George Floyd protests in California


There have been a series of protests and riots in California related to the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis while in police custody. On May 31, 2020, the California Department of Human Resources advised "all state departments with offices in downtown city areas" to close on June 1.

Northern California

on June 7
on June 2
banner in Burbank
, Los Angeles on June 6
in Santa Monica on June 7
June 3: San Diego County has requested the National Guard to “assist with security in the region due to recent civil unrest.”
June 4: Law enforcement agencies in Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, El Cajon, Escondido, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside and San Diego, San Diego State University, University of California San Diego, San Diego Community College Police Department and the San Diego Unified School District Police Department, as well as the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and San Diego Harbor Police, announced they will no longer use carotid restraint to subdue suspects.
June 6: Hundreds of cars caravanned from La Jolla to Santee, City Heights, National City and finally Otay Mesa Detention Facility.

City of San Diego

  • May 30: a car caravan organized by the "Racial Justice Coalition" drove through the Point Loma neighborhood. They intended to deliver a message to Mayor Kevin Faulconer at his home, but San Diego Police had barricaded the street.
  • on May 31May 31: several hundred protesters at a "Justice for George" demonstration at the Hall of Justice shut down I-5 downtown. 97 people were arrested.
  • June 1: Hundreds marched from Balboa Park to the Pride Flag in Hillcrest. A smaller group remained in the evening. SDPD declared an illegal assembly at 11:10pm saying fireworks and other objects were thrown at them. 17 people were arrested.
  • June 2: Several hundreds gathered on the Bankers Hill side of Balboa Park, marched to the County Administration Building where they listened to speakers and then to the San Diego Civic Center.
  • June 4: At least 2,000 demonstrators marched from San Diego Police Headquarters through Hillcrest to North Park around 5pm. A woman was dragged into an unmarked car by unidentified law enforcement officers. One of the officers could be heard saying to the protesters, "You follow us, you will get shot. Do you understand me?" San Diego police department later confirmed the individuals were law enforcement officers and said the woman had hit police with her protest sign. SDPD announced that the outcome arrest will be kept secret. Several dozen protested near Mira Mesa Recreation Center.
  • June 5: A "paddle-out" to support Black Lives Matter organized by Black Girls Surf was held on La Jolla Shores.
  • June 6: About 3,000 protested at the County Administration building downtown. About 300 protested in Del Mar Heights. In Pacific Beach, hundreds of surfers and other supporters organized a "Paddle for Peace" demonstration at Tourmaline Surfing Park. Demonstrators observe 8'46" of silence and surfers dropped flowers and leis on the waves at a synchronized moment. June 8: Nearly 100 gathered in the Trader Joe's parking lot for a march on Garnet Avenue. In University Heights, about 100 people protested at Texas Street and Adams Avenue.
  • June 8: Protesters blocked roads and intersections in Hillcrest around 8pm. In La Jolla, a protest occurred in Kellogg Park.
  • Organizers passed out carnations and signs to hundreds of protesters at La Jolla Cove.
  • June 13: A rally called March & Rally: Defund the Police. Fund the People! organized by The Party for Socialism and Liberation - San Diego was held in Waterfront Park. Another group marched from Pacific Beach to Bonita Cove. Protesters also gathered outside the offices of right-wing cable channel One America News Network on Morena Boulevard. OANN CEO and founder Robert Herring Sr. asked the protesters to prove that a conspiracy theory about the Buffalo police shoving incident retweeted by Donald Trump is false.
  • June 20: About 1000 skateboards rallied downtown at a "Rolling for Rights" gathering against systemic racism.
  • June 28: The Pedal for Justice San Diego Coalition organized a bike ride event from downtown San Diego to Balboa Park to raise awareness for systemic racial injustices and to advocate for underserved communities who do not have safe access to outdoor sports.

    La Mesa">La Mesa, California">La Mesa:

  • May 29: The city was the site of the first protests in the county following Floyd's death, partly attributed to a video of a local arrest of another unarmed black man. Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the La Mesa Police Department following a viral video of the Wednesday arrest at the San Diego Trolley station at Grossmont Transit Center, which resulted in a white officer being put on leave. Marchers say they felt compelled in light of what's happening nationally.
  • May 30: about 1,000 protesters started at the police station and took to the streets, breaking through a police line and making their way to Interstate 8, where they blocked both sides of traffic. Back at the police station, graffiti was scrawled on the walls and some people threw rocks and bottles. Around 6 p.m., police began using tear gas, pepper balls, flash-bang, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. At about 8 p.m., looting began at a nearby Vons and Play It Again Sports at La Mesa Springs Shopping Center, and fires were started at that Vons and in downtown La Mesa at Chase Bank and Union Bank. The Play It Again Sports owner, who recovered some of his merchandise as looters fled, said most of the perpetrators were young, perhaps not even 18 years old. His said the store suffered an estimated $200,000 in damage. The violence also spread to Grossmont Center, which suffered vandalism and where the Walmart was looted. A 59 year old great-grandmother named Leslie Furcron was shot in the face by a rubber bullet. The graphic video went viral.
  • June 1: Citizens, including a member of La Mesa City Council, have organized a "La Mesa Civil Defense" group on Facebook to "protect the town" by "standing in front of the buildings with fire extinguishers and garden hoses." The founder of the group stated they "haven't decided" whether they will work directly with authorities and one anonymous member of the group feared vigilanism.
  • June 3: The National Guard has been called to La Mesa.
  • June 5: The LMPD announced late Friday that it has dropped all of the charges against the man arrested at the Trolley station.
  • June 10: Leslie Furcron gave a press conference after her release from the hospital after being shot in the face with a rubber bullet by La Mesa Police on May 30.
  • June 14: Around 400 Black Lives Matter protesters, including more than 200 motorcyclists and women wearing hijabs, read a list of "non-negotiable demands" including a town hall meeting and the release of the name of the officer who shot Leslie Furcron in the face. The Chief of Police stated: “We are going to continue to work toward those .”
  • August 1: Around 300 protesters gathered at La Mesa City Hall for a “We Demand Justice For Our Womxn Of Color” event. Several "physical altercations" occurred between the protesters and a civil defense group called "Defend East County." One counterprotester was arrested.

    County

  • 4S Ranch: June 2: Around 400 to 500 protesters demonstrated at a busy intersection. Earlier in the day, a car caravan protest starting at the 4S Ranch Library drove through Rancho Bernardo and adjacent communities.
  • Cardiff: June 8: Doctors, nurses and health professionals rallied at Cardiff Kook at 2pm while another protest occurred at 5pm at Cardiff River Mouth Beach.
  • Carlsbad: June 5: Hundreds of protesters rallied in Cannon Park where 8'46" of silence was observed. Carlsbad Police said they were investigating "a threat of violence against the rally" but the protest concluded peacefully.
  • Chula Vista: More than 100 protesters in the Chula Vista Community Park calling for police reforms and equal justice. The mayor and chief of police knelt in silence with the group. On June 8, a 2 PM protest started at Chula Vista Community park and then marched down Eastlake Parkway.
  • Coronado: May 31: A makeshift memorial for George Floyd was set up on a sidewalk near Coronado's central beach. It is growing as people leave notes, flowers and candles. June 13: About 150 students from the Coronado Unified School District spoke up about racism they experienced in schools.
  • Encinitas: May 31: Hundreds gathered at the Magic Carpet Ride sculpture for a George Floyd memorial. San Diego Sheriff's deputies monitored the site. June 9: Between 300 and 400 high school students protested at Moonlight Beach and marched to an intersection on Coast Highway.
  • Escondido: June 2: Protesters gathered outside of the Escondido Police Department. The demonstrators held up signs and chanted slogans. June 5: Several hundred Black Lives Matters activists gathered in front of Escondido City Hall.
  • Imperial Beach: June 7: A protest was underway at Imperial Beach Pier Plaza when a police reform activist making a video was sucker-punched from behind by a tall man in a red shirt. The San Diego Sheriff's office interviewed a subject but did not get a positive ID.
  • Julian: A protest occurred on June 4.
  • Oceanside: June 4: A peaceful protest took place. June 7: Hundreds gathered for a Black Lives Matter rally in Oceanside. One of the organizers of the rally defused a potentially volatile situation when a 16 year old white male was spotted "carrying a knife and acting strangely" at the rally.
  • Poway:
  • *June 4: More than 100 marched from a busy intersection, crossed to the adjacent intersection and laid down on the ground for nine minutes.
  • *June 25: About 100 protesters rallied at a major intersection chanting and holding signs reading "Everyone vs. Racism" and "All Lives Don't Matter Until Black Lives Matter."
  • Ramona: June 1: Protesters chanting "Black Lives Matter" were confronted by self-described patriots who "aimed to defend Ramona against violence." June 2: More than 100 protesters carried signs reading “Justice for George Floyd" and "“End police brutality” at a busy intersection. Standing among them were "community peacekeepers" carrying Trump signs.
  • Rancho Peñasquitos: June 9: A few hundred demonstrators gathered for a candlelight vigil at Rancho Peñasquitos Towne Center on a Tuesday night.
  • Santee: June 2: A man and a woman were arrested on weapons and child endangerment charges after allegedly pointing a semi-automatic handgun at Black Lives Matters protesters at a major intersection. June 3: Approximately 200 protesters gathered at the same intersection. Multiple arrests were made for curfew violations. June 8: A protest marched from West Hills Parkway to the bridge over Santee Recreational Lakes.
  • Solana Beach: June 3: Over 200 protesters carried signs in front of Solana Beach City Hall Wednesday morning.

    Santa Barbara County

  • Lompoc: May 30: Large gathering held. June 2: Evening march to police station where protesters kneel. City council delays meeting till June 3 due to demonstration.
marching on May 30
  • Santa Barbara: May 30: Hundreds gathered for a demonstration at Storke Tower on the UCSB campus.
  • Santa Maria: June 4: An estimated 150 people protested outside Santa Maria City Hall in support of George Floyd. The event was supported by numerous nonprofit organizations, including the local NAACP.
  • Solvang: On June 5, 2020, about 200 protesters demonstrated at Solvang Park, where they knelt down for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Protesters then marched on Mission Drive, calling for justice. Some businesses boarded up their windows before the protest as a precaution.

    Ventura County

  • Oxnard: May 30: More than 300 protesters marched from Plaza Park to the Oxnard Police Department.
  • Simi Valley: On June 6, thousands of protesters marched on the streets and halted traffic. It was the same city in which four officers were found not guilty of beating Rodney King.
  • Thousand Oaks: May 30: More than 100 protesters gathered at a busy intersection.
  • Ventura: On June 7, around 1,500 people gathered at the Ventura County Government Center to peacefully protest the death of George Floyd. There was an incident where a white pick-up truck allegedly drove into the crowd, hitting a pedestrian, then drove away.

    Deaths and crime rate

On May 30 in Oakland, a Federal Protective Service officer, David Patrick Underwood, was fatally shot outside a federal courthouse in a drive-by attack that also wounded another guard.
On June 2 in Vallejo, 22-year-old Sean Monterrosa was shot five times and killed by a police officer while on his knees with his hands up. When Moterrosa lifted his hands, a 15-inch hammer tucked in his pocket was revealed, which was mistaken for a handgun. The officer involved, who was not named but was identified as an 18-year veteran, fired five shots at Monterrosa through the window of the unmarked vehicle he was driving.
The Los Angeles Police Department announced that "homicides went up 250% and victims shot went up 56%" from May 31 to June 6.