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Morning Briefing: ‘It’s About Freedom Struggle’
Protesters outside the Magic Castle — Charlie Mount, right, is a magician and member of the institution. (Lexis-Olivier Ray for LAist)
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During a memorial for George Floyd yesterday, Melina Abdullah, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter L.A., had strong words for all present after hearing a clergy member suggest that her organization needed to "be reasonable with police":
"The best of black Christianity, it's about freedom struggle. You cannot claim to be a Christian and then bow down to white supremacy. So I'm putting it before you right now, that any hopes you had of using this moment to cozy up to power, that you release that from your spirit … It is our sacred duty to fight for the full freedom of our people, not a comfortable place in oppression."
The event was held in downtown L.A., and timed to coincide with Floyd’s memorial in Houston. Local clergy members were part of the L.A. demonstration, including those from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian faiths, and flowers and caskets served as a backdrop. Anti-racism protests are expected to continue in L.A. throughout the week.
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Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A. today, and stay safe out there.
Coming Up Today, June 9
In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his plan to move 15,000 homeless Californians into rented hotel rooms to protect them from COVID-19. Now, 9,400 rooms are occupied. Matt Tinoco has the story of what comes next.
Newsom has often mentioned the more than 400 pop-up child care centers established in California since the start of the coronavirus. But data shows the majority of emergency child care waivers were granted to existing child care providers, reports Mariana Dale.
For the first time, the L.A. teachers’ union is openly opposing the L.A. School Police and calling for it to be defunded. Kyle Stokes reports on the rare clash between the teachers and the union representing school police officers.
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Last week, thousands of people gathered in Hancock Park in front of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti's home to demand systemic change. Contributor Samanta Helou Hernandez has the story in photos.
If you want a bit of a mental break, Christine N. Ziemba has a few online and IRL events to check out -- from a Project Involve film screening to the Hola Mexico online film fest to a gender equality roundtable discussion.
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The Past 24 Hours In LA
Protests And Policing: Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and local clergy held a memorial for George Floyd in downtown L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer and District Attorney Jackie Lacey say they won't prosecute anyone arrested for violating curfew. Yesterday’s L.A. City Council Budget and Finance Committee meeting was ostensibly "an opportunity to reassess a significant portion of funding," said Councilmember Curren Price, vice chair of the committee.
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Not So Magic: The Magic Castle has faced a backlash on social media after offering their parking lot to the LAPD as a staging area amid protests over the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.
Scooter Suit: The local branch of the ACLU is suing the city of L.A. over its electric scooter program, saying its collection of geolocation data violates the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and state privacy law.
Coronavirus In Numbers: There are now 64,690 coronavirus cases and 2,656 deaths in L.A. County, and at least 131,483 cases and 4,641 deaths in California. Worldwide, there are more than seven million cases and over 405,000 deaths.
Oh, It’s Also Wildfire Season: At least four wildfires broke out across L.A. County last night, as strong, dry winds pummeled the area.
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Photo Of The Day
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Black Lives Matter L.A. leaders and local religious leaders lead a memorial for George Floyd in downtown L.A. Here, they speak to the crowd.
(Susanica Tam for LAist)
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