Protests erupt across California over police violence but are tempered by Dallas massacre - Los Angeles Times
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Protests erupt across California over police violence but are tempered by Dallas massacre

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Protests were held across California on Friday — with more planned this weekend — to express concern about police violence but also to honor the officers killed in the Dallas massacre.

The largest of the demonstrations was in downtown San Francisco, where an estimated 1,000 marchers gathered. A smaller demonstration was held at the Huntington Beach Pier. All were peaceful.

More than 200 people on Friday gathered outside the state Capitol for a small but passionate Black Lives Matter rally, hours after at least five Dallas police officers and multiple people were wounded in a sniper attack.

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Theresa Smith, center, of Placentia, joins about two dozen people at a vigil at the Huntington Beach Pier for victims of violence.
Theresa Smith, center, of Placentia, joins about two dozen people at a vigil at the Huntington Beach Pier for victims of violence.
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times )

No one association was behind the event, which was organized entirely on social media by social justice activists and residents rattled by the events in Dallas and the most recent fatal shootings by police of two African American men: Philando Castile, who was shot and killed in his car by a police officer in Minnesota, and Alton Sterling, who was shot several times while he was held on the ground by police outside a Louisiana convenience store.

Participants led a peaceful march around the Capitol, holding signs and shouting a familiar call: “Hands up. Don’t Shoot.” At least two hecklers shouted at the demonstrators but were quickly quieted by the crowd.

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Drivers along the streets honked their horns in support.

Rappers and Los Angeles-area natives the Game and Snoop Dogg led a unification march for men of color Friday morning to the LAPD’s graduation of its newest officers.

The Game, Snoop Dogg lead march to LAPD headquarters, meet with Chief Charlie Beck »

About 6:30 a.m., the Game posted on his Instagram account a call for black, Mexican and men of all races to march to the Los Angeles Police Department’s headquarters to “make the Californian government & it’s law branches aware that from today forward, we will be UNIFIED as minorities & we will no longer allow them to hunt us or be hunted by us !!!”

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He said women and children should stay away. “THIS IS OUR MISSION FOR THEM,” he wrote.

The Game, a Compton native whose legal name is Jayceon Terrell Taylor, said in his announcement the march had to be peaceful.

“Do not: bring any weapons or anything illegal. Do not come high or belligerent ... We don’t need any HOT HEADS or anyone there for the wrong reasons… We will stand as we are, UNIFIED. I’m calling ALL GANGS, ALL RACES, ALL GROWN MEN affiliated or not & we will stand UNIFIED.”

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