On August 5, family members and supporters of Jeremy Flores – a young man shot and killed by LAPD Hollenbeck Division officers on July 14 – gathered at the LAPD’s Hollenbeck Station for National Night Out, a nationwide “community-building” event that purportedly “promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.”
Even before the event began, protesters organized by Centro CSO, a local grassroots organization, were already there chanting, “Say his name: Jeremy Flores.” A little after 5:30, they moved through the thoroughfare lined with booths and families, where children rode ponies and played in the petting zoo.
Folclórico dancers in front of a banner demanding justice for Jeremy Flores
Just steps away from a mariachi band in full performance, Jeremy’s mother, Isabella Rivera, spoke, fighting back tears. “I was looking at the body of my boy on the floor all day, and nobody gave me any information about him,” she said, her voice breaking. “They killed him like it was a dozen people. It was only one guy.” Among the crowd, perhaps even the officers who shot him.
Isabella Rivera, Jeremy Flores’ mother, with Centro CSO members in front of a banner demanding justice for her son
Close by was Olivia Villalobos, a mother from Riverside who also lost her son Peter to police violence earlier this year. “No mom should have to live with this pain – for a police officer to take someone’s life. We’ve got to get justice,” she said through tears.
Sergio Flores, Jeremy Flores’ brother holds up a sign for his brother
By 6 p.m., the LAPD became aggressive with the protesters, swinging batons, escalating, and moving menacingly. The presence of children and the local community enjoying the pony rides and petting zoo did nothing to deter the officers, about 20 of whom formed a line facing the Flores family and their supporters.
The tension rose until a man not in uniform, and seemingly frustrated with LAPD’s response, stepped forward to calm the officers, aware that children stood both behind them and among the protesters. Eventually, the protesters moved behind the stage to face the crowd with their banners, and the officers dispersed as the mariachi prepared to take the stage.
Cadets serve ice cream at the National Night Out event
At a distance, cadets pushed an ice cream cart through the crowd, while a lone donkey framed the Hollenbeck police sign. Children stroked bunnies in the petting zoo. Behind the LAPD mariachi band, mothers who had lost their sons wept.
Protesters hold up a banner behind the banda
As the performances continued, protesters held up a banner that read, “Jail Killer Cops.” The banda worked hard to drown out the mothers’ screams with brass and strings. The protesters had strategically placed themselves behind the stage, making their presence impossible to ignore. Mariachi singers, some in LAPD uniforms, sang over the chants with little success.
Protesters hold up a banner behind the LAPD Mariachi band
As the mariachi began a new song, the mothers’ voices rose again: “Justice for Jeremy, justice for Peter”.
The mariachi kept playing over the chants of “Asesinos” – “murderers” – to drown them out so they wouldn’t reach the crowd. But between songs, the protesters’ voices always broke through: “Say their names: Jesse Romero, Jose Mendez, Christian Escobedo, Omar Gonzalez,“ listing the young Chicano men also killed by the Hollenbeck Division. Omar Gonzalez and Jesse Romero were killed within the span of 12 days by the same officer, Eden Medina, from the Hollenbeck station in 2016.
Protesters hold up signs for Jeremy Flores behind the LAPD Mariachi band
“The police put this event on to try to wash off the crimes that they do all year long,” Gabriel Quiroz Jr. from Centro CSO told LA Public Press. “This is organized primarily by the LAPD as a public relations stunt,” added Carlos Montes, also from Centro CSO. “We are here to say National Night Out against all violence – including police violence against our Chicano and Black community.”
A number of planned speeches by city officials were quietly canceled. Mayor Karen Bass pulled out, as did Assemblyman Mark González, who was also scheduled to speak.
Folclórico dancers in front of a banner demanding justice for Jeremy Flores
The day didn’t give answers as to who shot Jeremy, nor the bodycam footage that the family continues to ask for. But Isabella Rivera, Olivia Villalobos, and the community behind them are undeterred.
“We will continue to organize and fight back against police brutality,” said Derek Mejia, one of the lead organizers of the protest. “And when we organize, we win.”
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Ursula Vari is a Nobel Peace Prize–nominated photographer, published author, and content producer with experience in editorial content, mixed media, social commentary, and photo essays. She has documented social justice actions, homelessness in LA, street basketball culture, worked with the city of Compton, highlighting local non-profit organizations, and has traveled to the Peruvian Amazon to document indigenous tribes. She is the founder and director of Amazon Alliance, a 501(c)3 non-profit that brings free veterinary services to underserved communities. Among her clients are Adidas, Los Angeles Magazine, District 2 Councilman Andre Spicer (City of Compton), Red Bull, YCO Active, VPAN, CAIR, Sabato Magazine, Unearth and Empower, Megan Rapinoe, TRUSAIC, Lectron, and Veniceball. She has close to 20 years of yoga teaching experience, speaks conversational Spanish, Hungarian, and Romanian, and has published two books available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. She resides in Los Angeles with three of her rescues.
