Kennedy Freeman holds her sign as she and hundreds of people gathered at Long Beach City College calling for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd's death in Long Beach Friday, June 5, 2020. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Throughout Long Beach, thousands of people protested and marched against police brutality, called for the defunding of police departments and mourned for the victims of police killings all day on Friday.
The protests centered on the killing of George Floyd, who was suffocated by a white police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, and the killing of Breonna Taylor, who Louisville police officers fatally shot in her apartment while serving a no-knock warrant on the wrong address. Friday would have been Taylor’s 27th birthday, so protesters sang “Happy Birthday” multiple times at each protest.
Hundreds gathered at a protest at the Liberal Arts Campus at Long Beach City College, which ended with a march to the Lakewood Sheriff’s station. The protest was peaceful, but when it finished and most of the participants left except for about 100, deputies declared an unlawful assembly and fired less-lethal rounds at the remaining protesters.
At about the same time, another protest in Belmont Shore grew to about 200 people on the Naples bridge, with protesters lining the sidewalks on the sides of the bridge and ending with a march on 2nd Street.
The day culminated in a protest and march organized by the Long Beach chapter of Black Lives Matter in Downtown Long Beach. About 2,000 protesters marched to where they believed Mayor Robert Garcia lives, as well as on Ocean Boulevard and the Gov. George Deukmejian Courthouse on Magnolia Avenue.
Rylan G uses a megaphone to lead hundreds of protesters at Long Beach City College calling for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Protesters demonstrate in front of the Lakewood Sheriff’s station calling for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Lakewood Friday, June 5, 2020. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.A protester talks to the Latino police officers on the line as hundreds of people gathered and marched to the Lakewood Sheriff’s station as they protest for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Kennedy Freeman is overwhelmed as a protester comforts her as hundreds of people gathered marches to the Lakewood Sheriff’s station from at Long Beach City College calling for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Aazalet Danage talks to the crowd on the megaphone as hundreds of people gathered at Long Beach City College calling for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Long Beach Friday, June 5, 2020. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Two protesters comfort each other has hundreds of people marched to the Lakewood Sheriff’s station from Long Beach City College calling for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Hundreds of people gathered at Long Beach City College calling for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Long Beach Friday, June 5, 2020. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Protesters surround an anti-protester as hundreds of people gathered and marched to the Lakewood Sheriff’s station from at Long Beach City College calling for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Hundreds of of protesters line Carson Street as vehicles zoom by at Long Beach City College. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Two protesters do not stop traffic but stand in front of vehicles during a red light as hundreds of people gathered at Long Beach City College calling for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.A car zoomed past hundreds of people gathered at Long Beach City College calling for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Long Beach Friday, June 5, 2020. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.A couple joins other protesters as they gathered at Lakewood Sheriff’s station calling for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.A man comforts a woman as she talks about the death of a friend as hundreds of people gathered at the Lakewood Sheriff’s station tp protest for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.A protester puts her hands up as they shout ”Hands up don’t shoot!” as hundreds of gathered at the Lakewood Sheriff’s station to protest for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Lakewood sheriff deputies keep an eye on protesters as they make their way to the Sheriff’s station on Clark Avenue . Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Lakewood sheriff deputies stand the line as they keep an eye on protesters at the Lakewood Sheriff’s station on Clark Avenue. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.A National Guard member stands on Pine Avenue as hundreds of protesters marched around Downtown Long Beach. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.A group of protesters stopped in front of National Guard members on Pine Avenue. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.National Guard members move down Pine Avenue after hundreds of protesters marched around Downtown Long Beach for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Long Beach Friday, June 5, 2020. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Three men climb atop the Gov. George Deukmejian Courthouse as hundreds of protesters marched around Downtown Long Beach for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Long Beach Friday, June 5, 2020. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.A protester who goes by the name Future speaks to hundreds of protesters as they marched around Downtown Long Beach on Friday. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.A man walks by paintings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd after hundreds of protesters marched around Downtown Long Beach Friday. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.Kids play in the water while protesters marched on the bridge at Naples on 2nd Street for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Long Beach Friday, June 5, 2020. Photo by Kelly Smiley.Protesters display their signs while on the bridge in Naples on 2nd Street for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Photo by Kelly Smiley.Protesters marched on the bridge in Naples on 2nd Street for police reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Photo by Kelly Smiley.A protester raises his fist while on the bridge in Naples on 2nd Street for police reforms. Photo by Kelly Smiley.Protester on the bridge in Naples on the 2nd Street on Friday. Photo by Kelly Smiley.Protesters on the bridge Friday in Naples on 2nd Street. Photo by Kelly Smiley.
