Taking a knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds (Photo – Cheryl Cabot)

“Black Lives Matter!”
“No Justice, No Peace!”
“Say His Name. George Floyd!”  “Say His Name. George Floyd!”

By Cheryl Cabot

These were the chants of protesters Saturday, June 6, 2020, in the city of San Gabriel.

Organized by students Elizabeth Campos and Gabriel Frank-McPheter about 150 participants gathered in the library parking lot to hear testimonials and wave their signs of protest. Protesters walked from the San Gabriel Library to Las Tunas and ended at the San Gabriel Mission, chanting along the way. Cars driving past honked in support.

Cecelia Nunez (Photo – Chasity Jennings-Nunez)

Cecelia Nunez, a college student and San Gabriel resident, gave an especially moving speech, saying, “We need to push for new systems. To invest less in militarized policing and more in the things that have demonstrated to reduce crime. We need to invest more in social services. To put less police in schools and more councilors. Invest in our mental health services. In last year’s budget police received 36 % of our overall budget. Community and social services received 3 %. Imagine what life would look like if these numbers were flipped.”

The march ended at the grassy area next to the San Gabriel Mission Church, where the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as other victims of police violence were honored. At the conclusion, all were asked to “take a knee” and remain quite for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin held his knee on George Floyd’s neck, causing his death.

Marching for justice (Photo – Cheryl Cabot)

(R-L) Councilmember Tony Ding and polictical columnist Sean McMorris (Photo – Cheryl Cabot)

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