Glendale's March and Vigil for Black Lives Matter Brings Out the Crowds

Around 1,500 people (according to the Daily News) marched to Glendale's civic center on Sunday to participate in a vigil supporting Black Lives Matter and acknowledging the need for systemic change in how law enforcement treats African Americans. It was peaceful, inspiring and galvanizing. Here's the amazing part: The march was organized by three students from Clark Magnet High School. I do have hope for Gen Z in steering us in a better direction. More photos:

A March Against "Walmartization" in L.A.

L.A. isn't going to let Walmart expand in the city without a fight. Just got a media alert about a Saturday march and rally meant to stop Walmart from opening one of its smaller stores in Chinatown. They're calling for an end to "Walmartization." Which is a mouthful.

Details:

Demonstrators will include Chinatown residents and youth, community and faith organizations, civil rights groups, Walmart associates, Walmart warehouse warehouses, and union workers from a broad spectrum of industries who have united in a growing campaign to keep Walmart out of Chinatown and make the retailer change the way it treats workers and communities.

Saturday’s event will begin with a rally in Los Angeles State Historic Park (the Cornfield) north of Chinatown at 11:00am with musical act The Billionaires and will proceed along Broadway to the intersection of Broadway and Cesar Chavez Blvd. There, under Chinatown’s historic dragon gate, speakers will call on Walmart to stop its cycle of impoverishing communities and on city officials to reject Walmart’s political contributions and proposal to build its store in the middle of the Chinatown historic district. Speakers and performers will include 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Dolores Huerta, U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu, musician Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman, United Food and Commercial Workers President Joe Hansen, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the L.A. County Federation of Labor Maria Elena Durazo, Chinatown residents, Walmart workers and other Walmart supply chain speakers.

The march takes place at the Los Angeles State Historic Park on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Go here for a map.

Beverly Hills: We Are The 1%

Spotted on Olympic Blvd.: Street art that takes affluent Beverly Hills to task for being home to many of the nation's richest 1 percent. Actually, I wonder if Brandon and Brenda's parents would have qualified; the 1% is quite an exclusive club.

Arlington West: The Makeshift Memorial in Santa Monica

A project of the group Veterans for Peace, a group of volunteers erect Arlington West, a temporary memorial designed to honor U.S. troops who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan, every Sunday next to the Santa Monica Pier.

Sadly, the toll has risen so high that Arlington West has had to start erecting red crosses, which count for 10 deaths each, instead of the usual one for every fatality. Volunteers also lay flags over makeshift coffins to signify troops killed in the line of duty over the past week; on the week ending this Sunday, 12 people had died.

The exhibit notes that a similar memorial for all Iraqis and Afghans who have died in the wars would cover the entire beach.

The Arlington West display goes up from sunrise to sundown every Sunday.



More info from the Arlington West website:

To take in the full expanse of crosses, one stands breathless at the enormity of what one sees. Each cross, carefully positioned in the sand with a uniformity appropriate a memorial for this purpose, represents all American military personnel who've lost their lives in the US war and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Upon deeper reflection, Arlington West also powerfully represents the path our country has embarked upon.

When one visits the Arlington West Memorial at Santa Monica, one will see mementos placed on some of the crosses, many with fresh cut flowers. Arlington West also represents those who've lost their loved one or close friend.

In celebration of their lives, family and close friends of the fallen write their own heartfelt words and dedicate these to their loved one. A gold star is placed by us on dedications made by those who are family. Those dedications made by a friend or those who served along side an individual, will have a silver star placed on their dedication.

Veterans For Peace and dedicated volunteers of Arlington West are careful stewards of these dedications and currently maintain an archive of over 1600 such mementos.

The group is always in need of volunteers to help lay out the display, starting up at 6 a.m.

BEST OF 2006: View from Wilshire and La Brea

We were out of town during the original Gran Marcha mass demonstration in downtown last March... but I got a front row seat of the second, massive immigration rally on May 1 (which ended just down the street from my office). It was quite an amazing sight. Below, my post from May 1, after taking some pics.

(Click here to read "View from Wilshire and La Brea.")>

View from Wilshire and La Brea

Just back from the immigration rally down the street from Variety -- and indeed, it was a sight to see. Six helicopters in the air... police stationed on every street corner (including plenty on loan, from nearby cities like Beverly Hills)... news camerapeople stationed high above on roofs... and of course, a sea of white shirts, draped mostly with U.S. flags (peppered by a few Mexico ones), along with plenty of banners.

The crowd was orderly, and things weren't too cramped -- you could easily make it to the street and back again. The crowd was very diverse as well; tons of people also were carrying cameras to document it all. As I walked around, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, the Mexican-born head of the California legislature's lower house, spoke.

Some shots: