Protesters Gather in Downtown San Diego Saturday Night After San Diego Police Officers Shoot Hispanic Man
Live Blog: Protesters Gather in Downtown San Diego Saturday Night After San Diego Police Officers Shoot Hispanic Man
Sunday, June 28, 2020
By KPBS Staff
Protesters gather in downtown San Diego June 27, 2020 after San Diego police ...
PHOTO BY MATTHEW BOWLER
Above: Protesters gather in downtown San Diego June 27, 2020 after San Diego police officers shot a man, June 27, 2020.
Protesters Gather in Downtown San Diego Saturday Night After San Diego Police Officers Shoot Man
— 12:23 a.m., Sunday, June 27, 2020
San Diego police officers shot a 25-year-old man in downtown San Diego on Saturday evening.
Shortly after, more than a hundred protesters gathered at the corner of A Street and Sixth Avenue, many of them calling for accountability and transparency about the shooting.
The San Diego Police Department wrote in a tweet that two officers fired their weapons, and that the man was struck and taken to a local hospital. Police then tweeted a photo of a gun, which they say was recovered at the scene.
Police say they approached the man because he fit the description of a robbery suspect.
Activist Tasha Williamson was among the protesters and said that the police department would need to move quickly and be as transparent as possible about the events that led to the shooting, including releasing body camera footage.
"Let us see exactly what happened, let us make sure that officers did exactly what we’re being told they are to do when they come into our communities looking for somebody who 'fits the description," Williamson told KPBS.
As of early Sunday morning the condition of the man was unknown.
A protest is planned for later today downtown.
— KPBS Staff
Mayor, SDPD, Community Members Announce Police Policies On Officer Use Of Force
Mayor Kevin Faulconer and police Chief David Nisleit Wednesday announced the city's adoption of two "stand-alone policies" designed to address community concerns about excessive use of force on the part of the San Diego Police Department and resulting potential for "unnecessary loss of life."
WATCH here:
The new regulations will require officers — not merely encourage them — to pursue de-escalation of potentially violent situations by all means possible and to intervene if police personnel are engaging in excessive force, Faulconer said during an afternoon briefing at SDPD headquarters.
The rules, developed along with three local oversight bodies that held emergency meetings on the topic this month, will allow police to "reduce the use of force, further embrace the highest standards of accountability, increase public trust and protect against the unnecessary loss of life," the mayor said.
San Diego Supervisors To Consider 'Racial Justice And Law Enforcement Realignment Policy Package'
— 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 23, 2020
The three-pronged "Racial Justice and Law Enforcement Realignment Policy Package" was approved by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday after considerable public input and discussion.
The three policies involve strengthening the Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board's authority and independence, opening an Office of Equity and Racial Justice for San Diego County and having Mobile Crisis Response Teams that use clinicians instead of law enforcement for mental health and homeless services. Supervisor Nathan Fletcher unveiled the proposals Friday.
Join us for the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors Special Meeting at the County Administration Center. https://t.co/VmPA6vBIbw
— SanDiegoCounty (@SanDiegoCounty) June 23, 2020
According to his office, independence from the county sheriff would be needed to strengthen the Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board, as well as granting it independent authority to investigate use-of-weapons and use-of-force claims.
For the Office of Equity and Racial Justice, the county will involve communities of color to set policy and budget priorities, secure and administer restorative justice programs and "dismantle systemic barriers that present obstacles based on race," Fletcher recently said.
For the Mobile Crisis Response Teams, the county would need to set up a helpline, conduct an outreach campaign and dedicate $10 million annually of its Health and Human Services Agency budget toward the teams. — City News Service
Skateboarders, Worshipers, Kids Join San Diego Protests
— 5:30 p.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020
Skateboarders, religious worshippers, children and Juneteenth demonstrators all participated in separate events throughout San Diego County in the ongoing pursuit of racial equality.
Skateboarders by the hundreds participated in a "Rolling for Rights'' protest at 1 p.m., starting at Sixth Avenue and Palm Street and ending at the Embarcadero Marina Park.
On Twitter, Andy Trimlett called the protest "Hands down, the coolest protest I've ever been to."
Saturday morning, more than 7,000 people took part on street corners around the county in a "We Pray San Diego" hour-long event, organizers from the Rock Church said. The event included gatherings in San Marcos, Oceanside, Carmel Mountain Ranch, San Diego, Mission Bay, Chula Vista, San Carlos and Santee.
The event focused on both the coronavirus pandemic and racial division "that has threatened to tear our city apart," according to organizers. — City News Service
Pacific Beach Protesters March Against Hate
— 2:40 p.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020
Black Lives Matter protesters marched through Pacific Beach Saturday to call out racism, misogyny and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, organizers said.
The "We March Against Hate" protest march began at 9 a.m. at the Crystal Pier, 4500 Ocean Blvd., organizer Armon Harvey said. After marching through the streets of Pacific Beach, the protesters ended up back at the Crystal Pier at noon.
A couple hundred marchers demanded that the Pacific Beach community "become more of a diverse community and stop pushing out Blacks and browns and LGBTQ people,'' Harvey said. "Pacific Beach residents and business owners have been pushing the narrative that PB is a white community with no outsiders welcome. We're tired of them pushing us out."
Harvey accused many businesses in PB of not hiring minorities for years.
"We're finally getting people to rally together and to come together for a unity of change," Harvey said. — City News Service
Kids, Parents March In Black Lives Matter Protest At Park
— 12:30 p.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020
More than 200 people gathered Saturday for a Black Lives Matter kids protest at the Trolley Barn Park in University Heights.
The site of the march was a city park on the site of an old streetcar barn at 1943 Adams Ave.
The group met near the entrance to a park kiosk and marched around the park a few times.
One participant, Eva Posner, tweeted that she and her family attended the protest Saturday morning and saw at least 200 people in the neighborhood park, with chants led by children.
"Our section was led by a 5-year-old Black child," Posner tweeted. "When I thanked him after, he responded, 'That's my leader job.' Unapologetic. Determined. Beautiful."
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— City News Service
Additional Protests Planned In San Diego Saturday
— 11:00 a.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020
Following several Juneteenth events in San Diego on Friday, including a sit-in/sing-in style art event at Balboa Park which drew more than a thousand attendees, more protests and gatherings are planned to commemorate the holiday and the continued movement for Black rights on Saturday.
A kid-friendly protest is underway at Trolley Barn Park in University Heights. It started at 10 a.m. with a circle discussion to help children understand protesting.
"Rolling for Rights" is a skateboarding ride, or "push," which begins at 1 p.m. at Sixth Avenue and Palm Street, travels through downtown and ends at the Embarcadero.
A Juneteenth protest and march will also take place at Balboa Park at 1:30 p.m. near the Presidents Way lawn.
Beginning at 2 p.m., the Cooper Family Foundation will hold their annual Juneteenth event online, via Zoom. — Julia Dixon Evans, KPBS/Arts editor
Supervisor Fletcher Proposes Racial Justice And Police Realignment Policies
– 3:15 p.m., Friday, June 19, 2020
San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher speaks at a p...
PHOTO CREDIT: NATHAN FLETCHER
San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher speaks at a press conference with Buki Domingos, founder of Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego; Ellen Nash, chair of Black American Political Association of California; Khalid Alexander, president of Pillars of the Community; and Maresa Talbert, co-chair of San Diegans for Justice; and other activists, June 19, 2020.
San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher joined local Black leaders Friday to announce a three-pronged "Racial Justice and Law Enforcement Realignment Policy Package" which the Board of Supervisors will consider Tuesday.
The three policies in the package involve strengthening the Citizen's Law Enforcement Review Board's authority and independence, opening an Office of Equity and Racial Justice for San Diego County and launching Mobile Crisis Response Teams that uses clinicians instead of law enforcement for mental health and homeless services.
WATCH here:
Paving Great Futures, ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, Urban League of San Diego County, the Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego, BAPAC, SD for Justice Coalition, Pillars of the Community, the Black Chamber and Voice of Youth all offered input on the package, which seeks to "create more transparency and start to change the systemic and structural racism that has caused pain and harm to generations of Black people," according to a statement from Fletcher's office.
"The organizations and activists we worked with have been fighting to save Black lives, and advocating for these changes for a long time. Now is the time for real change," Fletcher said. "These proposals are initial steps in a series of system and culture changes that needs to occur for there to be true equity in treatment by law enforcement and other injustices felt by minority populations in our community."
Fletcher launched a petition drive to support the policy package, and was joined at a news conference on the steps of the County Administration Center by Buki Domingos, founder of Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego; Ellen Nash, chair of the board of Black American Political Association of California; Khalid Alexander, president and founder of Pillars of the Community; and Maresa Talbert, co-chair of San Diegans for Justice. — City News Service
Motorcyclists Take Part In Unity Ride To La Mesa As Weekend Protests Continue
— 2:05 p.m., Sunday, June 14, 2020
A weekend of peaceful protests in support of racial equality continued today with bikers in La Mesa and babies and their moms in Coronado, among other gatherings planned for later in the afternoon.
About 150 motorcyclists participated in a unity ride from Oak Park to police headquarters in La Mesa at 1 p.m. to join up with another group of protesters gathering to demonstrate against racism and police brutality.
The demonstration was billed as a non-violent call for change in law enforcement and official accountability for several widely condemned police encounters that played out recently in the eastern San Diego County city.
"We are Peaceful!," organizer Tasha Williamson posted on Twitter. "We are Unified! We Want JUSTICE!"
The leader of the biker contingent, who goes by the name "Caveman," said he wants police to engage in some introspection about how officers treat people of color.
Evening Edition
REPORTED BY AMITA SHARMA , VIDEO BY MATTHEW BOWLER
"I'm not a big fan of police brutality," he said. "And it's unfortunate that it has come to our community. They need to stand back and maybe look at themselves."
La Mesa Police Chief Walter Vasquez responded to that message with gratitude and a message of his own.
"Thank you -- but we need their input," Vasquez said. "And then change needs to occur, especially from the police department. We all need to get better."
At 10 a.m. in Coronado, more than 100 people turned out at Spreckles Park for a "Baby's First Black Lives Matter Protest" organized by Ellie Coburn and featuring activism storytime, music, dancing and voices of black motherhood.
"We had a beautiful turnout," Coburn told City News Service. "We had the opportunity to listen to some incredible mama speakers speak on black motherhood and the founder of SD Peaceful Protests speak on the importance of early race awareness."
She said participants heard the reading of a storybook on activism, danced and sang to empowerment music by black artists, taught the kids how to do protest chants and engage in about an hour of "art, bubbles and community."
"This event for families with young children is so important because we know that children establish a lifetime of racial biases by just five years old," Coburn said. The event lasted about 90 minutes.
The group is planning another event on June 28 in North County.
At noon in Pacific Beach, "Walk for Equality" protesters met at the Crystal Pier to begin a march.
At 2 p.m., a Black Lives Matter march was scheduled to begin at the San Diego Zoo and end up at the San Diego Police Department headquarters at 1401 Broadway. — KPBS Reporter Amita Sharma and City News Service
Bikers Take Part In Unity Ride To La Mesa As Weekend Protests Continue
— 8:55 a.m., Sunday, June 14, 2020
A protest against police use of excessive force against people of color is set to take place Sunday afternoon in La Mesa, where the same sort of demonstration two weekends ago spun out of control into destructive anarchy.
The planned downtown demonstration is intended to be a non-violent call for change in law enforcement and official accountability for several widely condemned police encounters that played out recently in the eastern San Diego County city.
"We are Peaceful!," organizer Tasha Williamson posted on Twitter. "We are Unified! We Want JUSTICE!"
Among the demands that will be voiced by participants during the rally at La Mesa police headquarters, according to planners, will be the firing of two LMPD officers — one involved in the allegedly abusive May 27 arrest of a young man near Grossmont Transit Center, the other in the serious injuring by a police projectile of a 59-year-old woman taking part in the raucous protest three days later.
That demonstration began in an orderly fashion but devolved into burglary, looting and arson fires that destroyed several commercial buildings, including two banks.
La Mesa police were "making every effort to reach out to the event organizer for further information to ensure we have appropriate resources on hand to facilitate a safe and peaceful exercise of the group's First Amendment rights," LMPD spokesman Lt. Greg Runge told the Times of San Diego on Thursday. — City News Service
San Diegans Turn Out For Boat Parade Honoring Trump’s Re-Election
8:40 a.m., Sunday, June 14, 2020
Thousands of people lined San Diego Bay Saturday to watch a Trump Boat Parade as hundreds of boats traveled through the waters from Point Loma to Coronado.
Parade participants carried posters and waved U.S. flags in support of President Donald Trump's re-wlection bid and to celebrate the president's 74th birthday Sunday.
The parade was organized by Nick Garcia, founder and CEO of Nitro Gun Co. in Carlsbad, which manufactures spearguns used in fishing.
At one point, a group of planes flew in formation over the parade. At another point, a plane flew over the boats carrying a banner that read "DUMP TRUMP #BUNKERBOY.''
Garcia, in an appearance on local TV Saturday morning, said the parade was not meant to divide people, rather he wanted all of San Diego to unite and support the United States of America. — City News Service
Sunday, June 28, 2020
By KPBS Staff
Protesters gather in downtown San Diego June 27, 2020 after San Diego police ...
PHOTO BY MATTHEW BOWLER
Above: Protesters gather in downtown San Diego June 27, 2020 after San Diego police officers shot a man, June 27, 2020.
Protesters Gather in Downtown San Diego Saturday Night After San Diego Police Officers Shoot Man
— 12:23 a.m., Sunday, June 27, 2020
San Diego police officers shot a 25-year-old man in downtown San Diego on Saturday evening.
Shortly after, more than a hundred protesters gathered at the corner of A Street and Sixth Avenue, many of them calling for accountability and transparency about the shooting.
The San Diego Police Department wrote in a tweet that two officers fired their weapons, and that the man was struck and taken to a local hospital. Police then tweeted a photo of a gun, which they say was recovered at the scene.
Police say they approached the man because he fit the description of a robbery suspect.
Activist Tasha Williamson was among the protesters and said that the police department would need to move quickly and be as transparent as possible about the events that led to the shooting, including releasing body camera footage.
"Let us see exactly what happened, let us make sure that officers did exactly what we’re being told they are to do when they come into our communities looking for somebody who 'fits the description," Williamson told KPBS.
As of early Sunday morning the condition of the man was unknown.
A protest is planned for later today downtown.
— KPBS Staff
Mayor, SDPD, Community Members Announce Police Policies On Officer Use Of Force
Mayor Kevin Faulconer and police Chief David Nisleit Wednesday announced the city's adoption of two "stand-alone policies" designed to address community concerns about excessive use of force on the part of the San Diego Police Department and resulting potential for "unnecessary loss of life."
WATCH here:
The new regulations will require officers — not merely encourage them — to pursue de-escalation of potentially violent situations by all means possible and to intervene if police personnel are engaging in excessive force, Faulconer said during an afternoon briefing at SDPD headquarters.
The rules, developed along with three local oversight bodies that held emergency meetings on the topic this month, will allow police to "reduce the use of force, further embrace the highest standards of accountability, increase public trust and protect against the unnecessary loss of life," the mayor said.
San Diego Supervisors To Consider 'Racial Justice And Law Enforcement Realignment Policy Package'
— 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 23, 2020
The three-pronged "Racial Justice and Law Enforcement Realignment Policy Package" was approved by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday after considerable public input and discussion.
The three policies involve strengthening the Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board's authority and independence, opening an Office of Equity and Racial Justice for San Diego County and having Mobile Crisis Response Teams that use clinicians instead of law enforcement for mental health and homeless services. Supervisor Nathan Fletcher unveiled the proposals Friday.
Join us for the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors Special Meeting at the County Administration Center. https://t.co/VmPA6vBIbw
— SanDiegoCounty (@SanDiegoCounty) June 23, 2020
According to his office, independence from the county sheriff would be needed to strengthen the Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board, as well as granting it independent authority to investigate use-of-weapons and use-of-force claims.
For the Office of Equity and Racial Justice, the county will involve communities of color to set policy and budget priorities, secure and administer restorative justice programs and "dismantle systemic barriers that present obstacles based on race," Fletcher recently said.
For the Mobile Crisis Response Teams, the county would need to set up a helpline, conduct an outreach campaign and dedicate $10 million annually of its Health and Human Services Agency budget toward the teams. — City News Service
Skateboarders, Worshipers, Kids Join San Diego Protests
— 5:30 p.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020
Skateboarders, religious worshippers, children and Juneteenth demonstrators all participated in separate events throughout San Diego County in the ongoing pursuit of racial equality.
Skateboarders by the hundreds participated in a "Rolling for Rights'' protest at 1 p.m., starting at Sixth Avenue and Palm Street and ending at the Embarcadero Marina Park.
On Twitter, Andy Trimlett called the protest "Hands down, the coolest protest I've ever been to."
Saturday morning, more than 7,000 people took part on street corners around the county in a "We Pray San Diego" hour-long event, organizers from the Rock Church said. The event included gatherings in San Marcos, Oceanside, Carmel Mountain Ranch, San Diego, Mission Bay, Chula Vista, San Carlos and Santee.
The event focused on both the coronavirus pandemic and racial division "that has threatened to tear our city apart," according to organizers. — City News Service
Pacific Beach Protesters March Against Hate
— 2:40 p.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020
Black Lives Matter protesters marched through Pacific Beach Saturday to call out racism, misogyny and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, organizers said.
The "We March Against Hate" protest march began at 9 a.m. at the Crystal Pier, 4500 Ocean Blvd., organizer Armon Harvey said. After marching through the streets of Pacific Beach, the protesters ended up back at the Crystal Pier at noon.
A couple hundred marchers demanded that the Pacific Beach community "become more of a diverse community and stop pushing out Blacks and browns and LGBTQ people,'' Harvey said. "Pacific Beach residents and business owners have been pushing the narrative that PB is a white community with no outsiders welcome. We're tired of them pushing us out."
Harvey accused many businesses in PB of not hiring minorities for years.
"We're finally getting people to rally together and to come together for a unity of change," Harvey said. — City News Service
Kids, Parents March In Black Lives Matter Protest At Park
— 12:30 p.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020
More than 200 people gathered Saturday for a Black Lives Matter kids protest at the Trolley Barn Park in University Heights.
The site of the march was a city park on the site of an old streetcar barn at 1943 Adams Ave.
The group met near the entrance to a park kiosk and marched around the park a few times.
One participant, Eva Posner, tweeted that she and her family attended the protest Saturday morning and saw at least 200 people in the neighborhood park, with chants led by children.
"Our section was led by a 5-year-old Black child," Posner tweeted. "When I thanked him after, he responded, 'That's my leader job.' Unapologetic. Determined. Beautiful."
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— City News Service
Additional Protests Planned In San Diego Saturday
— 11:00 a.m., Saturday, June 20, 2020
Following several Juneteenth events in San Diego on Friday, including a sit-in/sing-in style art event at Balboa Park which drew more than a thousand attendees, more protests and gatherings are planned to commemorate the holiday and the continued movement for Black rights on Saturday.
A kid-friendly protest is underway at Trolley Barn Park in University Heights. It started at 10 a.m. with a circle discussion to help children understand protesting.
"Rolling for Rights" is a skateboarding ride, or "push," which begins at 1 p.m. at Sixth Avenue and Palm Street, travels through downtown and ends at the Embarcadero.
A Juneteenth protest and march will also take place at Balboa Park at 1:30 p.m. near the Presidents Way lawn.
Beginning at 2 p.m., the Cooper Family Foundation will hold their annual Juneteenth event online, via Zoom. — Julia Dixon Evans, KPBS/Arts editor
Supervisor Fletcher Proposes Racial Justice And Police Realignment Policies
– 3:15 p.m., Friday, June 19, 2020
San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher speaks at a p...
PHOTO CREDIT: NATHAN FLETCHER
San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher speaks at a press conference with Buki Domingos, founder of Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego; Ellen Nash, chair of Black American Political Association of California; Khalid Alexander, president of Pillars of the Community; and Maresa Talbert, co-chair of San Diegans for Justice; and other activists, June 19, 2020.
San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher joined local Black leaders Friday to announce a three-pronged "Racial Justice and Law Enforcement Realignment Policy Package" which the Board of Supervisors will consider Tuesday.
The three policies in the package involve strengthening the Citizen's Law Enforcement Review Board's authority and independence, opening an Office of Equity and Racial Justice for San Diego County and launching Mobile Crisis Response Teams that uses clinicians instead of law enforcement for mental health and homeless services.
WATCH here:
Paving Great Futures, ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, Urban League of San Diego County, the Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego, BAPAC, SD for Justice Coalition, Pillars of the Community, the Black Chamber and Voice of Youth all offered input on the package, which seeks to "create more transparency and start to change the systemic and structural racism that has caused pain and harm to generations of Black people," according to a statement from Fletcher's office.
"The organizations and activists we worked with have been fighting to save Black lives, and advocating for these changes for a long time. Now is the time for real change," Fletcher said. "These proposals are initial steps in a series of system and culture changes that needs to occur for there to be true equity in treatment by law enforcement and other injustices felt by minority populations in our community."
Fletcher launched a petition drive to support the policy package, and was joined at a news conference on the steps of the County Administration Center by Buki Domingos, founder of Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego; Ellen Nash, chair of the board of Black American Political Association of California; Khalid Alexander, president and founder of Pillars of the Community; and Maresa Talbert, co-chair of San Diegans for Justice. — City News Service
Motorcyclists Take Part In Unity Ride To La Mesa As Weekend Protests Continue
— 2:05 p.m., Sunday, June 14, 2020
A weekend of peaceful protests in support of racial equality continued today with bikers in La Mesa and babies and their moms in Coronado, among other gatherings planned for later in the afternoon.
About 150 motorcyclists participated in a unity ride from Oak Park to police headquarters in La Mesa at 1 p.m. to join up with another group of protesters gathering to demonstrate against racism and police brutality.
The demonstration was billed as a non-violent call for change in law enforcement and official accountability for several widely condemned police encounters that played out recently in the eastern San Diego County city.
"We are Peaceful!," organizer Tasha Williamson posted on Twitter. "We are Unified! We Want JUSTICE!"
The leader of the biker contingent, who goes by the name "Caveman," said he wants police to engage in some introspection about how officers treat people of color.
Evening Edition
REPORTED BY AMITA SHARMA , VIDEO BY MATTHEW BOWLER
"I'm not a big fan of police brutality," he said. "And it's unfortunate that it has come to our community. They need to stand back and maybe look at themselves."
La Mesa Police Chief Walter Vasquez responded to that message with gratitude and a message of his own.
"Thank you -- but we need their input," Vasquez said. "And then change needs to occur, especially from the police department. We all need to get better."
At 10 a.m. in Coronado, more than 100 people turned out at Spreckles Park for a "Baby's First Black Lives Matter Protest" organized by Ellie Coburn and featuring activism storytime, music, dancing and voices of black motherhood.
"We had a beautiful turnout," Coburn told City News Service. "We had the opportunity to listen to some incredible mama speakers speak on black motherhood and the founder of SD Peaceful Protests speak on the importance of early race awareness."
She said participants heard the reading of a storybook on activism, danced and sang to empowerment music by black artists, taught the kids how to do protest chants and engage in about an hour of "art, bubbles and community."
"This event for families with young children is so important because we know that children establish a lifetime of racial biases by just five years old," Coburn said. The event lasted about 90 minutes.
The group is planning another event on June 28 in North County.
At noon in Pacific Beach, "Walk for Equality" protesters met at the Crystal Pier to begin a march.
At 2 p.m., a Black Lives Matter march was scheduled to begin at the San Diego Zoo and end up at the San Diego Police Department headquarters at 1401 Broadway. — KPBS Reporter Amita Sharma and City News Service
Bikers Take Part In Unity Ride To La Mesa As Weekend Protests Continue
— 8:55 a.m., Sunday, June 14, 2020
A protest against police use of excessive force against people of color is set to take place Sunday afternoon in La Mesa, where the same sort of demonstration two weekends ago spun out of control into destructive anarchy.
The planned downtown demonstration is intended to be a non-violent call for change in law enforcement and official accountability for several widely condemned police encounters that played out recently in the eastern San Diego County city.
"We are Peaceful!," organizer Tasha Williamson posted on Twitter. "We are Unified! We Want JUSTICE!"
Among the demands that will be voiced by participants during the rally at La Mesa police headquarters, according to planners, will be the firing of two LMPD officers — one involved in the allegedly abusive May 27 arrest of a young man near Grossmont Transit Center, the other in the serious injuring by a police projectile of a 59-year-old woman taking part in the raucous protest three days later.
That demonstration began in an orderly fashion but devolved into burglary, looting and arson fires that destroyed several commercial buildings, including two banks.
La Mesa police were "making every effort to reach out to the event organizer for further information to ensure we have appropriate resources on hand to facilitate a safe and peaceful exercise of the group's First Amendment rights," LMPD spokesman Lt. Greg Runge told the Times of San Diego on Thursday. — City News Service
San Diegans Turn Out For Boat Parade Honoring Trump’s Re-Election
8:40 a.m., Sunday, June 14, 2020
Thousands of people lined San Diego Bay Saturday to watch a Trump Boat Parade as hundreds of boats traveled through the waters from Point Loma to Coronado.
Parade participants carried posters and waved U.S. flags in support of President Donald Trump's re-wlection bid and to celebrate the president's 74th birthday Sunday.
The parade was organized by Nick Garcia, founder and CEO of Nitro Gun Co. in Carlsbad, which manufactures spearguns used in fishing.
At one point, a group of planes flew in formation over the parade. At another point, a plane flew over the boats carrying a banner that read "DUMP TRUMP #BUNKERBOY.''
Garcia, in an appearance on local TV Saturday morning, said the parade was not meant to divide people, rather he wanted all of San Diego to unite and support the United States of America. — City News Service
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