Peace March in Northeast Area of Los Angeles

On August 16, I participated in a peace march and rally. Coordinated by local faith-based organizations and representatives from LAPD’s Northeast Division — it attracted a wide array of people with varying interests. Some came to support efforts to unify the community, while others came to celebrate the lives of those who succumbed to gang violence. Elected officials and community leaders were on hand to show their support and to encourage long-term efforts to eliminate the stronghold gangs have on the area.

Since I recently moved to the area, I didn’t know exactly how long the march was going to be—I’m glad I wore a light colored shirt, shorts, and running shoes. During the march, I had the pleasure to walk beside an elderly woman who carried a sign the entire route. She was an inspiring figure. To me, she represented the community’s resilience and commitment to bringing law enforcement, community, and local churches together to solve this growing problem. Despite the 90-degree weather, the event was more of a moving party. Groups displayed banners, touted posters, and wore shirts signifying their commitment to the peace process.

As anyone who lives in this part of the Los Angeles knows, this was a necessary event. Achieving peace in Northeast is one step closer to becoming a reality—the challenge now is to hold ourselves accountable for following through and transforming the words we chanted along the route into reality.

I was pleased to see that Deputy Chief Diaz and Captain Murphy walked the entire route (in full uniform).

Click here to see some of my photos of the event.