CARAVAN FOR JUSTICE
Caravan for Justice a way to demonstrate while socially distant
At least two dozen cars wind through the streets of Pacific Beach to rally for social justice.
In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, protesters had to be creative Sunday to gather safely and still support the Black Lives Matter movement.
That’s why at least two dozen cars wound through the streets of Pacific Beach, with passengers cheering, car horns honking, and windows painted with messages that read “No Justice, No Peace” and “Say their names,” referring to those who have been killed by police.
The event was part of the Caravan for Justice — an organization that allows community members to fight for racial equality while social distancing in vehicles with twice-monthly protests.
Susan Orlofsky, who lives in Ocean Beach, has attended several protests with the group. As a 75-year-old with a compromised immune system, she said this was the safest way for her to join the movement and show her support, while staying safe and maintaining distance from other protesters.
“I feel that this is a learnable and teachable moment in our history,” she said. “It’s about time this country dealt with its problems with racism and racist institutional structures.”
Co-organizers Kim Murphy and Susan Walsh said they started the group following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a White Minneapolis police officer in May.
For Jo Simon, who has attended other Caravan for Justice protests, the event is about advocating for basic human rights and ensuring that all people are treated as equals, regardless of their race.
“I have a lot of friends who are Black and have family members who are half Black, but even if I didn’t have them in my life, I’d still support this movement,” said Simon, who identifies as Filipino. “It’s just basic human rights. Your skin color doesn’t make you lesser.… We all bleed the same color.”
Murphy and Walsh, who are both White, said they are not trying to choose or shape the narrative for Black individuals or the Black Lives Matter movement. Instead, they aim to amplify the voices of those who have been silenced and continue the conversation of systemic racism in the United States.
“This is not a Black problem. This is a White problem to fix,” Walsh said. “We can’t ask the people who are being disenfranchised to fix a system they are excluded from and have been excluded from for centuries.”
In California, Black Lives Matter protests have led to some change. Legislators in August were considering bills that would further expand what police records are made public, place restrictions on when and how rubber bullets and tear gas are used on protesters, and ban chokeholds and carotid restraints.
On a local level, a citizens task force in La Mesa is working to create a community oversight board and retain an independent auditor to investigate serious incidents and misconduct complaints involving La Mesa Police Department officers.
The San Diego County Sheriff ’s Department, along with 14 other police departments in the county, announced in June they would place an immediate ban on the use of the carotid restraint, a controversial neck hold that can lead to injury or death.
In recent weeks, the number of protests have declined but many still continue in large and small cities across the U.S.
“We’re not quitting just because people are starting to move on,” Walsh said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done.”
Walsh said the end of the carotid restraint among many police agencies was a good start, but her group would also like to see an end to qualified immunity, which shields government officials from being held personally liable for constitutional violations — like the right to be free from excessive police force.
The group also calls for a restructuring among local police agencies, a change in how police respond to homeless and mental health calls, and improvements to police resource officers placed in schools.
Protests with the Caravan for Justice occur every two weeks.
Murphy said those who can’t attend the organized protests can support the movement by donating to the group or purchasing supplies on their Amazon “wish list.”
The next event will be held in Lakeside on Oct. 4. Those who would like to join or help support the organization can visit the Caravan for Justice’s Facebook or Instagram page.