Thread by @bri_sacks

Keeping tabs on #GeorgeFloyd protests in the LA area today. Small, peaceful demonstration in Santa Monica.

The protest leader, Rasheed, leading the crowd in chants. He has choked up several times screaming Floyd’s last words, asking to call his mom.

Much bigger crowd just came up ocean ave and merged with the original demonstration. They’ve stopped and taken over the street

Hundreds of demonstrators quietly taking a knee for 2:53 seconds in the middle of the streeet

Police have shown up and formed a line on Montana avenue, changing the energy pretty quickly

A protester walking down the line of police, staring every one in the face

Protesters shouting “kneel with us” to the crowd of police blocking Montana, a popular shopping street in SM

Chris Beasley, 32, is from Bakersfield and was in Oakland for the protests yesterday. He was calling out police when this woman asked him to remain peaceful. Here’s part of their exchange

“My son has to grow up watching this,” Beasley says. “What do you expect us to do?”

Like many across the US, he harped that peaceful demonstrations haven’t worked in the past. Every few months, they’re back out saying another name.

Escalating is getting people’s attention

Situation in downtown Santa Monica escalated fast. Vans completely looted and people are looting the mall

Vans and an eye glasses shop on 4th and broadway completely emptied and destroyed. Groups of people keep running in to grab more clothes and shoes. This started at the same time as the peaceful protest a few miles away. Completely different crowd

Protester who said he just arrived

More police have arrived an now canvassing the mall. A lot more helicopters overhead and I heard that Santa Monica has imposed a 4 pm curfew, which is insane

And in the most Santa Monica thing ever, a shirtless dude on his run down the street toward the beach as SWAT teams show up and workers board up Nordstrom

Most All of the businessss on 4th street in Santa Monica have been looted: REI, jewelry shops, Jamba Juice. Some police but it’s a total free for all. People walking and running in taking arm fulls of clothes

I asked LAPD officer Valenzuela, who was standing with a few other officers on 3rd street at a barricade blocking off the promenade, about the looting a block up. He said they don’t have the resources to handle it
“Our job is to be here so people can peacefully protest,” he said

This woman ran up and stood outside a pillaged Vans and was begging people to stop looting because it will help get Trump re-elected.

“We don’t want Trump re-elected, please don’t do this”

A black woman telling a white photographer who just got pushed over how to stay safe right now

Police from Beverly Hills, which was the site of yesterday’s protest, are here. Officer Lawrence said that the chaos here is “much larger” and encompass might a greater area than what they saw there yesterday. They only have enough officers to “try and contain” the situation

The woman in this car with her fist up is blasting Childish Gambino’s “This is America” as she drives past police in downtown Santa Monica, which is completely overrun right now

They’ve now busted into pottery barn and running out with plates, succulents, pillows, candles,

Sake House is now up in flames. Fire department trying to get through

Unbelievable. This place has been here forever. A Japanese family owns it.

LA sheriff department arrived in tanks and started throwing rubber smoke grenades into the crowd on 4th street as LAFD still works to put out the fire. People throwing Bottles back at them

Police are actively moving the line of protesters up broadway toward 5th, angering protesters who are yelling I can’t breathe and holding their ground. People have lit a fire on fire, which is burning near by

Small group still here despite some tear gas, though most have dispersed

Police continue to push the line. Small group of peaceful protesters have sat down and put their hands up

Still shocking this is Santa Monica. Small group of protestsss continue to hold their own line as police move and close them in

Police are making arrests. I’ve seen them put at least four people in handcuffs. The group here says they’re stuck and can’t leave

Brandon Mitchell says he was struck with a rubber bullet on his back while walking as police were moving the line

Police are coming in and taking protesters away one by one. They now say they want to leave but are trapped

This is david Brown. He’s lived in Santa Monica and was here for the Rodney King riots. He says this is worse and it’s heartbreaking to see. He wants peace and is against the looting and destruction. I just watched him get detained and put in zip tie handcuffs.

Police taking david away. He wasn’t doing anything, just standing near by. I asked police if it was for violating curfew and they wouldn’t answer

Some of the people who have been detained

Police also pulled me out of the crowd and put me in zip tie cuffs and I was able to convince them to let me go because I was media, which I know is pretty damn lucky

Brandon Mitchell was also detained, along with the first aid volunteers who helped him after he was hit with a rubber bullet. He’s been out here all day, he said.

Returning to David, who has lived in SM since 1978. He said it was worse, and much different, than Rodney King because people targeted places like Beverly Hills and SM, making all of LA feel it. He felt the need to witness it, bc he’s heartbroken, and was doing so peacefully

Now up around Lincoln and broadway, where there’s still a ton of looting and chaos. Several car dealerships sustained damage

Police charging at groups of people and yelling at everyone to leave the area, disperse, and shelter in place otherwise they will be subject to arrest

So much of downtown SM is now covered in graffiti and the messages are, over and over, are against trump and police, like “fuck Trump” and “kill cops”

Police are trying hard to disperse and detain small groups who are still out on the streets and looting stores. I am calling it for the night, but going to share some stuff from earlier

Jessica Walker, 25, grew up in SM and isn’t surprised this happened. She recalled nooses and slavery taunts at her HS

“It’s a surreal moment that everything that’s so shiny about Santa Monica is being destroyed in front of everyone’s eyes,” black pp are “showing their pain”

Big Mijo, the co-creator of Krumping (a style of dance created in south LA in early 2000s), was also out there. He danced in front of police for a long time. He’s 35 and grew up in South LA and when I spoke to him after, asking how he felt, he said “tired”

“This is not new, that’s why I feel like I am old enough to now interject with something that’s peaceful,” Big Mijo said. “I used to be an ignorant kid out here. Looting and shit. But ya, I feel tired.”

Some updates: David is traumatized but ok. He was in a holding cell w/ about 10 others for 90 mins and given a misdemeanor citation for violating curfew

On Monday, locals and volunteers cleaned up SM. My friend said there were so many ppl there he struggled to find ways to help

Same situation happening now in Hollywood. There were two peaceful protests around Sunset and Hollywood boulevard this afternoon, surrounded by heavy police presence. As it got closer to curfew, other groups streamed into the area and started breaking into shops on Sunset

groups of looters broke into the rite aid, Starbucks, and other stores on sunset and bower