What started as a subdued sit-in at the Long Beach Civic Center ended as a raucous march through Downtown, with the crowd swelling to hundreds then about a thousand people on the 5th day of protests calling for justice in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
The crowd blocked Ocean Boulevard after leaving the Civic Center at about 4 p.m., where the mayor spoke to the crowd for the second time in as many days. The group then walked north on Pacific Avenue, then turned on Broadway near the Long Beach Police Department headquarters, on Magnolia, then 6th Street and Long Beach Boulevard.
Passing cars honked in support, and apartment dwellers above cheered on the peaceful but loud crowd.
Marisela Martinez, a protester, said she felt the movement’s predominantly young leadership is a main factor in fueling consistent demonstrations.
“We do have a lot of young people out here participating,” she said. “I just feel like this time around it really is ‘enough is enough.’”
Mayor Robert Garcia told protesters outside City Hall Wednesday that the City Council is aiming to reform the Citizen Police Complaint Commission, which investigates complaints against police but has no teeth to impose discipline. The commission also only has the power to make recommendations, and can be overruled by the city manager, who tends to side with officers when he does so.
“The number one thing that I have heard from everyone I’ve talked to is reform of the CPCC,” Garcia said. “And that’s going to be at the top of the agenda of anything happens.”
Garcia did not mention specific details as to what that reform could look like.