latimes--2020-06-04--Curfews lifted throughout L.A. and Southern California as peaceful demonstrations continue

As protests over police brutality and the death of George Floyd continue across Southern California , Los Angeles County has revoked a nighttime curfew .
Officials say that , although they do not plan to issue a countywide curfew Thursday night , cities within the county have the authority to set their own restrictions .
The county ’ s cancellation of its order comes amid growing pressure to lift curfews that were imposed over the weekend and have continued for days in the region .
Before the announcement of the order ’ s cancellation , L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villaneuva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curfew .
“ Based upon current situational awareness and the recent pattern of peaceful actions by protesters , the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department will no longer enforce a curfew , ” Villanueva wrote in a statement .
“ Other jurisdictions are free to make their own decisions.
” The city of Los Angeles also will not have a curfew Thursday night — “ We remain strongly committed to protecting the right of Angelenos to make their voices heard and ensuring the safety of our community , ” Mayor Eric Garcetti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of San Bernardino , officials there announced .
The decisions came a day after the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against Los Angeles city and county and the city of San Bernardino to end the curfews .
“ We hope that other cities and counties in Southern California and around the country will also allow protesters and others to exercise their constitutional rights free from interference in this important moment , ” Ahilan Arulanantham , senior counsel at the ACLU SoCal , said in a statement .
“ There was no curfew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no arrests until we decried his merciless death , no statements of support until people flooded the streets around the world demanding justice , ” added Melina Abdullah , co-founder of BLM-LA .
“ We have the right to march , we have the right to speak out , and not just on the government ’ s timetable.
” Garcetti also announced that all COVID-19 testing sites in L.A. County would reopen Friday .
Police reported few problems Wednesday night after dealing with scattered looting and vandalism Saturday , Sunday and Monday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening Wednesday , but many called for them to be lifted completely , saying they unnecessarily restricted the public ’ s right to protest .
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said that while the curfews may have been warranted on Sunday and Monday nights , “ now it seems like they are being used to arrest peaceful protesters .
I don ’ t think they are needed anymore.
” On Thursday , Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore — who has been embroiled in a firestorm of controversy over comments he made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a group of protesters outside department headquarters .
The gesture represented an attempt to find common ground and to demystify law enforcement ’ s reputation as stoic authority figures , he said afterward .
Among the topics of conversation initiated by the protesters , according to Moore : What was going to change at LAPD and how the chief felt about the $ 100 to $ 150 million in potential budget cuts announced Wednesday .
“ We see the hurt .
We know and recognize the pain , the anguish , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disgusted , and we share so many of the same emotions with regard to this latest episode that George Floyd represents , and with regard to issues of black people and all communities of color and their standing in America and the inequities that exist today and the history that has made that existence seem forever.
” In Beverly Hills , the city initially set a curfew for Thursday night , but had walked it back by afternoon .
“ The protests in our city have remained peaceful over the last several days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We thank our residents and business community for their patience and cooperation as we work to keep our community safe.
” Santa Clarita did likewise , announcing shortly before 4 p.m. that a curfew originally set for 6 p.m. had been rescinded .
City officials said the decision was made “ in light of the peaceful protests we have seen today in our city , and in consultation with the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department.
” While authorities said demonstrations in the city were peaceful , there was a scare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s officials said they were trying to keep demonstrators away from a Shell gas station at Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway after a “ suspicious unattended device ” was found .
The bomb squad was called to the scene as a precaution .
Officials later said the device “ did not contain any incendiaries ” but “ was definitively designed to cause harm to others when tossed into [ a ] crowd.
” They did not elaborate or immediately respond to a request for more details .
Curfew restrictions have not applied to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling to and from work or unsheltered individuals .
The curfews have allowed law enforcement to make mass arrests over the last few days , mostly of protesters who have chosen not to leave when ordered to by police .
Thousands of people have been arrested in the L.A. region since Saturday .
On Thursday morning , several hundred protesters , many holding signs reading “ Black lives matter ” marched through the streets of Santa Monica .
Officers on motorcycles rode ahead of the group as the crowd chanted : “ Hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A crowd of several dozen people gathered outside the North Hollywood police station about 9 a.m. to voice concern over systemic racism .
Provvidenza Catalano , 29 , stood by a banner that carried the words , “ End white silence.
” She said it was important to her to acknowledge her privilege as a white person .
Over the last week , she ’ s reached out to friends and others to encourage them to engage in the Floyd protests .
“ I see my liberation entwined with black people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hollywood , protesters left candles at the corner of Hollywood and Vine in honor of Floyd , whose memorial was underway in Minneapolis .
In downtown Los Angeles , dozens of protesters gathered on the steps of City Hall , holding signs that read , “ Don ’ t shoot !
” and “ Civil rights are colorblind.
” A small band of musicians played soulful music while buses passing by honked in support .
Michael Gonzales , a 24-year-old delivery driver , was among the crowd , wearing a shirt emblazoned with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Before arriving in L.A. from Covina , Gonzales had engaged in a conversation over text message with a friend who had expressed some doubt about the protests .
The person had felt excluded by the protests ’ focus on the lives of black people , Gonzales said .
“ I said , ‘ This is their fight , right now , ’ ” Gonzales recalled .
“ It ’ s their fight , but it ’ s for everybody .
Police brutality happens to Latinos , Asians too , but right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Shortly after noon , the protesters had moved to Grand Park , in front of the courthouse and across the street from City Hall .
An organizer stood on a bench and invited everyone to sit in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds — the amount of time Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd ’ s neck .
More than 100 protesters knelt on the grass while holding a fist in the air .
Once they rose , they bowed their heads in prayer .
“ Heavenly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to gather peacefully in solidarity for change , ” an organizer said to the crowd .
“ I pray for everyone that ’ s here — that they are covered in peace , that they are covered in activism for witnessing injustice.
” Protesters also gathered in Burbank .
Video from the area showed a crowd of hundreds kneeling in front of the city ’ s Police Department and chanting , “ No Justice , No Peace.
” Social media posts also showed crowds of demonstrators in Long Beach , at Mile Square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UCLA .
The Long Beach Police Department also unveiled a new online portal Thursday so residents can submit video and photo evidence of looting and other criminal activity — such as the city experienced during a protest Sunday .
“ We will not ignore the actions of criminal opportunists that have incited violence and caused damage in our community , ” Police Chief Robert Luna said in a statement .
On Wednesday , the region ’ s largest demonstration took place at the Civic Center , where thousands protesting Dist .
Atty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ police killings barely broke their stride around 6:30 p.m. as the ground began to roll and sway from a magnitude-5.5 earthquake centered 120 miles from downtown L.A. “ The D.A .
should be held accountable for her lack of leadership and care for the people that we lost , ” said protester Al Calderon , 26 .
“ It ’ s unsettling to hear these families ’ stories.
” On Wednesday , 61 people were charged with looting and other crimes in connection with the break-ins , fires and thefts across L.A. County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday through Tuesday morning during the largely peaceful protests .
“ I support the peaceful organized protests that already have brought needed attention to racial inequality throughout our society , including in the criminal justice system , ” Lacey said in a statement .
“ I also have a constitutional and ethical duty to protect the public and prosecute people who loot and vandalize our community.
” A series of peaceful protests over the police killing of Floyd also rolled through Though the demonstrations were calm , a a scary scene on Balboa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd of demonstrators — eventually colliding with a bicyclist .
No one was injured .
The driver , identified by police as Don Wallace , was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon , Newport Beach Police spokeswoman Heather Rangel said .
Authorities were also called when a man brandished a gun during an argument with a protester .
For Gale Oliver Jr. , a pastor at the Greater Light Family Church in Santa Ana , a protest against racism and police brutality in one of Orange County ’ s wealthiest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s a blessing that this is going on in Newport Beach , ” said Oliver , who is black .
“ I mean , this is going on in Newport Beach ?
I guess America is finally listening.
” Times staff writers Colleen Shalby , Matthew Ormseth , Matt Hamilton , Sonja Sharp , Richard Winton , Andrew J. Campa , Benjamin Oreskes and Cindy Chang contributed to this report .

Several hundred protesters take a knee and hold their fists in the air during a moment of silence to honor George Floyd during a peaceful protest march from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti walks out to address protesters and clergy members outside LAPD headquarters on Tuesday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
LAPD Cmdr. Gerald Woodyard takes a knee with clergy members from the Los Angeles area as they participate in a march and demonstration outside LAPD headquarters in Los Angeles. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Janie Hill,15, from Lawndale, receives a hug from a friend, following an emotional discussion with a Manhattan Beach Police officer, at the conclusion of a protest in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Several hundred protesters gather to demand justice for George Floyd at the Manhattan Beach Pier Plaza Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Mira Ercingoz,16, from Palos Verdes, center in red hat, holds a poster with an image of George Floyd alongside protesters in Manhattan Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
A young woman reacts to a group chant, while gathered with a couple hundred people to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter, near the Manhattan Beach Pier. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Jessica Jordan takes a knee as she joins other protesters at Sunset & Vine in Hollywood on Tuesday. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Protestors gather outside Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Hancock Park house as they continue to demonstrate against police brutality. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
Terrence Burney, 36, left, and Commander of the LAPD Operation West Bureau Cory Palka, right, talk together peacefully in front of Getty House in Hancock Park. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
A woman stands next to an image of George Floyd as hundreds participate in a march against the in-custody death of Floyd in Venice. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Several hundred protesters take a knee and hold their fists in the air during a moment of silence to honor George Floyd during a peaceful protest march from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Protesters shoot hoops while taking a break from marching against the death of George Floyd by police on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice on Tuesday. The basketball hoop was attached to the front of a bus that followed the protest for a while. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Members of the California National Guard flash peace signs after protesters had marched by in support of Black Lives Matter in Venice. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
“Hands up. Don’t shoot,” say hundreds participating in a march against the of George Floyd on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice onTuesday. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Hundreds of protesters march throughout downtown ending with many arrested for curfew violations. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Hussain Sharif, left, Mari Drake, and Thomas Rosado chant as they ride along with hundreds of protesters at a downtown demonstration. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Marcus Owen, yells out chants for George Floyd as hundreds of protesters gather outside City Hall in a daylong protest. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Makenzie Anderson, 2, rides on her father, Shawn’s shoulders as they join hundreds of protesters marching throughout downtown. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Bando Kev prays along Hollywood Blvd. in front of the National Guard and near TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Protestors rally on the steps Anaheim City Hall steps against last week’s in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Protesters march through West Hollywood to demand justice for the killing of George Floyd during march on Wednesday. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Protesters march through West Hollywood to demand justice for the killing of George Floyd during march on Wednesday. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Hundreds of demonstrators block traffic as they march down both sides of Balboa Blvd. to protest against racism in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
In a sign of peace, protesters reach out to Riverside County Sheriff deputies, who were there to enforce an 8pm curfew during a demonstration to protest the death of George Floyd’s in Moreno Valley. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Riverside County Sheriff Lt Chris Durham tries to calm nerves after hundreds of demonstrators that marched to the police station protest the death of George Floyd in Moreno Valley. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
A huge crowd gathers in downtown Los Angeles to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Paul Villalobos, 28, from Oakland, joins other demonstrators as they protest on Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Mustafa-Ali, 27, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, joins other demonstrators as they protest on Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
A L.A. Sheriff’s deputy watches as protester Annik Chung holds a sign while cheering on marchers along La Brea Ave. in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Protester Vailing high-fives National Guardsmen as they march through Hollywood to demand justice for the killing of George Floyd in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
Stephen Chang, 32, left, of Silver Lake, with an American flag draped over his head, joins other demonstrators at the intersection of Spring and Temple streets in downtown Los Angeles, as they protest against L.A. Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey and also demand justice in the death of George Floyd. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Crowds gather in downtown L.A. to protest the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. At 9 p.m., for exactly 8 minutes and 46 seconds, protesters shone lights into the sky. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Gustavo R. Ramirez of Pomona kneels in front of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. statue in Riverside. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
A protester drapes himself with a flag during a demonstration in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
LAPD Chief Michel Moore, left, talks with community leaders outside police headquarters after a candlelight vigil for George Floyd on Friday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Zoe Perkins, 4, of Glendale and her mother brought flowers to the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles to protest the death of George Floyd. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Katyana DeCampos, a citizen of France visiting California, marched with a sign with the words “Anti Racism,” joining nearly 1,000 people gathered to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter, in downtown Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Mek Bitul held up a sign with the words, “This Is The Tipping Point!!!” in front of City Hall, joining nearly 1,000 people gathered to protest the death of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter, in downtown Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
A protester lies on the ground under his horse with his hands behind his back as demonstrators including some on horseback rally in front of LA City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s office in Los Angeles Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
A National Guardsman holds a rose given to him by a protester along Fairfax Ave. during a march Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
A protester yells in front of a Black Lives Matter mural with the names of victims on Fairfax Ave. during a march Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Regina Scott takes knee next to Johnathan Jasper, brother of slain teen Anthony Weber, during a rally in front of LA City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s office Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
A woman tries to get between Black Lives Matter protesters and pro-Trump counter protesters during a demonstration at the intersection of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
A family member of Breonna Taylor, right, is hugged by another woman after speaking to protesters in Beverly Hills Saturday. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Elijah Estrada, 6, holds up his fist for 8:46, the length of time George Floyd was held down by Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, at the conclusion of a peace ride and walk with the Compton Cowboys at Compton City Hall on Sunday. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook speaks to the crowd of protesters and the Compton Cowboys at the end of a peace walk at Compton City Hall on Sunday. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
The Compton Cowboys ride horseback down South Tamarind Avenue, joining thousand of protesters Sunday during the Compton peace ride, which ended at City Hall. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times)
Protesters march, raising fists and signs in the air, on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood on Sunday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Protesters hold up signs at the All Black Lives Matter march, which was organized by Black LGBTQ leaders and organizations in place of a previously planned event by the group behind LA Pride. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Jason De Puy of West Hollywood wears a mask that reads “Black Trans Lives Matter” as people fill Hollywood Boulevard during a solidarity march called All Black Lives Matter on Sunday, June 14. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Thousands hold up signs and march in the All Black Lives Matter solidarity protest on Hollywood Boulevard. The procession started at Hollywood and Highland and moved into West Hollywood. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A protester waves a rainbow flag on Sunset Boulevard during the All Black Lives Matter march on Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
People participate in the All Black Lives Matter march in West Hollywood on Sunday, June 14. Thousands of demonstrators marched for racial justice and LGBTQ rights. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Deborah Jay Winams cries after singing a song at a Black Lives Matter Los Angeles rally to call for justice in the fatal shooting of Kenneth Ross Jr. by Gardena police in 2018. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
A protester dances on top of Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during a demonstration by members of Refuse Fascism who are calling an end to the Trump administration on June 20, 2020. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
As protests over police brutality and the death of George Floyd continue across Southern California, Los Angeles County has revoked a nighttime curfew.
Officials say that, although they do not plan to issue a countywide curfew Thursday night, cities within the county have the authority to set their own restrictions. The county’s cancellation of its order comes amid growing pressure to lift curfews that were imposed over the weekend and have continued for days in the region.
Before the announcement of the order’s cancellation, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villaneuva said his agency would not enforce a curfew.
“Based upon current situational awareness and the recent pattern of peaceful actions by protesters, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will no longer enforce a curfew,” Villanueva wrote in a statement. “Other jurisdictions are free to make their own decisions.”
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The city of Los Angeles also will not have a curfew Thursday night — “We remain strongly committed to protecting the right of Angelenos to make their voices heard and ensuring the safety of our community,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said — and neither will the city of San Bernardino, officials there announced.
The decisions came a day after the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against Los Angeles city and county and the city of San Bernardino to end the curfews.
“We hope that other cities and counties in Southern California and around the country will also allow protesters and others to exercise their constitutional rights free from interference in this important moment,” Ahilan Arulanantham, senior counsel at the ACLU SoCal, said in a statement.
“There was no curfew on the murder of George Floyd, no arrests until we decried his merciless death, no statements of support until people flooded the streets around the world demanding justice,” added Melina Abdullah, co-founder of BLM-LA. “We have the right to march, we have the right to speak out, and not just on the government’s timetable.”
Garcetti also announced that all COVID-19 testing sites in L.A. County would reopen Friday.
California L.A. coronavirus test sites were closed during the protests. That has experts worried L.A. County closed several testing sites or limited their hours amid protests, prompting concern that the move could could abet a second wave of coronavirus cases. Garcetti says all sites in the city will reopen Friday.
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Police reported few problems Wednesday night after dealing with scattered looting and vandalism Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Officials pushed back curfews later into the evening Wednesday, but many called for them to be lifted completely, saying they unnecessarily restricted the public’s right to protest.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said that while the curfews may have been warranted on Sunday and Monday nights, “now it seems like they are being used to arrest peaceful protesters. I don’t think they are needed anymore.”
On Thursday, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore — who has been embroiled in a firestorm of controversy over comments he made and quickly retracted about looters — knelt with a group of protesters outside department headquarters.
The gesture represented an attempt to find common ground and to demystify law enforcement’s reputation as stoic authority figures, he said afterward.
Among the topics of conversation initiated by the protesters, according to Moore: what was going to change at the LAPD and how the chief felt about the $100 million to $150 million in potential budget cuts announced Wednesday.
“We see the hurt. We know and recognize the pain, the anguish,” he said. “We’re disgusted, and we share so many of the same emotions with regard to this latest episode that George Floyd represents, and with regard to issues of black people and all communities of color and their standing in America and the inequities that exist today and the history that has made that existence seem forever.”
In Beverly Hills, the city initially set a curfew for Thursday night but had walked it back by afternoon.
“The protests in our city have remained peaceful over the last several days,” Mayor Lester Friedman said. “We thank our residents and business community for their patience and cooperation as we work to keep our community safe.”
Santa Clarita did likewise, announcing shortly before 4 p.m. that a curfew originally set for 6 p.m. had been rescinded.
City officials said the decision was made “in light of the peaceful protests we have seen today in our city, and in consultation with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.”
Although authorities said demonstrations in the city were peaceful, there was a scare shortly after 2 p.m. when sheriff’s officials said they were trying to keep demonstrators away from a Shell gas station at Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway after a “suspicious unattended device” was found. The bomb squad was called to the scene as a precaution.
Officials later said the device “did not contain any incendiaries” but “was definitively designed to cause harm to others when tossed into [a] crowd.” They did not elaborate or immediately respond to a request for more details.
Curfew restrictions have not applied to first responders, law enforcement, people traveling to and from work or unsheltered individuals.
The curfews have allowed law enforcement to make mass arrests over the last few days, mostly of protesters who have chosen not to leave when ordered to by police. Thousands of people have been arrested in the L.A. region since Saturday.
On Thursday morning, several hundred protesters, many holding signs reading “Black lives matter” marched through the streets of Santa Monica. Officers on motorcycles rode ahead of the group as the crowd chanted: “Hands up. Don’t shoot.”
A crowd of several dozen people gathered outside the North Hollywood police station about 9 a.m. to voice concern over systemic racism. Provvidenza Catalano, 29, stood by a banner that carried the words, “End white silence.”
She said it was important to her to acknowledge her privilege as a white person. Over the last week, she’s reached out to friends and others to encourage them to engage in the Floyd protests.
“I see my liberation entwined with black people’s liberation,” she said.
In Hollywood, protesters left candles at the corner of Hollywood and Vine in honor of Floyd, whose memorial was underway in Minneapolis.
In downtown Los Angeles, dozens of protesters gathered on the steps of City Hall, holding signs that read, “Don’t shoot!” and “Civil rights are colorblind.” A small band of musicians played soulful music while buses passing by honked in support.
Michael Gonzales, a 24-year-old delivery driver, was among the crowd, wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words, “Destroy white supremacy.”
Before arriving in L.A. from Covina, Gonzales had engaged in a conversation over text message with a friend who had expressed some doubt about the protests. The person had felt excluded by the protests’ focus on the lives of black people, Gonzales said.
“I said, ‘This is their fight, right now,’” Gonzales recalled. “It’s their fight, but it’s for everybody. Police brutality happens to Latinos, Asians too, but right now, it’s about black lives.”
Shortly after noon, the protesters had moved to Grand Park, in front of the courthouse and across the street from City Hall. An organizer stood on a bench and invited everyone to sit in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds — the amount of time Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck.
More than 100 protesters knelt on the grass while holding a fist in the air. Once they rose, they bowed their heads in prayer.
“Heavenly father, thank you for allowing us to gather peacefully in solidarity for change,” an organizer said to the crowd. “I pray for everyone that’s here — that they are covered in peace, that they are covered in activism for witnessing injustice.”
Protesters also gathered in Burbank. Video from the area showed a crowd of hundreds kneeling in front of the city’s Police Department and chanting, “No Justice, No Peace.”
Social media posts also showed crowds of demonstrators in Long Beach, at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley and at UCLA.
The Long Beach Police Department also unveiled a new online portal Thursday so residents can submit video and photo evidence of looting and other criminal activity — such as what the city experienced during a protest Sunday.
“We will not ignore the actions of criminal opportunists that have incited violence and caused damage in our community,” Police Chief Robert Luna said in a statement.
On Wednesday, the region’s largest demonstration took place at the Civic Center, where thousands protesting Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey for her handling of local police killings barely broke their stride around 6:30 p.m. as the ground began to roll and sway from a magnitude-5.5 earthquake centered 120 miles from downtown L.A.
“The D.A. should be held accountable for her lack of leadership and care for the people that we lost,” said protester Al Calderon, 26. “It’s unsettling to hear these families’ stories.”
On Wednesday, 61 people were charged with looting and other crimes in connection with the break-ins, fires and thefts across L.A. County. About 2,500 people were arrested from Friday through Tuesday morning during the largely peaceful protests.
“I support the peaceful organized protests that already have brought needed attention to racial inequality throughout our society, including in the criminal justice system,” Lacey said in a statement. “I also have a constitutional and ethical duty to protect the public and prosecute people who loot and vandalize our community.”
A series of peaceful protests over the police killing of Floyd also rolled through Newport Beach on Wednesday.
Though the demonstrations were calm, a television camera captured a scary scene on Balboa Boulevard when a vehicle zipped through a crowd of demonstrators — eventually colliding with a bicyclist. No one was injured.
The driver, identified by police as Don Wallace, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Newport Beach police spokeswoman Heather Rangel said.
Authorities were also called when a man brandished a gun during an argument with a protester. With help from local citizens and media, police arrested Travis Patrick White, 48, of Newport Beach on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and criminal threats, according to a news release.
For Gale Oliver Jr., a pastor at the Greater Light Family Church in Santa Ana, a protest against racism and police brutality in one of Orange County’s wealthiest enclaves was a sign of the times.
“It’s a blessing that this is going on in Newport Beach,” said Oliver, who is black. “I mean, this is going on in Newport Beach? I guess America is finally listening.”
Times staff writers Colleen Shalby, Matthew Ormseth, Matt Hamilton, Sonja Sharp, Richard Winton, Andrew J. Campa, Benjamin Oreskes and Cindy Chang contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-06-04--Column: After George Floyd's death, we need action. Fire bad cops now

California schools chief Tony Thurmond reacted instinctively when his car was pulled over by a highway patrolman .
Thurmond is black .
The officer was white .
“ I put my hands on the dashboard , ” Thurmond told me .
“ My heart was pounding out of my chest.
” Why was he pulled over ?
“ The officer never said .
I don ’ t think we were speeding.
” The “ why ” doesn ’ t matter in this case .
That ’ s not the point .
The point is that one of the highest-ranking elected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the superintendent of public instruction — possesses such an ingrained fear of white cops that he automatically placed his hands on the dashboard to show he wasn ’ t holding a gun .
How many white guys have felt compelled to do that ?
It didn ’ t happen when Thurmond was a teen .
It happened earlier this year , when he was 51 .
It ’ s even more remarkable because Thurmond , riding in the front passenger seat , was being driven home to the Bay Area from Sacramento by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer in an unmarked CHP car .
They were driving along I-80 at dusk .
When the driver told the patrolman that his passenger was the state superintendent of public instruction , the officer backed off .
Thurmond is about the last person you ’ d think would be fearful of being stopped by a cop — that is , if he wasn ’ t black .
“ I ’ m not saying I have ever been harassed by a police officer , ” Thurmond emphasizes .
“ I will not demean police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time one is behind me , I ’ m scared because of the pattern of black men being pulled over and black men losing their lives .
“ It doesn ’ t matter that I ’ m a legislator or a state official who ’ s wearing a black suit .
It doesn ’ t matter my title .
I ’ m seen as a black man .
And when I ’ m pulled over , I need to put my hands on the dashboard .
I feel very vulnerable .
If a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to imagine how a young black man driving an old wreck must feel .
Thurmond says that the universal feeling of racial discrimination among black people “ is what has created this outrage that is boiling over .
If this bias happens enough , people are going to become obsessed and angry and that ’ s what we ’ re seeing.
” Combine the lifelong experience of racial prejudice with the current stay-at-home virus pandemic , the resulting record job layoffs and the repeated TV footage of an unarmed black man ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policeman ’ s knee and “ all these factors are crashing together , ” Thurmond says .
Pollster Mark Baldassare of the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California agrees .
A PPIC statewide survey in February asked adult Californians whether they believed the police treated all racial and ethnic groups fairly .
Roughly two-thirds of white people , Asian Americans and Latinos answered that police treated all races fairly most of the time or almost always .
But only one-third of black people felt that way .
“ They don ’ t trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Their experience is that they ’ re not treated fairly.
” And after George Floyd ’ s killing by the white cop , that feeling of unfairness , exacerbated by the pandemic and layoffs , spilled over into nationwide protests in cities of all sizes — mostly peaceful in daytime , with violence and looting at night .
It ’ s pretty much deja vu for many of us .
I vividly remember the devastating Watts riots in 1965 and the Rodney King riots in 1992 , both erupting from racial tension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was beaten unmercifully by white Los Angeles police .
Both tragedies resulted in grandiose post-riot blue ribbon commission studies .
If either accomplished much , it wasn ’ t evident to me .
Today , we don ’ t need any more studies .
We need action .
Bad cops need to be fired and , if warranted , prosecuted when they inflict bodily harm unnecessarily .
If convicted , they need to be incarcerated .
Other bad cops who stand by and watch a colleague abuse an unarmed person without trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and prosecuted .
Fortunately , they ’ re doing that in Minnesota with the shameful Minneapolis officers .
Hold everyone accountable , including the police chiefs and sheriffs .
Same thing with looters and vandals .
Arrest , prosecute and jail them .
Thousands thankfully have been arrested throughout California .
They ’ re not activists , they ’ re anarchists .
State Senate leader Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) issued a statement the day after the first night of looting that declared : “ We have seen violence and looting spurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes of opportunity , out to divide our communities for political gain or out to cause damage for damage ’ s sake .
… We are on to you and you will not succeed in tearing us apart.
” Strong words that need to be followed up with aggressive prosecution .
Last year , Assemblywoman Shirley Weber ( D-San Diego ) , chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus , finessed a landmark police reform bill through the Legislature that Gov .
Gavin Newsom signed .
It should be a national model .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement use deadly force only when “ necessary ” instead of the old standard : when “ reasonable.
” “ But we can ’ t just pass a bill , we have to make it work , ” Weber says .
That will require enough money for solid police training and dedication by chiefs and sheriffs — plus ongoing commitment by the politicians , even after the protests and looting stop .
The goal should be that Thurmond ’ s grandkids won ’ t have to be taught to put their hands @ @ @ @

“It doesn’t matter my title. I’m seen as a black man,” said California Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
California schools chief Tony Thurmond reacted instinctively when his car was pulled over by a highway patrolman. Thurmond is black. The officer was white.
“I put my hands on the dashboard,” Thurmond told me. “My heart was pounding out of my chest.”
Why was he pulled over?
“The officer never said. I don’t think we were speeding.”
The “why” doesn’t matter in this case. That’s not the point.
The point is that one of the highest-ranking elected officials in this reputed progressive state — the superintendent of public instruction — possesses such an ingrained fear of white cops that he automatically placed his hands on the dashboard to show he wasn’t holding a gun.
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How many white guys have felt compelled to do that?
It didn’t happen when Thurmond was a teen. It happened earlier this year, when he was 51.
It’s even more remarkable because Thurmond, riding in the front passenger seat, was being driven home to the Bay Area from Sacramento by a white, plain-clothes California Highway Patrol officer in an unmarked CHP car. They were driving along I-80 at dusk.
When the driver told the patrolman that his passenger was the state superintendent of public instruction, the officer backed off.
Thurmond is about the last person you’d think would be fearful of being stopped by a cop — that is, if he wasn’t black.
“I’m not saying I have ever been harassed by a police officer,” Thurmond emphasizes. “I will not demean police officers. But you betcha that every time one is behind me, I’m scared because of the pattern of black men being pulled over and black men losing their lives.
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“It doesn’t matter that I’m a legislator or a state official who’s wearing a black suit. It doesn’t matter my title. I’m seen as a black man. And when I’m pulled over, I need to put my hands on the dashboard. I feel very vulnerable.
“That’s what I’ve taught my children.”
If a high state official harbors that fear, try to imagine how a young black man driving an old wreck must feel.
Thurmond says that the universal feeling of racial discrimination among black people “is what has created this outrage that is boiling over. If this bias happens enough, people are going to become obsessed and angry and that’s what we’re seeing.”
Combine the lifelong experience of racial prejudice with the current stay-at-home virus pandemic, the resulting record job layoffs and the repeated TV footage of an unarmed black man’s neck being crushed by a white policeman’s knee and “all these factors are crashing together,” Thurmond says.
Pollster Mark Baldassare of the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California agrees. A PPIC statewide survey in February asked adult Californians whether they believed the police treated all racial and ethnic groups fairly.
Roughly two-thirds of white people, Asian Americans and Latinos answered that police treated all races fairly most of the time or almost always.
But only one-third of black people felt that way.
“They don’t trust the police,” Baldassare says. “Their experience is that they’re not treated fairly.”
And after George Floyd’s killing by the white cop, that feeling of unfairness, exacerbated by the pandemic and layoffs, spilled over into nationwide protests in cities of all sizes — mostly peaceful in daytime, with violence and looting at night.
It’s pretty much deja vu for many of us. I vividly remember the devastating Watts riots in 1965 and the Rodney King riots in 1992, both erupting from racial tension — the latter when a black man was beaten unmercifully by white Los Angeles police.
Both tragedies resulted in grandiose post-riot blue ribbon commission studies. If either accomplished much, it wasn’t evident to me.
World & Nation Full coverage: The nation reacts to George Floyd’s death The death of George Floyd sparked protests in Minneapolis, Los Angeles and New York. The officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on Friday.
Today, we don’t need any more studies. We need action. Bad cops need to be fired and, if warranted, prosecuted when they inflict bodily harm unnecessarily. If convicted, they need to be incarcerated.
Other bad cops who stand by and watch a colleague abuse an unarmed person without trying to stop him also need to be fired and prosecuted. Fortunately, they’re doing that in Minnesota with the shameful Minneapolis officers.
Bury the law enforcement buddy system.
Hold everyone accountable, including the police chiefs and sheriffs.
Same thing with looters and vandals. Arrest, prosecute and jail them. Thousands thankfully have been arrested throughout California. They’re not activists, they’re anarchists.
State Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) issued a statement the day after the first night of looting that declared:
“We have seen violence and looting spurred by those who are out to commit crimes of opportunity, out to divide our communities for political gain or out to cause damage for damage’s sake. … We are on to you and you will not succeed in tearing us apart.”
Strong words that need to be followed up with aggressive prosecution.
Last year, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus, finessed a landmark police reform bill through the Legislature that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed. It should be a national model.
The main thing it did was require that law enforcement use deadly force only when “necessary” instead of the old standard: when “reasonable.”
“But we can’t just pass a bill, we have to make it work,” Weber says.
That will require enough money for solid police training and dedication by chiefs and sheriffs — plus ongoing commitment by the politicians, even after the protests and looting stop.
The goal should be that Thurmond’s grandkids won’t have to be taught to put their hands on the dash.


latimes--2020-06-05--In the COVID-19 unit, saying goodbye to a mentor long distance

My assignment was to photograph a hospital battling COVID-19 , and over weeks of visits , I saw a brave and dedicated staff treat patients with energy and compassion .
It was impressive but , in a way , not surprising .
The staff at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital has worked to overcome the reputation of the facility ’ s predecessor , the troubled King/Drew Medical Center , a hospital so bad it lost its accreditation and was nicknamed “ Killer King.
” Each day at the new hospital brought scenes of caring and love , of resourcefulness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the specter of death .
And to my surprise , as I tried to photograph doctors , nurses , technicians and patients , my mind drifted to my college days and a nun I met brimming with energy and compassion .
The hospital staff is saving lives .
As I reflect on my days watching that staff , my thoughts pivot from hospital to college and back again , and I realize one might say the same of Sister Marie .
My first day at the hospital won ’ t start for more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m awake .
I ’ d been trained on how to don protective gear to guard against the novel coronavirus .
I try on my respirator , again .
My primary fear : that I would become ill before I could share this story .
The secondary fear : that I won ’ t truly capture what patients and staff are going through .
In college I ’ d studied Dante ’ s “ The Divine Comedy ” with Sister Marie and this morning I reread a stanza : O Muses , O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O mind which inscribed what I saw here your worth will be revealed .
Dante was writing about himself , about his own writing .
I return to this poem occasionally when I am about to begin a new project .
It already feels like a long day , but we ’ re just 45 minutes into it .
I meet up with Dr. Oscar Casillas , director of the emergency department .
Casillas makes his rounds with the vigor and grace of an athlete , which is understandable .
He played baseball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then as a utility player on the team that won the national championship in 1998 .
Casillas often speaks about the shortage of physicians in South Los Angeles and how the health disparities in the surrounding community contribute to the high volume of patients he sees .
The hospital serves a population that ’ s mostly Latino and young , and those demographics show in its COVID-19 cases .
Of 344 such patients , hospital officials say , 84 % have been Latino , 12 % African American .
Four percent were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Casillas helped open the new 131-bed hospital in Willowbrook in 2015 .
When the facility was brand-new , he recalled , patients would reference King/Drew and its troubles .
They no longer do that .
The community , he says , and the hospital staff feel they have moved beyond the past , and are facing the pandemic .
“ There also is a real sense of pride here in accomplishing something that a lot of people didn ’ t think could happen , ” he says .
In the fall of my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visited Saint Mary College in Leavenworth , Kan. , for the first time .
In the English department , a white marble sculpture adorned the hallway and one wall featured a painting of Venice .
There were tall wooden shelves filled with books .
And there was Sister Marie Brinkman of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth .
She was the chair of the English department and in charge of the tiny school newspaper , the Taper .
She too , I would learn , could see possibilities .
During our first encounter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be on her newspaper staff but couldn ’ t .
She slyly smiled , as she does , and asked , “ Why ?
” I told her meekly , “ I can ’ t spell , so I can ’ t write for your newspaper.
” And in that one sentence , I had a future .
Griselda Llanos , an ICU nurse , never appears to sit down during her 12-hour shift .
This morning she has two patients , one with COVID-19 .
She spends hours inside the room with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first pulling a curtain to give him privacy .
She administers medication .
She helps a doctor with a complicated pulmonary procedure .
Before she finally leaves the room , she gently wipes his forehead .
Llanos , 31 , has been a nurse more than 10 years .
She was raised by a single mother and has a black-and-white tattoo of her mom inside of her left arm .
Her mother was a nurse ’ s assistant for almost 30 years , but that ’ s not what drove her to medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man fall ill and die at a fast-food restaurant .
“ I was maybe 14 , ” she said .
“ I felt so helpless because I couldn ’ t help him .
I didn ’ t know what to do .
He was young .
I found that pretty traumatizing .
Seeing that happen in front of my eyes and me not being able to help pushed me and it led me to nursing.
” Now she must remember to protect herself from the novel coronavirus .
Llanos has to remind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and face shield while in the COVID-19 patient ’ s room .
I made my choice after meeting Sister Marie and enrolled at Saint Mary College ( later renamed University of Saint Mary ) .
Having me as her student could not have been easy — I was not the best student and never had the courage to tell her I ’ m dyslexic — but she always had an expectation I would succeed .
She was dedicated to all her students , not just me .
We would sit together for hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door to the tiny newsroom where I wrote and photographed for the Taper .
The office featured a large , tan IBM electric typewriter , always humming , and a black-and-white photo of her predecessor as chair , Sister Mary Ernestine , with a pet parakeet named Mr. Blue .
We would pore over my seminar papers , simple newspaper articles and essays on Dante .
She would emphasize her point by blinking both eyes hard , behind her thick glasses .
Sometimes we would walk around campus and end up in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toast and we would sit and talk some more .
There was always a historical context to our conversations .
We talked about our families , movies , history and travel , but also justice , ethics and the nature of suffering .
Dr. Maita Kuvhenguhwa , an infectious-disease specialist , is chatting warmly in Spanish with Maria Cuellar , holding Cuellar ’ s right hand in her two gloved hands .
COVID-19 disproportionately harms Latinos and African Americans , but Cuellar , 63 , will be going home soon .
Dr. K @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a unique connection to the hospital .
Her father , Dr. Amos Kuvhenguhwa , had practiced at King/Drew .
Born in a small village in Zimbabwe , he decided at a young age to become a doctor because his mother nearly died giving birth to him .
Kuvhenguhwa would go to King/Drew with her father and , as young as 4 , would sit at the nurse ’ s station .
Sometimes his patients wanted to meet her .
“ It always struck me that his patients were so grateful , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kuvhenguhwa sometimes saw him in news reports .
“ I didn ’ t really recognize how powerful that was until I got older , ” she says .
One sad fact about King/Drew ’ s demise was that the hospital was created to address some of the wrongs that triggered the Watts riots of 1965 .
As King himself explained : “ These riots grew out of many things , particularly the explosion of accumulated frustration that had been developing across the years , as a result of the long night of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one reason why Dr. K works here is because her father had wanted to practice at King/Drew ’ s successor .
But he died in 2014 , a year before the facility opened .
Of the hospital and its role in the pandemic , she says : “ The neighborhood is resilient .
The hospital is resilient , and we will get through this .
… We have to keep pushing through .
This is just one more obstacle in our path , and it ’ s not going to break us.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in Santa Monica working on a book , “ Emerging Frontiers , ” a history recalling the turbulent times and renewal of her religious community .
I borrowed my cousin ’ s vintage red Mustang convertible , and we giggled as I drove us around Westwood with the top down .
Sister Marie had become a constant friend , a constant listener .
Years later I asked her to pray for my parents when , one by one , they became ill. She attended my mother ’ s funeral and called the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have her voicemail .
She understood loss .
She , too , had lost her parents as well as three brothers .
And , as I had , she had attended Saint Mary College , graduating in 1948 .
In her 38 years in the English department , and in retirement , she savored interacting with staffers and students , attended parties and baptisms , weddings and funerals .
She delights in the presence of children .
She became a nun in 1950 , taking vows of poverty , chastity and obedience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which suggests unthinking compliance , she replied that it was an obligation to inform her conscience to the best of her ability — and then to follow her conscience .
As usual , her interpretation was deeper and more nuanced than mine .
A few years ago , I took her to dinner to thank her for being my professor and my friend .
We followed up the next day with a trip to the drug store .
Who knew shopping could be so much fun ?
She wanted dark chocolate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I would have taken her anywhere .
While working in the COVID-19 unit on the fifth floor , I receive a text : She has been battling Parkinson ’ s disease for years .
On this day , she is just a few weeks shy of her 94th birthday .
As I try to absorb the news , it ’ s hard to breathe because of my half face mask with two pink P100 filters .
But now I must focus on Quinnece Washington , who followed in her mother ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is starting her career in the COVID-19 unit .
She admits to feeling scared at first .
“ Who would have thought as a new nurse you would be a front-liner on a huge pandemic ?
” she asks .
“ I know I will have a story to tell to my kids .
About being brave .
When something arises , you just kind of just go at it.
” She and her husband , a respiratory therapist , have two children and they look after her 85-year-old grandmother .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ patient ’ s ] room , I am praying , ‘ Please , God , shield me.
’ I want to provide good quality care and be there for a patient .
I also want to protect myself too .
I ask for the strength to really get me through this.
” Like the rest of the COVID-19 crew , she repeatedly washes her hands and carefully dons and doffs her protective gear .
Her shifts last 12 hours .
“ Imagine as a patient being in the hospital with no family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have the interaction with the care team because you have to limit the exposure.
” Over the years , Parkinson ’ s robbed Sister Marie of the ability to write , and I once asked her if she was suffering .
Sharp as ever , she assured me , “ Absolutely not.
” She made it clear there is distinction between suffering and struggling .
She was struggling .
Hearing families cry over an iPad while their loved one is in ICU is painful , and I witness it again and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so family members can see one another .
This morning , I take a break from photographing to call Kansas .
Her nurse holds up the phone for Sister Marie and me .
Recently she had told me , “ We are going to have great adventures together.
” This time she asks me to visit and I try to explain I can ’ t because of the virus .
She sounds tired but like herself .
I just want to sit with her and tell her all about the people at Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she surely would admire .
I want to tell her about Dr. K — how her first name , Maita , means “ thank you ” in her father ’ s native language , and how she is looking to a future beyond COVID-19 .
I want to tell her Dr. Casillas played catch in the park with his children after his shift ended .
They wore masks , but they played .
I want to tell her about the nurses , like the seasoned Llanos and the newcomer Washington .
But I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like the grieving families here , I will say my goodbyes from a distance .
I hope the hospital staff and their patients know none of us is truly alone in our suffering .
We have one another .

My assignment was to photograph a hospital battling COVID-19, and over weeks of visits, I saw a brave and dedicated staff treat patients with energy and compassion.
It was impressive but, in a way, not surprising. The staff at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital has worked to overcome the reputation of the facility’s predecessor, the troubled King/Drew Medical Center, a hospital so bad it lost its accreditation and was nicknamed “Killer King.”
Each day at the new hospital brought scenes of caring and love, of resourcefulness and resilience. Also ever present was the specter of death.
And to my surprise, as I tried to photograph doctors, nurses, technicians and patients, my mind drifted to my college days and a nun I met brimming with energy and compassion.
The hospital staff is saving lives. As I reflect on my days watching that staff, my thoughts pivot from hospital to college and back again, and I realize one might say the same of Sister Marie.
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1 / 17 Registered nurse Sandy Valle, left, emergency medical technician Javier Gonzalez and nurse Michelle Kim work in a triage tent at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 17 Dr. Oscar Casillas puts on his isolation gown in the emergency department at MLK Community Hospital. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 17 Quinnece Washington, a new nurse at MLK Community Hospital, works with COVID-19 patients. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 17 Dr. Oscar Casillas talks to an ER patient at the hospital in the Willowbrook neighborhood of South Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 17 Dr. Oscar Casillas, left, and registered nurse Jesse Lynwood, center, work with an ER patient. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 17 Darnell Baker, an environmental services worker, cleans a room that harbored the coronavirus in the emergency department. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 17 A patient struggling to breathe is hooked up to monitors in the emergency department. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 17 Registered nurse Sandy Valle is working inside the triage tent during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 17 Registered nurse Joshua Barba runs to help a COVID-19 patient at MLK Community Hospital. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 17 Patient care technician Rakeem Addison, wiping his forehead, heats up his lunch in the breakroom of the COVID-19 unit. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 17 Patient care technician Rakeem Addison comforts a non-COVID-19 patient at the hospital. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 17 Nurses Amanda Hamilton, left, and Naomi Okonofua work on a COVID-19 patient in the ICU. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 17 Doctors and nurses tend to a patient in the intensive care unit. The man had stopped breathing, but the team revived him. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 17 Alessandro Garcia, left, cleans respiratory therapist Janssen Redondo’s mask in the ICU. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 17 ICU nurse Naomi Okonofua, wearing full personal protective equipment, cares for a COVID-19 patient. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 17 Nurse Naomi Okonofua, left, and Dr. Anthony Arredondo work together in the ICU with a COVID-19 patient. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 17 Registered nurse Michelle Kim pulls off her gloves while working inside the triage tent at MLK Community Hospital. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
April 15, 3:30 a.m.
My first day at the hospital won’t start for more than three hours but already I’m awake. I’d been trained on how to don protective gear to guard against the novel coronavirus. I try on my respirator, again.
My primary fear: that I would become ill before I could share this story. The secondary fear: that I won’t truly capture what patients and staff are going through.
In college I’d studied Dante’s “The Divine Comedy” with Sister Marie and this morning I reread a stanza:
O Muses, O lofty genius, aid me now! O mind which inscribed what I saw here your worth will be revealed.
Dante was writing about himself, about his own writing. I return to this poem occasionally when I am about to begin a new project.
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7:45 a.m.
Emergency Department
It already feels like a long day, but we’re just 45 minutes into it. I meet up with Dr. Oscar Casillas, director of the emergency department.
Dr. Oscar Casillas, left, and registered nurse Jesse Lynwood, center, work with a patient in the emergency room. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Casillas makes his rounds with the vigor and grace of an athlete, which is understandable. He played baseball at USC, first as a pitcher, then as a utility player on the team that won the national championship in 1998.
Casillas often speaks about the shortage of physicians in South Los Angeles and how the health disparities in the surrounding community contribute to the high volume of patients he sees.
Dr. Oscar Casillas leads the medical team in the emergency department at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
The hospital serves a population that’s mostly Latino and young, and those demographics show in its COVID-19 cases. Of 344 such patients, hospital officials say, 84% have been Latino, 12% African American. Four percent were homeless. Average age: 46.
Casillas helped open the new 131-bed hospital in Willowbrook in 2015. When the facility was brand-new, he recalled, patients would reference King/Drew and its troubles. They no longer do that.
The community, he says, and the hospital staff feel they have moved beyond the past, and are facing the pandemic. “There also is a real sense of pride here in accomplishing something that a lot of people didn’t think could happen,” he says.
1981
Kansas
In the fall of my senior year in high school, I visited Saint Mary College in Leavenworth, Kan., for the first time.
In the English department, a white marble sculpture adorned the hallway and one wall featured a painting of Venice. There were tall wooden shelves filled with books.
Sister Marie Brinkman in her office at Saint Mary College (later renamed University of Saint Mary) in Leavenworth, Kan., in 1984. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
And there was Sister Marie Brinkman of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. She was the chair of the English department and in charge of the tiny school newspaper, the Taper. She too, I would learn, could see possibilities.
During our first encounter, I confided that I wanted to be on her newspaper staff but couldn’t.
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She slyly smiled, as she does, and asked, “Why?”
I told her meekly, “I can’t spell, so I can’t write for your newspaper.”
“That’s what editors are for.”
And in that one sentence, I had a future.
April 18, 10:31 a.m.
Intensive Care Unit
Griselda Llanos, an ICU nurse, never appears to sit down during her 12-hour shift. This morning she has two patients, one with COVID-19.
Griselda Llanos has been a registered nurse for 10 years. She works in the intensive care unit at MLK Community Hospital, which she says is exhausting. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
She spends hours inside the room with him. She changes a diaper, first pulling a curtain to give him privacy. She administers medication. She helps a doctor with a complicated pulmonary procedure.
Before she finally leaves the room, she gently wipes his forehead.
Llanos, 31, has been a nurse more than 10 years. She was raised by a single mother and has a black-and-white tattoo of her mom inside of her left arm.
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Nurse Griselda Llanos, left, and Dr. Anthony Arredondo work on a COVID-19 patient. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Her mother was a nurse’s assistant for almost 30 years, but that’s not what drove her to medicine. As a girl, she saw a man fall ill and die at a fast-food restaurant.
“I was maybe 14,” she said. “I felt so helpless because I couldn’t help him. I didn’t know what to do. He was young. I found that pretty traumatizing. Seeing that happen in front of my eyes and me not being able to help pushed me and it led me to nursing.”
Now she must remember to protect herself from the novel coronavirus.
Llanos has to remind herself not to pull off her mask and face shield while in the COVID-19 patient’s room.
1980s
Kansas
I made my choice after meeting Sister Marie and enrolled at Saint Mary College (later renamed University of Saint Mary).
Having me as her student could not have been easy — I was not the best student and never had the courage to tell her I’m dyslexic — but she always had an expectation I would succeed.
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She was dedicated to all her students, not just me.
We would sit together for hours inside her lovely corner office, next door to the tiny newsroom where I wrote and photographed for the Taper. The office featured a large, tan IBM electric typewriter, always humming, and a black-and-white photo of her predecessor as chair, Sister Mary Ernestine, with a pet parakeet named Mr. Blue.
We would pore over my seminar papers, simple newspaper articles and essays on Dante. She would emphasize her point by blinking both eyes hard, behind her thick glasses.
Sometimes we would walk around campus and end up in a kitchen, where she would make me toast and we would sit and talk some more. There was always a historical context to our conversations. We talked about our families, movies, history and travel, but also justice, ethics and the nature of suffering.
April 23, 8:23 a.m.
COVID-19 Unit
Dr. Maita Kuvhenguhwa, an infectious-disease specialist, is chatting warmly in Spanish with Maria Cuellar, holding Cuellar’s right hand in her two gloved hands. COVID-19 disproportionately harms Latinos and African Americans, but Cuellar, 63, will be going home soon.
Dr. K, as many call her, feels a unique connection to the hospital. Her father, Dr. Amos Kuvhenguhwa, had practiced at King/Drew. Born in a small village in Zimbabwe, he decided at a young age to become a doctor because his mother nearly died giving birth to him.
Dr. Maita Kuvhenguhwa holds Maria Cuellar’s hand. “Maita” translates to “Thank you,” from her father’s first language from Zimbabwe. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
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Kuvhenguhwa would go to King/Drew with her father and, as young as 4, would sit at the nurse’s station. Sometimes his patients wanted to meet her. “It always struck me that his patients were so grateful,” she says.
He was a trauma surgeon and Kuvhenguhwa sometimes saw him in news reports.
He saved lives.
“I didn’t really recognize how powerful that was until I got older,” she says.
One sad fact about King/Drew’s demise was that the hospital was created to address some of the wrongs that triggered the Watts riots of 1965.
Patient Maria Cuellar, left, speaks to Dr. Maita Kuvhenguhwa, an infectious-disease specialist. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
As King himself explained: “These riots grew out of many things, particularly the explosion of accumulated frustration that had been developing across the years, as a result of the long night of poverty and economic insecurity.”
Now, one reason why Dr. K works here is because her father had wanted to practice at King/Drew’s successor. But he died in 2014, a year before the facility opened.
Of the hospital and its role in the pandemic, she says: “The neighborhood is resilient. The hospital is resilient, and we will get through this. … We have to keep pushing through. This is just one more obstacle in our path, and it’s not going to break us.”
1995
Los Angeles
On my 31st birthday, Sister Marie was in Santa Monica working on a book, “Emerging Frontiers,” a history recalling the turbulent times and renewal of her religious community.
I borrowed my cousin’s vintage red Mustang convertible, and we giggled as I drove us around Westwood with the top down.
Sister Marie had become a constant friend, a constant listener. Years later I asked her to pray for my parents when, one by one, they became ill. She attended my mother’s funeral and called the day my father died. I still have her voicemail.
She understood loss. She, too, had lost her parents as well as three brothers.
And, as I had, she had attended Saint Mary College, graduating in 1948. In her 38 years in the English department, and in retirement, she savored interacting with staffers and students, attended parties and baptisms, weddings and funerals. She delights in the presence of children.
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She became a nun in 1950, taking vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
When I asked about the obedience vow, which suggests unthinking compliance, she replied that it was an obligation to inform her conscience to the best of her ability — and then to follow her conscience. As usual, her interpretation was deeper and more nuanced than mine.
A few years ago, I took her to dinner to thank her for being my professor and my friend. We followed up the next day with a trip to the drug store. Who knew shopping could be so much fun? She wanted dark chocolate, soap and a pair of short stockings. I would have taken her anywhere.
May 4, 3:38 p.m.
COVID-19 Unit
While working in the COVID-19 unit on the fifth floor, I receive a text:
Sr. Marie has chosen to accept hospice care.
She has been battling Parkinson’s disease for years. On this day, she is just a few weeks shy of her 94th birthday. As I try to absorb the news, it’s hard to breathe because of my half face mask with two pink P100 filters.
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Nurse Quinnece Washington rushes a COVID-19 patient into the intensive care unit. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
But now I must focus on Quinnece Washington, who followed in her mother’s footsteps into nursing. At 31, she is starting her career in the COVID-19 unit. She admits to feeling scared at first.
“Who would have thought as a new nurse you would be a front-liner on a huge pandemic?” she asks. “I know I will have a story to tell to my kids. About being brave. When something arises, you just kind of just go at it.”
She and her husband, a respiratory therapist, have two children and they look after her 85-year-old grandmother.
“Sometimes, when I am in the [patient’s] room, I am praying, ‘Please, God, shield me.’ I want to provide good quality care and be there for a patient. I also want to protect myself too. I ask for the strength to really get me through this.”
Like the rest of the COVID-19 crew, she repeatedly washes her hands and carefully dons and doffs her protective gear. Her shifts last 12 hours.
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Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling
from the Los Angeles Times. More stories
“Imagine as a patient being in the hospital with no family around, no friends. You don’t have the interaction with the care team because you have to limit the exposure.”
Yes, I can imagine.
Over the years, Parkinson’s robbed Sister Marie of the ability to write, and I once asked her if she was suffering.
Sharp as ever, she assured me, “Absolutely not.”
She made it clear there is distinction between suffering and struggling. She was struggling.
May 17, 11:02 a.m.
Intensive Care Unit
Hearing families cry over an iPad while their loved one is in ICU is painful, and I witness it again and again as nurses raise up the devices so family members can see one another.
This morning, I take a break from photographing to call Kansas.
Her nurse holds up the phone for Sister Marie and me.
Recently she had told me, “We are going to have great adventures together.” This time she asks me to visit and I try to explain I can’t because of the virus.
She sounds tired but like herself.
Under a portrait of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr. Oscar Casillas tends to a patient in the emergency room. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
I just want to sit with her and tell her all about the people at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, people she surely would admire.
I want to tell her about Dr. K — how her first name, Maita, means “thank you” in her father’s native language, and how she is looking to a future beyond COVID-19.
I want to tell her Dr. Casillas played catch in the park with his children after his shift ended. They wore masks, but they played. I want to tell her about the nurses, like the seasoned Llanos and the newcomer Washington.
But I can’t do that now. Like the grieving families here, I will say my goodbyes from a distance. I hope the hospital staff and their patients know none of us is truly alone in our suffering.
We have one another.


latimes--2020-06-04--Newsom's listening tour stops in Stockton amid protests and calls for action

Gov .
Gavin Newsom met with Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs and the Central Valley city ’ s black community leaders on Thursday , continuing a listening tour in cities across the state as more Californians demand action and accountability for police brutality .
But when asked what changes he intends to make as the state ’ s chief executive , the governor ’ s message has been clear : There are no quick fixes .
“ What I fear is that we can pass programs and feign that we ’ ve solved problems , ” Newsom said earlier this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a top-down approach from the state Capitol .
In Los Angeles and Sacramento , the Democratic governor repeated that the nation needs sweeping cultural change and commitments to equality from community groups , nonprofits , business leaders , government and individuals .
As Newsom called for reforms rooted in community action , Melina Abdullah , co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles , said the governor could be doing more on his own .
“ He can usher in serious reform , ” Abdullah said .
“ Of course he can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world that needs to be made by himself , but he can create some .
There ’ s a lot that he could do that he ’ s not doing.
” Newsom publicly supported a proposal from Assemblywoman Shirley Weber ( D-San Diego ) to study the impact of slavery and consider potential reparations during the visit to Stockton .
The bill has been highlighted as a priority of the California Legislative Black Caucus and his comments on Thursday marked the first time he has endorsed their effort .
“ I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday of possible reparations , adding that recent events have reinforced his resolve to explore the idea in order to deliver on a promise of fundamental change .
But Abdullah pointed to other efforts that she said would help reduce violence and address racism that Newsom could propel forward at the state level .
She called on the governor to ban the use of rubber bullets against protesters and take action to end curfews and allow people to exercise their legal right to protest without risking arrest .
He could also endorse proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another bill by Weber to require ethnic studies classes in colleges or spearheading new police accountability reforms , she said .
Newsom this week pointed to a landmark police use of force bill that he signed into law in 2019 as evidence of progress at the state level .
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti responded to calls from protesters to defund the police by saying he would cut at least $ 100 million from the LAPD budget next year .
The governor has said social , racial , economic and environmental justice is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every day , mentioning investments in preschool , prenatal care , mental health and homelessness , probation reform and his commitment to not carry out the death penalty .
“ We are committed to implementing and applying these rules and regulations and applications in real-time , ” he said in Los Angeles on Wednesday .
“ There ’ s a deep sense of urgency.
” The governor has been praised for his reflections on the state of the country , stating earlier this week that the black community is not responsible for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Newsom said Monday .
“ Our institutions are responsible .
We are accountable to this moment .
Let ’ s just call that out.
” After what he described as a week of meetings with activists , business owners , mayors and other local officials , Newsom said Thursday that a growing number of people want to see action .
“ I think that ’ s what I spent the last three days really trying to understand is people ’ s feelings and sentiments , ” Newsom said .
He noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deep sense of urgency and concern that people aren ’ t listening , and people aren ’ t understanding the magnitude of this moment and the need to gravitate toward action , not just rhetoric .
”

Gov. Gavin Newsom visited the Hot and Cool Cafe in Leimert Park on Wednesday after several days of protests in Los Angeles.
Gov. Gavin Newsom met with Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs and the Central Valley city’s black community leaders on Thursday, continuing a listening tour in cities across the state as more Californians demand action and accountability for police brutality.
But when asked what changes he intends to make as the state’s chief executive, the governor’s message has been clear: There are no quick fixes.
“What I fear is that we can pass programs and feign that we’ve solved problems,” Newsom said earlier this week, pushing back on the notion of a top-down approach from the state Capitol.
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In Los Angeles and Sacramento, the Democratic governor repeated that the nation needs sweeping cultural change and commitments to equality from community groups, nonprofits, business leaders, government and individuals.
As Newsom called for reforms rooted in community action, Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles, said the governor could be doing more on his own.
“He can usher in serious reform,” Abdullah said. “Of course he can’t make all of the change in the world that needs to be made by himself, but he can create some. There’s a lot that he could do that he’s not doing.”
Newsom publicly supported a proposal from Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) to study the impact of slavery and consider potential reparations during the visit to Stockton. The bill has been highlighted as a priority of the California Legislative Black Caucus and his comments on Thursday marked the first time he has endorsed their effort.
“I have long supported it,” Newsom said Thursday of possible reparations, adding that recent events have reinforced his resolve to explore the idea in order to deliver on a promise of fundamental change.
But Abdullah pointed to other efforts that she said would help reduce violence and address racism that Newsom could propel forward at the state level. She called on the governor to ban the use of rubber bullets against protesters and take action to end curfews and allow people to exercise their legal right to protest without risking arrest.
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He could also endorse proposals with longer term effects, such as another bill by Weber to require ethnic studies classes in colleges or spearheading new police accountability reforms, she said.
Newsom this week pointed to a landmark police use of force bill that he signed into law in 2019 as evidence of progress at the state level. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti responded to calls from protesters to defund the police by saying he would cut at least $100 million from the LAPD budget next year.
The governor has said social, racial, economic and environmental justice is ingrained in the work his administration does every day, mentioning investments in preschool, prenatal care, mental health and homelessness, probation reform and his commitment to not carry out the death penalty.
“We are committed to implementing and applying these rules and regulations and applications in real-time,” he said in Los Angeles on Wednesday. “There’s a deep sense of urgency.”
The governor has been praised for his reflections on the state of the country, stating earlier this week that the black community is not responsible for the current crisis.
“We are,” Newsom said Monday. “Our institutions are responsible. We are accountable to this moment. Let’s just call that out.”
After what he described as a week of meetings with activists, business owners, mayors and other local officials, Newsom said Thursday that a growing number of people want to see action.
“I think that’s what I spent the last three days really trying to understand is people’s feelings and sentiments,” Newsom said. He noted that a number of Californians “are expressing a deep sense of urgency and concern that people aren’t listening, and people aren’t understanding the magnitude of this moment and the need to gravitate toward action, not just rhetoric.”


latimes--2020-06-04--Local mountain lion gives birth to three cute kittens

The faces of the mountain lion cubs born recently in the Santa Monica mountains — with deep blue eyes , curving spots , budding teeth and whiskers — are cuter than their names .
But males P-82 and P-83 and their sister , P-84 , aren ’ t just bringing good looks north of Los Angeles .
Biologist Jeff Sikich said they may be carrying much-needed genetic diversity too .
The cubs are thought to be 3-year-old P-54 ’ s first litter , a news release from the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area said .
More than four months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traveling with P-63 , an adult male .
Such proximity often indicates mating , said Sikich , who has studied the big cats in the recreation area since 2002 .
“ Gestation on a mountain lion is 90 days , so I circled 90 days on a calendar and waited for that point , ” he said .
Some three months later , Sikich saw a cluster of points when he looked at mother P-54 ’ s GPS data , which indicated to him the cat had either made a kill or given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the location , the latter proved true .
Sikich popped in on the kittens while P-54 was away .
As a colleague monitored the mom , the biologist crawled through brush and snagged the newborns .
After a check-up involving measurements , genetic tests and ear-tags , he placed the cubs back in the den .
“ They blend in , it ’ s amazing .
They blend in so well with their surroundings , ” Sikich said .
“ Even at such a young age , they ’ re still real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father P-63 hails from the northern side of the 101 Freeway , where greater genetic diversity exists among a larger mountain lion population , Sikich said .
The cat has crossed the freeway three times since he was captured and outfitted with a GPS collar in February 2018 .
Now , as the only collared adult male cougar living in the Santa Monica Mountains , he seems to have shared his foreign genes with a population in need .
Sikich described the range where the kittens were born as an island .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Pacific Ocean , of course , and then the three remaining sides by freeways and development , ” he said .
That makes it awfully hard for nonlocal mountain lions to get in .
According to Sikich , males of the species typically require about 150 square miles of range , and females usually take up 50 square miles .
“ So the lions are trapped , ” he said .
That leads to inbreeding , which harms the population .
“ It basically affects their ability to produce and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sikich said inbreeding could devastate the puma population in the Santa Monica Mountains .
He and other rangers study the movement of the cats in an effort to better preserve the species .
The park is also raising money to build a wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway , which would improve genetic diversity by allowing mountain lions to come and go from the otherwise cut-off area .
Such a bridge would also protect the animals from cars .
P-54 ’ s mother , P-23 , was found dead near the side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The new litter is the 17th identified in the Santa Monica Mountains since the National Park Service began studying the species there in 2002 .
Other conservation efforts include a push to label mountain lions as a threatened species in Southern California .
Only the state can make such a designation .
“ They are a symbol of wildness .
They keep our wilderness areas wild .
I think it would be a sad day for many if people no longer had lions , ” Sikich said .
The species is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining large carnivore in the area , he said .
The new kittens help preserve the species ’ future in the Santa Monica Mountains , but that ’ s not all they do .
A post on the park ’ s Facebook page made by Ranger Ana Beatriz offered another reason .
Amidst a deadly pandemic and an emotional national dialogue about race and civil rights , “ times are tough , ” the post explained .
“ With this in mind , we hope that our recent discovery of a den of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smile to your face today , ” Beatriz wrote .

P-54, a 3-year-old mountain lion living in the Santa Monica Mountains, recently gave birth to a litter of kittens: males P-82 and P-83, and female P-84. Researchers believe this is her first litter.
The faces of the mountain lion cubs born recently in the Santa Monica mountains — with deep blue eyes, curving spots, budding teeth and whiskers — are cuter than their names.
But males P-82 and P-83 and their sister, P-84, aren’t just bringing good looks north of Los Angeles. Biologist Jeff Sikich said they may be carrying much-needed genetic diversity too.
The cubs are thought to be 3-year-old P-54’s first litter, a news release from the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area said. More than four months ago, GPS radio collars showed P-54 traveling with P-63, an adult male. Such proximity often indicates mating, said Sikich, who has studied the big cats in the recreation area since 2002.
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“Gestation on a mountain lion is 90 days, so I circled 90 days on a calendar and waited for that point,” he said.
Some three months later, Sikich saw a cluster of points when he looked at mother P-54’s GPS data, which indicated to him the cat had either made a kill or given birth.
When biologists went to check out the location, the latter proved true.
A biologist holds one of the kittens. (Jeff Sikich)
Sikich popped in on the kittens while P-54 was away. As a colleague monitored the mom, the biologist crawled through brush and snagged the newborns. After a check-up involving measurements, genetic tests and ear-tags, he placed the cubs back in the den.
“They blend in, it’s amazing. They blend in so well with their surroundings,” Sikich said. “Even at such a young age, they’re still real feisty, snarling and swiping.”
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Presumptive father P-63 hails from the northern side of the 101 Freeway, where greater genetic diversity exists among a larger mountain lion population, Sikich said. The cat has crossed the freeway three times since he was captured and outfitted with a GPS collar in February 2018.
Now, as the only collared adult male cougar living in the Santa Monica Mountains, he seems to have shared his foreign genes with a population in need.
Sikich described the range where the kittens were born as an island.
“It’s bordered on the south by the Pacific Ocean, of course, and then the three remaining sides by freeways and development,” he said.
That makes it awfully hard for nonlocal mountain lions to get in. According to Sikich, males of the species typically require about 150 square miles of range, and females usually take up 50 square miles.
“So the lions are trapped,” he said. That could lead to inbreeding, which may harm the population over time.
“It basically affects their ability to reproduce and their survival as well,” he said.
Sikich said inbreeding could devastate the puma population in the Santa Monica Mountains. He and other rangers study the movement of the cats in an effort to better preserve the species. The park also contributes to efforts to build a wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway, which would improve genetic diversity by allowing mountain lions to come and go from the otherwise cut-off area.
Such a bridge would also protect the animals from cars. P-54’s mother, P-23, was found dead near the side of Malibu Canyon Road in January 2018.
The new litter is the 17th identified in the Santa Monica Mountains since the National Park Service began studying the species there in 2002. Other conservation efforts include a push to label mountain lions as a threatened species in Southern California. Only the state can make such a designation.
“They are a symbol of wildness. They keep our wilderness areas wild. I think it would be a sad day for many if people no longer had lions,” Sikich said.
The species is also ecologically important because it is the last remaining large carnivore in the area, he said.
The new kittens help preserve the species’ future in the Santa Monica Mountains, but that’s not all they do. A post on the park’s Facebook page made by Ranger Ana Beatriz Cholo offered another reason. Amidst a deadly pandemic and an emotional national dialogue about race and civil rights, “times are tough,” the post explained.
“With this in mind, we hope that our recent discovery of a den of mountain lion kittens can perhaps bring a smile to your face today,” Cholo wrote.


latimes--2020-06-04--Despite complications and curfews, San Francisco's Grace Cathedral uses art to commemorate George Fl

Despite complications and curfews, San Francisco's Grace Cathedral uses art to commemorate George Floyd

San Francisco ’ s Gothic-style Grace Cathedral stands tall on a hill across from Huntington Park and can be seen beyond the Golden Gate Bridge .
When the sun went down May 28 , three projections appeared on the cathedral : On the right and left , vibrant art of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery .
In the center , a design of George Floyd .
“ Right where his forehead is , there ’ s this circular pattern of the cathedral .
It sort of gives a spiritual , sacred , geometric vibe to it , ” said Oree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd .
Grace Cathedral , one of San Francisco ’ s most progressive faith institutions , has long championed social justice .
The Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. preached at a worship service there in 1965 , and the cathedral ’ s members served in hospitals during the 1980s and 1990s AIDS crisis .
Aghast at recent incidents of racism and police violence , the cathedral ’ s chapter decided to remember Floyd , Arbery and Taylor through artwork overlaid on the ornate concrete walls .
But when San Francisco ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curb looting during protests over Floyd ’ s death , the artwork blinked out because no one was at the cathedral .
So instead of the projections , which can ’ t be seen in daylight , the cathedral found a new artistic outlet .
On Tuesday , before nighttime curfew , San Franciscans gathered near the cathedral to hear its bells .
“ For eight minutes and 46 seconds .
For all the time that police officer had his knee on George Floyd , ” said Grace Cathedral Dean Malcolm Young .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ You could smell the honeysuckle and the roses and the cathedral gardens .
You could hear a trumpeter playing beautiful music on the cathedral plaza .
There are people lined up on Huntington Park on a little hill , looking out at the cathedral.
” Young said the cathedral exists to serve the whole city , not only those who attend services on Sundays .
The bells and image projections have both been measures the cathedral has taken to engage San Franciscans in social justice efforts .
Originol ’ s image of Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice for Our Lives .
He started the project right after the Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013 .
“ Back in 2014 , I was homeless actually , and I took that as an opportunity to delve into something new , given that I no longer had space or my painting setup , ” he said .
“ I figured that it would be a good opportunity to start learning graphic art given that it ’ s at the computer.
” Originol wanted to create designs quickly , so he chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first pieces on Instagram .
“ People liked it .
At the time , I think it was 30 likes or something .
To me , that was a lot .
I was like , ‘ Whoa !
’ It encouraged me to continue producing more portraits , and eventually it developed into a project , ” he said .
So far , Originol has finished about 85 portraits .
Once he reaches 100 , he will compile them into a book .
At the end of the year , his work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Art Museum in Washington .
The cathedral images of Taylor and Arbery were created by artist Shirien Damra .
She designed the pieces as an artistic form of solidarity for those grieving “ black lives lost to anti-black violence in the wake of a pandemic , ” she said in an email .
Her tributes to Taylor and Arbery have reached more 597,000 and 400,000 likes respectively .
Many Instagram users mentioned that her designs help them process the deaths .
Neither Damra nor Originol was aware that the Grace Cathedral would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honored .
“ I ’ d actually never heard of Grace Cathedral .
I don ’ t think I ’ ve ever even been there before , ” Originol said .
“ I ’ ve encouraged people to use my images for whatever purpose : to express themselves , to educate , to heal .
”

Designs of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor are projected onto the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.
San Francisco’s Gothic-style Grace Cathedral stands tall on a hill across from Huntington Park and can be seen beyond the Golden Gate Bridge. When the sun went down May 28, three projections appeared on the cathedral: On the right and left, vibrant art of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. In the center, a design of George Floyd.
“Right where his forehead is, there’s this circular pattern of the cathedral. It sort of gives a spiritual, sacred, geometric vibe to it,” said Oree Originol, who designed the image of Floyd.
Grace Cathedral, one of San Francisco’s most progressive faith institutions, has long championed social justice. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached at a worship service there in 1965, and the cathedral’s members served in hospitals during the 1980s and 1990s AIDS crisis.
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Aghast at recent incidents of racism and police violence, the cathedral’s chapter decided to remember Floyd, Arbery and Taylor through artwork overlaid on the ornate concrete walls.
But when San Francisco’s citywide curfews were put in place to curb looting during protests over Floyd’s death, the artwork blinked out because no one was at the cathedral.
So instead of the projections, which can’t be seen in daylight, the cathedral found a new artistic outlet. On Tuesday, before nighttime curfew, San Franciscans gathered near the cathedral to hear its bells.
“For eight minutes and 46 seconds. For all the time that police officer had his knee on George Floyd,” said Grace Cathedral Dean Malcolm Young. “It was incredibly temperate weather. You could smell the honeysuckle and the roses and the cathedral gardens. You could hear a trumpeter playing beautiful music on the cathedral plaza. There are people lined up on Huntington Park on a little hill, looking out at the cathedral.”
Young said the cathedral exists to serve the whole city, not only those who attend services on Sundays. The bells and image projections have both been measures the cathedral has taken to engage San Franciscans in social justice efforts.
Originol’s image of Floyd is part of a years-long project called Justice for Our Lives. He started the project right after the Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013.
Advertisement
“Back in 2014, I was homeless actually, and I took that as an opportunity to delve into something new, given that I no longer had space or my painting setup,” he said. “I figured that it would be a good opportunity to start learning graphic art given that it’s at the computer.”
Originol wanted to create designs quickly, so he chose black-and-white digital art. He remembers sharing his first pieces on Instagram.
“People liked it. At the time, I think it was 30 likes or something. To me, that was a lot. I was like, ‘Whoa!’ It encouraged me to continue producing more portraits, and eventually it developed into a project,” he said.
So far, Originol has finished about 85 portraits. Once he reaches 100, he will compile them into a book. At the end of the year, his work will be on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington.
The cathedral images of Taylor and Arbery were created by artist Shirien Damra. She designed the pieces as an artistic form of solidarity for those grieving “black lives lost to anti-black violence in the wake of a pandemic,” she said in an email. Her tributes to Taylor and Arbery have reached more 597,000 and 400,000 likes respectively. Many Instagram users mentioned that her designs help them process the deaths.
Neither Damra nor Originol was aware that the Grace Cathedral would project their designs, but both felt honored.
“I’d actually never heard of Grace Cathedral. I don’t think I’ve ever even been there before,” Originol said. “I’ve encouraged people to use my images for whatever purpose: to express themselves, to educate, to heal.”