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Snoop and The Game have led a march to LAPD headquarters where the force's newest recruits are graduating. The pair emphasized that they come in peace and they said that they wanted to start a dialogue with—not protest—the new recruits.
The Game announced their intentions earlier this morning on Instagram. They invited "ALL GANGS, ALL RACES, ALL GROWN MEN" and asked that women and children stay home: "THIS IS OUR MISSION FOR THEM."
This march comes on the heels of the police killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, La. and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn. earlier this week, as well as five Dallas police officers being killed in a sniper attack last night.
The pair sent out videos from the scene:
A L.A. Times reporter noted that this wasn't like other kinds of LAPD graduations she's attended. Eric Garcetti and Chief Charlie Beck both offered up comments about the Dallas shooting to the graduating class:
I've gone to several #LAPD grads. Everything about today is different, from mood and remarks to peaceful marchers, led by Snoop, watching.
— Kate Mather (@katemather) July 8, 2016
Chief Beck:'We have done what societies do when they are broken down. We have separated, we have broken into tribes' pic.twitter.com/2AUOUw31Vc
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) July 8, 2016
"This is not about black lives, this is not about brown lives, this is not about blue lives," @LAPDChiefBeck says. "This is about America."
— Kate Mather (@katemather) July 8, 2016
"Today was supposed to be a happy day," @ericgarcetti tells newest #LAPD officers. "But we come here today with tears in our eyes."
— Kate Mather (@katemather) July 8, 2016
The marchers could be seen in the distance as the graduation took place:
Hard to see, but back there is the crowd of marchers watching today's #LAPD graduation. pic.twitter.com/zFx3WPygjI
— Kate Mather (@katemather) July 8, 2016
Snoop Dogg speaks to the media after he and The Game led a march to LAPD headquarters. (Photo by Julia Wick/LAist)
1. Scores of men marched to #LAPD graduation today, led by Snoop and The Game. pic.twitter.com/MlqRqp4rS0
— Kate Mather (@katemather) July 8, 2016
Rapper Andre Truth records video to upload to Instagram. (Photo by Julia Wick/LAist)