The death of George Floyd, the black man who died while handcuffed and in custody of the Minneapolis Police Department, will be recalled at a National Day of Protest event to be held Saturday at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights.
Local group CSO: Centro Community Service Organization is organizing the local event, originally called by the National Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression to demand the mass release of all prisoners due to COVID-19.
Organizers said in a release that they will also protest this year’s officer-involved deaths of Floyd in Minneapolis, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and Breonna Taylor in Louisville. “This lynch style, racist terrorism must stop, and perpetrators must be punished,” the released said.
The police officer who was seen on video kneeling on the neck of Floyd as the man cried that he could not breathe, was arrested Friday and charged with murder. The case has sparked protests across the United States –including gatherings in Los Angeles Wednesday and Thursday– and ongoing violence in Minneapolis.
Earlier this month, CSO organized a protest in Boyle Heights demanding the firing and prosecution of a Los Angeles police officer who violently beat a Boyle Heights man while placing him in custody for trespassing. The LAPD said Officer Frank Hernández was being investigated for alleged assault; the District Attorney has declined to say whether it will prosecute the officer until the investigation has concluded.
The Boyle Heights action will take place between 3 and 4 pm Saturday at Mariachi Plaza, 1831 E 1st St. Participants are encouraged to bring their own posters, masks, and to practice social-distancing.
