‘Sometimes peaceful is not enough’: L.A. protesters explain why they hit the streets

Protesters shout, “Hands up, don’t shoot,” outside The Grove in the Fairfax District on May 30, 2020, after demonstrators outraged over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis converged on the area. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

by: Los Angeles Times

Posted: May 31, 2020 / 01:45 PM PDT

Updated: May 31, 2020 / 01:45 PM PDT

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It was 11 p.m. Saturday, and Alexis Equihua, 20, was watching as looters grabbed goods from a Melrose Avenue shop.

Hours earlier, thousands had gathered at Pan Pacific Park for a rally to protest the killing of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man killed when a white police officer used his knee to pin him to the ground by the neck. They marched down 3rd Street before getting into a standoff with local police.

Over the next few hours, some in the crowd set police cruisers on fire and threw objects at officers, who fired less-than-lethal weapons at them. As the day turned into night, numerous businesses were looted, including some in the Grove mall.

“Sometimes peaceful is not enough,” said Equihua, 20. “I’m not one of the people vandalizing, but honestly, I get it. They feel like actions speak louder than words.”

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