With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Here's How You Can Participate In LA's 3-Day COVID Memorial
The full moon rises beyond a white flag memorial installation, outside Griffith Observatory, which honors the nearly 27,000 Los Angeles County residents who have died from COVID-19.
(
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
)
Starting tonight, Angelenos are invited to participate in various activities as part of a three-day memorial to honor the people who lost their lives to COVID-19. Each night bears a different theme.
Thursday’s theme is "Honor.” At 8 p.m., officials are asking residents to applaud the city's first responders, essential workers, small business owners, community groups, caregivers, neighbors and families who put their lives on the line during the pandemic.
In a news conference Wednesday, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke of the need to recognize those who have lost their lives to COVID-19 as well as those who continue to grieve.
“If you visit Griffith Observatory, you'll see an incredible installation that was put there," Garcetti said. "27,000 white flags, a sea of flags representing every human being every beloved friend and neighbor that we have lost."
Support for LAist comes from
Today, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced 26 new COVID-related deaths, bringing the total number of lives lost to 26,949.
On Friday, the memorial theme will be “Remember” and at 8 p.m. the city asks that residents light a candle in their windows to honor the memory of those lost to the pandemic.
The memorial ends on Saturday with the theme to "Mobilize." At 8 p.m. people are being encouraged to step outside and wave a flashlight, or anything else, to light up the L.A. sky.
During the memorial, blue lights will shine at City Hall, SoFi Stadium and the Grand Park fountain to honor the victims of the pandemic.
For people who’d like to share their own pandemic experience, they can contribute to the city’s COVID-19 community archive, a remembrance project memorializing the city's collective experience.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist