Protest to end at the intersection of Federal and Wilshire
By Sam Catanzaro
A “Defund the Rich” protest is set to take place this afternoon ending at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Federal Avenue.
The protest, organized by a local union, AFSCME, and an advocacy organization, ACCE Action, is set to begin around 3:30 p.m. at the intersection of San Vicente Boulevard and Montana Avenue and then proceed east on San Vicente to Wilshire Boulevard, according to the Brentwood Community Council (BCC).
A flyer for the protest–described by organizers as socially distanced– is titled “#defund the rich invest in our communities”
“CA’s 156 billionaires have made more than 180 billion since April. Time for the wealthy to invest in black and brown communities. Time to defund the police AND the billionaires and fund our healthcare, housing and jobs. It’s time to return Californians’ wealth to the people who make this state what it is,” reads the flyer.
According to the BCC, the LAPD is aware of the protest in Brentwood and has assigned resources to the event as well as officers assigned as a back-up reserve to deploy, if needed.
“At this point there is no indication of civil unrest or exactly how many demonstrators are going to show up. The West LAPD special events coordinator is monitoring the social media foot-print regarding this event and it has minimal activity,” the BCC said. “Increased private security patrols in residential areas should be expected, as residents have expressed concern over recent events in other communities. Commercial property owners and businesses have been informed.”
“As Americans, we recognize peaceful assembly and free speech as a Constitutional right; Brentwood looks forward to a socially-distanced, uneventful protest and we’re prepared to address any issues that pop up,” the BCC added.
