San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
VARIED EVENTS SUPPORT, DECRY POLICE
Homelessness, housing, racism issues addressed
Showing no sign of slowing momentum, the summer of activism continued Saturday with demonstrations delivering sometimes dueling messages throughout San Diego County.
Many of the events promoted the Black Lives Matter movement, which gained global speed following the death of George Floyd two months ago, along with associated causes such as homelessness, housing policy and police reform. The rallies spread from Pacific Beach to a Rancho Santa Fe shopping center to a Carmel Valley street corner.
One demonstration, a motorcycle ride, aimed to support law enforcement during bitter disputes over police killings.
At Paradise Hills Skate Park, dozens of skaters rode the ramps and half pipe at a benefit to help the Black Lives Matter movement and the local homeless community. As many as 300 participants and spectators brought clothes, food, personal hygiene supplies, face masks and hand sanitizer for distribution to San Diego’s homeless, and enjoyed DJ music, skating demonstrations and a barbecue.
Professional skaters Tony Powell and Tommy Sandoval, who organized the event with Powell’s organization CAMP — or Caring About My People — said the eclectic world of skating offers a glimpse of how they hope to see the world at large.
“As a skateboarding community, we’re really diverse, which speaks to the dynamics of what we’re all working for, racial justice and police reform,” said Sandoval, 34, a Chula Vista native. “Black, White, Asian, we’re already connected in the skateboarding community.”
Local hip-hop artist Sugabear, who managed catering and entertainment for the event, said the pandemic has deepened the economic insecurity that many families face, highlighting connections between systemic racism and homelessness.
“A lot of us are probably a couple of paychecks away from being homeless,” he said. “We’re out here trying to do something for the community, to make the change in this world that we want to see.”
The link between race and housing policy was also the focus of a National City protest, where demonstrators marched against evictions and police brutality. The event was organized by the local chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and one of several to take place nationwide Saturday in what the group dubbed a National Day of Action. Organizers led about 60 marchers and called on the city of San Diego to prohibit evictions, defund police and cancel rent and mortgage payments.
At midday, a car caravan made a noisy pass by the Hall of Justice to demand that District Attorney Summer Stephan prosecute law enforcement officers involved in on-duty shootings, or to resign. The caravan drove down Broadway, horns blaring and signs waving out of car windows.
The protest, organized by the Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego, comes a day after the group released a video featuring an original song. “You about to lose yo job, because Summer Stephan, she never prosecutes officers,” the lyrics said. The video included slides of many people who have been killed by police officers or sheriff ’s deputies in San Diego County over the years.
Earlier this month, the District Attorney’s Office charged former sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Russell with second-degree murder in the shooting death of an unarmed arrestee who was running away. The case marks the first such prosecution in the county.
District attorney spokesman Steve Walker said in a statement that reviewing officer-involved shootings and deaths is one of the office’s most serious responsibilities.
“Our office takes great care to make sure our analysis follows the law, is independent, objective and thorough,” Walker said. “When the evidence and facts support criminal charges, we will file them, as we did recently against the former Sheriff’s deputy who is charged with murder.”
Another demonstration aimed to support law enforcement amid calls for reforming or defunding police. About 100 motorcyclists, including state Sen. Brian Jones, R-santee, rode to local police and sheriff’s offices Saturday morning in the Back the Badge Motorcycle Ride for Law Enforcement. About 20 cars joined the caravan that started in El Cajon and ended in La Mesa, organizer Roberta Daniel said.
“It’s peaceful, we have a different opinion, not putting anybody down, just supporting law enforcement,” Daniel said.
Late in the afternoon, La Mesa police braced for a planned protest in front of their headquarters building.
The event was promoted as a way to stand in solidarity with protesters in Portland, Ore., and to seek justice for Amaurie Johnson — a Black man whose controversial arrest was caught on video — and Leslie Furcron — a Black woman who was shot in the head with a police projectile during a volatile protest. The background of the flyer displayed a photo of one of two La Mesa banks that was torched during the same night Furcron was injured.
But only 12 protesters showed up after seeing the advertised event on Instagram.
“When we showed up, we realized there was no organizing, no water, no medical aid,” said Thomas Barbour, a Santee resident. “We were surrounded by Trump supporters and cops, and we decided it might be smarter to disperse.”
Dozens of officers surrounded the block, and a handful of Trump supporters, some wearing MAGA hats, walked around the area.