On Saturday, a couple thousand cyclists participated in the Ride for Justice, a commemoration of the life of George Floyd.
The ride gathered at South L.A.'s Leimert Park, the cultural beating heart of L.A.'s Black community. The event was hosted by the groups BikesOverBang’N and BEGIN. The L.A. Times interviewed ride organizers Kortel “Korta-T” Autrey and G’Angelo Edmondson who created the ride to help people engage in an "uncomfortable conversation about race and inequality and about police brutality," as well for "peace and solidarity" and "wanting all voices to be heard in our community."
In addition to the large bike ride, similar events carried out by runners and motorcyclists also originated from Leimert Park at the same time. The majority of participants were Black and brown. Nearly all attendees dressed in black as organizers had requested.
Before cyclists, runners, and motorcyclists got moving, organizers held an 8-minute 46-second moment of silence - the length of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin spent pressing his knee into Floyd's neck.
The ride toured South L.A. streets, including Crenshaw Boulevard, Obama Boulevard, Western Avenue, and Slauson Avenue. LAPD motorcycle officers escorted. The ride was very peaceful and the mood was positive and celebratory, with passersby raising fists, cheering, clapping, and honking in support of the cyclists.
Below are photos from the Ride for Justice.
Saturday's ride was not even the biggest protest/demonstration event taking place in Southern California on Saturday. Dozens of marches and other actions - large and small - took place all over Southern California, mirroring protests that have taken place all over the world in the two weeks since Floyd's murder.
