BLM protesters gather in DTLA for weekly protest
LOS ANGELES - A group of Black Lives Matter protesters gathered in downtown Los Angeles for their weekly protest on Wednesday.
The protest is outside of District Attorney Jackie Lacey's office, and the protesters are asking for a new district attorney. However, the group also discusses defunding the police and protecting Black lives.
On Wednesday, protesters also talked about the new Community Safety Partnership Bureau within the LAPD that was announced by Mayor Garcetti. Many protesters said it is the opposite of what they've been demanding, and would like to see other changes.
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However, Javon Alvin, who has participated in BLM protests, said it is a "step in the right direction."
"I think it's a really big reward right now just to see that things are being changed and I think my first thoughts with it is it's definitely a step in the right direction," said Alvin.
Alvin said he would like to see other reforms too.
"Obviously integrating more officers of color. That's one thing because there's a lot of color in our community. There's a lot of color in the city. I think there's more color than there is not so that should take up the bulk of our officers and then my second thing is we should hire from within the community. If you're from this place, from this area, you'll understand this area," said Alvin.
Melina Abdullah, the co-founder of BLM LA voiced her concerns regarding the bureau over Twitter saying "Yesterday, the Mayor of LA appropriated our #ReimaginePublicSafety message and did the exact opposite of what the people have been demanding; he expanded LAPD by adding a new "Community Safety Partnership" Bureau. #DefundThePolice means defund, not fund," she tweeted.
FOX 11 reached out to Jackie Lacey's office for comment regarding the weekly protest, but she was not available.