DENA Rise Up March, June 1, 2025 (Photo – Melissa Michelson)
They marched to a Latin beat. They marched in solidarity. A thousand strong, a group of survivors of the Eaton Fire from Altadena marched. They met at Fair Oaks Burger, ate, and gathered signs to carry.
By Taura Scott
Their route wasn’t a long one, but their aim was one of passion and peace. They traveled up Fair Oaks Avenue to Woodbury Road, then onto Lincoln Avenue, ending at Figueroa Drive, where they held a rally. Displaced residents spoke, told their stories, and wore T-shirts with messages ranging from Altadena not for sale to simply their zip code: 91001.
The signs they carried held many messages. Among them were phrases like State Fraud, The Worst Neighbor, and No Warning, No Help, No Accountability. Some of the signs were printed on cardstock and looked like frameable works of art.
Why did they march, you may be asking yourself? In protest of commercial entities coming into their city, buying up displaced survivors’ properties, and erecting buildings that just don’t belong in their community. They called the march Dena Rise Up. And they certainly did just that. They raised awareness and brought hope to people who are not afraid to take a stand, and to make Altadena strong again.
As a new resident of Altadena, I have experienced kindness and acceptance in the eight months I’ve lived here. There is a strength in this community that shows every day in the resilience of its residents.
The first time someone drove me through the devastation caused by the Eaton Fire, I broke down in a flood of tears. I had never in my life seen anything like it. I still weep for this amazing place, for all the people I know, and the ones I don’t, who have lost their homes.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, I know Altadena will be the strong community it once was. I know that’s a cliché, but sometimes you just need one.
Taura Scott just moved to Altadena when the devastating Eaton Fire struck on January 7.
DENA Rise Up March, June 1, 2025 (Photo – Melissa Michelson)
Dancing at the Rally and March on June 1, 2025 (Photo – Screenshot, My TRIBE Rise)
The list of sponsors of denariseup is interesting, to say the least.