On Saturday, May 30, hundreds of people gathered at Mariachi Plaza to protest against racism and police brutality, in light of the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis – but also in response to recent violent police-involved incidents in Boyle Heights and throughout Los Angeles. The protest, organized locally by Centro CSO: Community Service Organization, was originally called to rally for the release of prisoners because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The large crowd gathered in front of the Mariachi Plaza auditorium was made members of various segments of the community and included representation from the Black Lives Matter movement. As photojournalist Pablo de la Hoya noted, the event was organized and peaceful – and even festive at times.
Here is some of what he captured:
