I live in a Los Angeles suburb. I don’t think that much about my city in the sense I like to brag about the weather, or put down any part of my community. Wasn’t born here, but lived most of my life here, except for 10 years in No California.
People put Southern California down but it has many wonderful attributes, it’s impossible to count. It would match or beat almost any of your cities likely for natural beauty, weather, natural resources & economy. I’m aware of the progressive politics, the Hollywood cult, but there are many who are moderate or conservative here.
The recent protests/riots took place in Downtown LA, Hollywood mostly, away from the suburbs. Couple leaders got permits and marches were somewhat peaceful in the beginning, but I was deeply bothered at how antifa infiltrated later after dark and produced chaos. L. A. hasn’t had any problems with antifa that I know of, up to now. I’m familiar with that group as Marc was murdered in Portland, OR where they have a bad reputation. I’ve visited there during several protests.
As the peaceful marches got underway in L.A., the antifa types would come along and mix with the others and create mayhem. They’d break windows, loot or set fire to cars, stores! Antifa were not part of the Geo Floyd protesters or BLM marches, this was evident on the first day, during the early hours of demonstrations. Various news reporters noticed the influx of antifa/anarchist types taking charge in parts in riots in our city, some were clearly aghast at the severity of the destruction, hatred expressed by rioters well into the night! It was bizarre to see these white youths seemingly come out of nowhere and try to claim the black BLM marches as their own!
It was sickening to see antifa nite after nite vandalize, spray paint stores, or burn downtown L.A., or Hollywood stores on Melrose right out in the open, for NO REASON! Los Angeles hasn’t had a major protest since the early ’90’s with the Rodney King incident, we’ve done pretty well. Our universities are so calm compared to the tempests in some colleges Back East.
By Sunday, I was heartsick by the totally unwarranted, wanton torching of Santa Monica store fronts by antifa types! Why that city of all places? There were peaceful marchers there, but a few isolated individuals set about to destroy property, set cars, or buildings on fire. Sheriff Villaraigosa did a good job of trying to maintain clarity, and shared how protests were fine but not looting and arson! But I think the police were overwhelmed by the different types of protesting from various groups, not one group or city to focus their attention on.
What’s very disturbing to me is how people turned the tragic mourning of one man’s death into a political riot. I resent how people from out of town came to Los Angeles and took over the intentions of the more peaceful local marchers who were officially organized to march. As I watched TV coverage we’d watch marchers early, then watch the violent crowd create mayhem thru arson, looting. Then after anarchists finished breaking store front windows, carloads of youth from surrounding areas would drive by and loot the stores with broken windows. Each group, each race, had their own agenda in the protests, many could see it, and some tried to turn antifa away.
Police were flying overhead trying to spot looters for police on the ground, but then another store would have it’s plywood barriers broken down, so they moved to show that. Police were trying to arrest those past the curfew, and the Guard were trying to cordon off streets and maintain a presence. The looting in Long Beach, I believe was done by their own residents but otherwise, alot of the initial rioting in Downtown, Hollywood and Santa Monica was instigated by mostly antifa types. There definitely was some larger scale planning to bring antifa to L.A.!
As a mom who’s lost a son to violence, I would never wish to see any city, any buildings vandalized, burned in honor of my son! I don’t rejoice when people or property are hurt, destroyed! The added personal pain, economic woe, legal hassles, public display is NOT worth it. Doing things legally, peacefully is the only solution, in my opinion. Many civil rights injustices have been changed thru peaceful demonstrations.
I’m called to be a Christian, and that means embracing people of all races. Los Angeles has a huge multicultural mix, and I’m not talking about the large Hispanic culture here. Our county has huge populations from Asia, Africa, India, Philippines, Iran …. you name it, but our problems are minimal as we’re not all piled on top of each other like in NY, we have space to live in our areas. In my job, neighborhood I’ve hardly had any problems with anyone that wasn’t settled quickly. But the people who organize or contribute to race or police riots, want us to think violence will bring results.
There are many peaceful people of all cultures, religions in Los Angeles …. we’re not mainly white! But …. we should resist the divisive rhetoric of the violent Left if we are to live here peacefully!
So well said Di!! It seems to me the rioting was planned; riding on the coat tails of covid 19; and seemingly instigated for it to breakout right at the time Businesses could reopen most places. This was a world demonstration. The very sad death of George Floyd was the horrific event triggering it all.
Love and prayers,
Cynthia
Great post. Amen to fighting the divisive rhetoric of the Left!