A Black Lives Matter-led coalition in Los Angeles has launched a drive to prevent Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti from becoming a part of the next presidential administration.
Activists gathered outside the mayor’s home on Tuesday morning to draw attention to his record, which they say should disqualify him from consideration for any cabinet post. Garcetti was a national co-chair of Joe Biden’s campaign.
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!
Meet us at the mayor’s mansion – 605 S. Irving – to protest the proposed appointment of one of the worst mayors in the country to Biden cabinet. #FGarcetti @WP4BL @DSA_LosAngeles @PplsCityCouncil @KtownforAll @kendrick38 @WeBldPwr @SunriseMvmtLA @BLMLAYOUTH— #BlackLivesMatter-LA (@BLMLA) November 24, 2020
BLM’s L.A. chapter put out a call to action at 8:47 am local time, instructing allies to descend upon the Getty House, where Garcetti resides, posting the address from its verified Twitter account. The tweet explained that the motive was “to protest the proposed appointment of one of the worst mayors in the country to Biden cabinet,” followed by the hashtag #FGarcetti.
Organizers said the demonstration was hastily planned overnight after news broke that the official governmental transition process had been approved.
Speakers voiced concerns over suggestions that Mayor Garcetti could be named to oversee either the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or the Transportation Department. They said Garcetti’s policies have been harmful to Black people, criticized the transit system, and noted that homelessness surged throughout the city since he was first elected mayor more than seven years ago.
“Fuck you @MayorOfLA” – @DocMellyMel
We won’t be silent as Mayor Eric Garcetti continues to uphold liberal white supremacy in Los Angeles. @BLMLA pic.twitter.com/M1rpfw4zEg
— People's City Council – Los Angeles (@PplsCityCouncil) November 24, 2020
In a video documenting the event, BLM organizer Melina Abdullah and dozens of others stood outside of a security gate that protected the mayor’s official residence while chanting, holding signs, and taking turns criticizing the mayor through a bullhorn. Almost all of the participants wore face coverings.
Abdullah accused Mr. Biden of capitalizing on the Black Lives Matter movement and said a Garcetti appointment would be “doubling down on liberal white supremacy.”
“We have to remember that there are a lot of liberal white supremacists,” she said, referring to Garcetti. “Just because you plaster on a smile, just because you have a few sellout Negros that want a seat at your dinner table, just because you speak a little bit of Spanish…that does not make you not a white supremacist.”
Garcetti is dirty as mud, don’t pick him for HUD pic.twitter.com/x29Lc9w44j
— People's City Council – Los Angeles (@PplsCityCouncil) November 24, 2020
Although Garcetti portrays himself as a progressive icon, she believes that he still supports racist systems that keep Black people oppressed. Abdullah said, for example, he has criminalized the city’s homeless population and has been too supportive of a police department that has been abusive and racially biased. She went on to tell the crowd Garcetti “appropriated our language” when he began using lingo like “reimagining public safety” after BLM activism forced him to push sweeping changes for LAPD.
The demonstration lasted over an hour before police told the protesters to leave. Abdullah indicated this was the first of a series of actions aimed at spoiling Garcetti’s chances for a cabinet post.
Looks like things are gonna wrap up peacefully. Protesters cleared out, though some allege LAPD threatened them with arrest. Not seeing arrests though. There was no dispersal order given so that’s either some miscommunication or there’s a supervisor confused about the law here.
— James Queally (@JamesQueallyLAT) November 24, 2020
“We want to be very clear that as we happily usher out the Trump regime, we will not accept liberal white supremacy in the White House in the form of Joe Biden,” said Abdullah. “It doesn’t matter to me if Kamala Harris is your vice president if you’re using her Black woman body to usher in oppressive systems and oppressive people like Eric Garcetti.”