Protests Emerge in Wake of City Council Controversy
Demonstrations by activists have sprouted throughout Los Angeles following a leaked audio recording of city officials making racist remarks.
Jospeh Williams being grabbed at the back of his neck by LAPD as Williams is being pushed out of the Los Angeles City Hall as protesters made their way inside to tape up flyers calling for the resignation of Kevin De Leon on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at Los Angeles, Calif. (Danilo Perez | The Corsair)
Chants filled the streets of Glendale in the late evening of Oct. 24 as InnerCity Struggle (ICS) and other organizers formed a rally and march. Community members of Los Angeles gathered at the Eagle Rock Field Office as they marched down to Kevin de Leon's home to meet with Black Lives Matter L.A.(BLMLA).
“The dance is called Carnaval Putleco from Putla Villa de Guerrero. Our costumes are made of leftover fabrics from other skirts and clothing from all regions, which makes the colorful views of the costume. We are from Costa Chifa, which is towards the West of the state, near the ocean,” said a masked dancer. As Banda Los Inseparables performed, indigenous community members danced at the Marcha Por Justicia. This march was organized by Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO), which means Indigenous Communities in Leadership on Sunday, October 15, at Los Angeles Trade Technical College. (Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair)
“We don’t need his representation,” said the ICS Director, Henry Perez. ICS aims to send a message to de Leon as they find his type of representation is not best suited for their community. Perez would go on to say, “He said that he would be here in the long term. He lied to us then, he's lying to us now.”
Many children, adults, and others of different backgrounds came togther to march. Greeted by the BLMLA encampment group as well as a few guest speakers, the march stopped as the speakers expressed how they felt De Leon’s refusal to resign.
“If you say you're gonna represent me, then I want you to leave your prejudice, your bigotry and your bias at the door,” said Roger Walls, a long-term resident of the community. “The people don't want an apology anymore but would rather see De Leon resign as city council as he presents a false representation of their community.”
Marcha Por Justicia, another protest held on Oct. 15, was organized by Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO), an Indigenous women-led organization fighting racism. The protestors were handed signs, instruments, and culture garments in preparation of the two miles walk to City Hall.
The leaked audio came as a surprise to Oaxacan-born Edith Farree, who closed her business for the day to join others from their community
“We did not expect this and this is why we are doing this now. Oaxacans are my people,” Farree said.
Escorted by the Los Angeles Police Department, the crowd, headed by CIELO organizers, poured onto Grand Ave. As the protestors made a left turn off 18th Street onto Main Street, a driver in a gray Mustang, who stopped to let the group pass by, rapidly honked his horn while pumping his fist out of the window in the air. This prompted the crowd to chant “si se puede” as they walked on, translating to “you can do it” in English.
People came out of business and watched from balconies as the protest made their way down Main street.
Some even showed support by cheering the crowd on or in a few cases waved Mexican flags.
Protests have also erupted in front of City Hall, where police detained several protesters that interrupted the weekly city council meetings.
Despite the widespread protests and calls from prominent elected officials for their resignation, both de León and Cedillo have refused to step down.
