Los Angeles activists are scaling up their organization and resources.
Since local demonstrations sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis began, a coalition of advocates has raised more than $1.1 million to support protesters in L.A.
Ricci Sergienko with “The People’s City Council” says the group includes members of many of the community organizations behind the People's Budget, an alternative plan for city spending. It proposes eliminating almost all funding for the Los Angeles Police Department, which activists say uses violence against black and brown communities, and instead use city resources on social services and housing.
“It’s become more and more apparent [that] LAPD needs to be defunded,” Sergienko said.
What’s in store for donations?
Sergienko said the “People’s City Council Freedom Fund” will be used to buy supplies (including masks, goggles, and helmets), hire workers for specific actions, equip medics, and help pay legal fees for protesters who are arrested.
“We’re going to protest and be peaceful," he added. "But we have to be prepared for the reality of the situation.”
Many organizers in L.A. cite the ongoing protests in Hong Kong as a model for the long-term development of an organized resistance movement.
