marchers in Highland Park. Now will the neighborhood claim her?
Simi Valley’s mayor apologizes for saying protesters should be hosed down with fluids from septic tank trucks.
Peaceful protests take place all over L.A., including Beverly Hills:
June 7 — Sunday
An estimated 50,000 protesters show up in Hollywood and march, dance and sing around Hollywood & Highland. More than a week after the first protests in L.A., this march is considered the largest one to date.
Thousands of marchers gather in Compton where the Compton Cowboys lead a “Peace Ride.” Later, NBA stars Russell Westbrook — who grew up in Long Beach — and DeMar DeRozan — who is a Compton native — speak to the crowd.
Up in Santa Barbara, a march takes place on State Street:
June 8 — Monday
“City Hall is lit crimson and gold tonight in memory of George Floyd. We’re joining cities across America in mourning the loss of a man murdered before our eyes.” — Mayor Eric Garcetti
Defunding the LAPD does not mean abolishing it. For most, it means spreading its budget around to other organizations that can best utilize the funds for the public good. Today, the L.A. Times‘ Editorial Board wrote that this is the right time to re-evaluate the department’s bloated budget: The protests have rightly put the spotlight on policing. But reform should go deeper than simply cutting the LAPD budget this year, or paying for more officer training and body cameras. Although there’s nothing more important than public safety to a community’s well-being and prosperity, for too long the city’s leaders have treated the LAPD as the answer to all public safety problems. It’s time to rethink how we can make the city safer for all its residents.
California’s Assembly speaker and other key lawmakers back a statewide ban making it illegal for police to use a type of neck hold that blocks the flow of blood to the brain, aka a sleeper hold.
The LAPD issues its own moratorium on sleeper holds.
The Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management urges business owners who sustained losses during recent protests and looting to register claims online.
June 9 — Tuesday
George Floyd is laid to rest in Houston, Texas.
Eight hundred and eighty-five people have been killed by police in L.A. County since 2000; most were Black or Latino. The L.A. Times‘ Homicide Report revamped its site to spotlight these very specific types of killings.
District Attorney Jackie Lacey, who has been criticized for being too easy on police, files charges against the LAPD officer who was seen on camera repeatedly punching an unarmed man in April (pictured below).
Paramount Network announces it will not air what would have been the 31st season of “Cops.” The Hollywood Reporter writes, “‘Cops’ has faced scrutiny over the years for the way it depicts suspects and police tactics. A podcast called Running From Cops detailed how officers would sometimes coerce subjects into signing releases to be filmed for the show, and that crewmembers have carried weapons and assisted police.”
More than 100 people protest in Burbank. “Of course some people are treating it like Coachella and there’s nothing we can do about that,” said protest organizer Benjamin Abiola. “But we want to make sure that those in attendance know why we’re out here.”
Lakers star LeBron James is wondering if elections are structurally racist after voting issues are exposed in Georgia.
CrossFit CEO and founder Greg Glassman tells gym owners on a private Zoom call: “We’re not mourning for George Floyd… Can you tell me why I should mourn for him? Other than that it’s the white thing to do — other than that, give me another reason.” Glassman said this in response to a Minneapolis gym owner who questioned why the brand hadn’t posted a statement about the protests across the country after the death of George Floyd. Today, shortly after the publication of the leaked call to Buzzfeed News, the company released a statement from Glassman saying that he had “decided to retire” and was stepping down as CEO.
The Clippers produce this slam dunk:
Santa Monica PD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives partner up to offer a $5K reward for the Sake House arson suspects. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective D. Chabot at (310) 458-2201 Ext. 6679, Sergeant C. Green at (310) 458-8414 or the Watch Commander (24 Hours) at (310) 458-8427.
L.A. protesters arrested for violating curfews won’t be prosecuted and now won’t have to attend weirdo meetings suggested by City Attorney Mike Feuer.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco:
And in Delaware, a Black photojournalist for USA Today is arrested at a demonstration. Why? No one really knows.
Over at UCLA’s business school, a lecturer is placed on leave after students criticize his response to a request to postpone a final exam because of protests over the death of George Floyd. “Thanks for your suggestion in your email below that I give black students special treatment, given the tragedy in Minnesota,” accounting lecturer Gordon Klein wrote. The Anderson School of Management said in a statement that Klein’s classes were reassigned to other faculty as reports about his alleged conduct are being reviewed.
Frankly, my dear, HBO Max gives enough of a damn to remove the classic, but problematic, Oscar-winning film “Gone with the Wind” from its library. The decision is made after “12 Years a Slave” screenwriter John Ridley called for the film to be taken down, as it perpetuates racial stereotypes and glorifies the antebellum South.
June 10, Wednesday
Television City, located in the Beverly/Fairfax District, pledges $2 million to support local community revitalization efforts and diversity initiatives in the entertainment industry. “Television City has called this community home for nearly 70 years, and it pains us to see our neighbors, community organizations, and small businesses – many of which are trying to reopen their doors in the first time in over three months – suffer through these challenging times,” said Michael Hackman, Hackman Capital Partners’ founder and CEO, in a statement.
One of the oldest black-owned bookstores in the country sees a huge surge in sales in the wake of the growing social justice movement. Eso Won Books opened in 1987 in Leimert Park. The book store specializes in African American authors, history and culture.
“He didn’t deserve to die over $20,” George Floyd’s brother testifies in a House panel hearing on police reform.
Over the last several days, Fox News host Tucker Carlson uses his platform to repeatedly attack and denigrate the Black Lives Matter movement, including describing protesters as phony and dangerous. Disney says it will no longer advertise on Carlson’s show.
Sephora to dedicate 15% of shelf space for Black-owned brands, becoming the first major U.S. retailer to do so.
Seven LAPD officers have been assigned to non-field duties amid investigations into alleged excessive use of force or other misconduct during the recent protests. The department says it is investigating 56 complaints, with 28 of them involving the alleged use of force.
Amazon declares it is putting a one-year pause on letting the police use its facial recognition tool.
George Lopez says Latinx celebrities staying quiet about Black Lives Matter is ‘the wrong attitude.‘
June 11, Thursday
The NFL pledges $250 million over 10 years to back social justice initiatives.
Speaking of the NFL, Hall of Famer Terrell Owens leads a march in Inglewood and demands the NFL commissioner apologizes to Colin Kaepernick. “We wouldn’t be here right now if Colin didn’t do what he did,” Owens said. “It’s all come full circle. I’m standing in the gap right now for my brother, and they owe this man an apology.”
USC removes the name of one of its former presidents, Rufus B. von KleinSmid, from a campus building because his active support of eugenics is “at direct odds” with the university’s multicultural community and mission of diversity and inclusion.
Disney, T-Mobile and Papa John’s announce they will no longer advertise on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show after he accused protesters of not being sincere, and worse, that they will “come for you.”
Friday, June 12, 2020
Of the hundreds of Angelenos who were arrested in the BLM rallies, women and gender non-conforming people took to social media to document alleged mental, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of LAPD. L.A. Taco spoke to several individuals who lived through those incidents.
‘We’re back here again’: Mona Holmes on the cycle of police violence from 1992 to today.
Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd, is still eligible for pension worth more than $1 million
Walmart to stop locking up African-American beauty products sold at its stores. “We’re sensitive to the issue and understand the concerns raised by our customers and members of the community and have made the decision to discontinue placing multicultural hair care and beauty products — a practice in place in about a dozen of our 4,700 stores nationwide — in locked cases,” the company said in a statement.
Disneyland fans call for a new theme for Splash Mountain, the ride inspired by “Song of the South.” Splash Mountain stars the animated characters from the 1946 film which has been criticized for ages for its stereotypes of “spiritual” black men and its seemingly nostalgic view of the antebellum South.
Country band Lady Antebellum has decided to change their name to Lady A. Some country fans are upset about it. So is the blues singer who for 20 years goes by the name Lady A. And yes, she’s Black.