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L.A. Jews For Black Lives Hold Tisha B’Av Protest Outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Home

The group demanded Garcetti officially rescind his endorsement of Jackie Lacey for district attorney and to adopt the Black Lives Matter Movement-Los Angeles (BLMA) the People's Budget, which seeks to defund local police.
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July 30, 2020
Protesters sit quietly outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s house. All photos by Ryan Torok

On the afternoon of July 30, around 45 members of LA Jews For Black Lives protested outside Mayor Eric Garcetti’s private home, to demand that he officially rescind his endorsement of L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, who is running for a third term in office this November. The group also called on Garcetti to adopt the Black Lives Matter Movement-Los Angeles (BLMA) the People’s Budget, which seeks to defund local police.

Protesters met at a nearby park in Mid-Wilshire around 2:30 p.m. and then walked approximately 15 minutes to the mayor’s home. Protesters wore black, signifying a day of mourning that coincided with Tisha b’Av. Everyone wore masks and followed social distancing guidelines.

Among the speakers was Nate Looney, who is the Jew of Color recruiter at the nonprofit Avodah. He told attendees, “Tzedakah is a righteous act and there is no act more righteous than rescinding the endorsement of Jackie Lacey now.”

After he spoke, Looney told the Journal,  “I think it’s important we’re doing this and important for Jews in general to be aware of the importance of Tisha b’Av in modern times.”

Ian Schiffer, one of the protest organizers told the Journal when it comes to defunding the police, “As Jews we have a responsibility to talk to our Jewish mayor about that.”

Throughout the protest, speakers read from a statement that said in part, “As a multiracial, multi-gendered community of Jews and allies, we assemble to recite the book of Lamentations on this holiday of Tisha b’Av. We assemble on this holy day to demand that, by Tu b’Av, the historical celebration of love, our Jewish mayor commit to love by rescinding his support of Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey and to full-heartedly accept the People’s Budget. We have gathered to lovingly call him in as fellow Jews and Angelenos who believe that we all play a vital and important role in ending white supremacy.”

 

Protesters walk to Mayor Eric Garcetti’s house.

The organization also noted that Tisha b’Av is an opportunity to “reflect on where we fall short in creating the social solidarity, which we need to move from victimhood, or bystanderhood, to action, adding that 610 people in Black communities have been murdered in L.A. since Lacey began her tenure as district attorney in December 2012.

B’nai David Judea congregant Charlie Carnow recited the Mourner’s Kaddish interspersed with the names of Black people who have been killed by police. Carnow told the Journal, “This is a day where we talk about exile and state- sponsored murder and destruction of Jews from the first temple and second temple to the crusades to the pogroms to the Holocaust. What I’m doing here today is recognizing destruction and death in our own country and trying to fight for a world of real safety and love.”

LA Jews For Black Lives member Nadine Levyfield told attendees, “On this fast day of solidarity, destruction and the dream of rebuilding, we ask the mayor to reconsider what love means and put his words into action. Mayor Garcetti: Adopt the People’s Budget. Rescind your endorsement of Jackie Lacey.”

All photos by Ryan Torok

While Garcetti has not officially rescinded his endorsement of Lacey, but on June 12, when asked if it was time for a change in the district attorney’s office, Garcetti said, “It may be.” He did not elaborate further. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) withdrew his endorsement of Lacey in June.

Earlier in the day on July 30, the Los Angeles Police Commission announced plans to establish an advisory committee with residents to create a series of reforms and more accountability and transparency in the police force.

Responding to the commission’s announcement, Garcetti said in a statement, “We’ve been given a moment to reimagine public safety in Los Angeles, and I’m working closely with the Police Commission and the department to grow a model of just, responsible and community-centered policing that can be an example for the entire country.”

The peaceful protest outside the mayor’s home lasted just under 90 minutes. While Los Angeles Police officers did show up, they did not intervene. According to Garcetti’s office, the mayor had no official events scheduled for the day. However, there was no response from the mayor to the protest and no indication as to whether he was even at home.

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