More than 100 protestors marched last week from Beverly Hills High School to the intersections of Moreno Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard, where there was a brief altercation with officers from the Beverly Hills Police Department. About 38 people were arrested.
The action, part of hundreds of ongoing nationwide protests against police brutality, was organized by Black Future Project.
Before the march began, two officers attempted to speak with the protesters. They were quickly booed away. After a brief speech by activist James Butler and other activists, the march began toward Santa Monica Boulevard. After only a few blocks, it became apparent that the Beverly Hills PD SWAT vehicle was trailing only a block or so behind.
The march proceeded up Moreno Drive. At the intersection of Santa Monica, I witnessed the brief altercation when one of the commanding officers gesture over to a protester to come over in a manner like “let's fight.” At this point BHPD declared the protest an unlawful assembly and gave the disperse order.
It appeared to me that the plan by officials was to declare an unlawful assembly as soon as possible. There was no violence or damage to any property and the protesters were very peaceful.
After a brief walk down Santa Monica, BHPD once again blocked the marchers at Wilshire Boulevard. The marchers made their way around BHPD by going through residential streets and then back down onto Santa Monica, where BHPD blocked them on both sides and gave another unlawfully assembly announcement. The protesters sat down and BHPD began arresting them one by one at Linden Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard.
These are scenes from the protest:
