Led by comedian Cedric the Entertainer, hundreds of protesters recently marched down Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles to call for lawmakers to address the prevalence of police violence in poor communities of color. Joined by actors Kendrick Sampson, Claudia Jordan, and Eva Marcille, the demonstrators were organized to convene as a part of the "Power In Action" rally, which comes in response to the recent shooting deaths of Terence Crutcher and Keith Scott by police in Tulsa and Charlotte respectively. The protesters traveled about with signs and chants, before gathering for a rally outside of CNN's Los Angeles tower.
"We just wanted to get people together and use our voice man. To let them know that it's time to, you know, to really press for police reform, get people to get involved, get people to start voting," Cedric said, noting that the hope of such actions is to get enraged citizens to focus on local elections. "This is about local politicians, lawmakers. And let them know that we're going to keep using our voice and pressing until we get some reform in policing, for sure."
During the rally, the 52-year-old star celebrity went beyond decrying the justice system, to state solutions that might lessen the occurrence of violent encounters with police. He cited the shooting of Alfred Olango in El Cajon, a situation in which authorities were called to help with a man in mental distress, but wound up gunning him down as a supposed threat. For such scenarios, Cedric proposed that the standard 911 emergency system be modified so that medical personnel [as opposed to law enforcement] are flagged to respond to cases involving issues of mental health.
While the tension that arose following the release of footage showing the recent shootings, activated many of those in attendance at the Power In Action rally, Cedric's capacity to bring their demands to the street is months in the making. Fans will recall the comedian hosting a meeting of over 100 Black celebrities in his home, following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile in July. Cedric credited information exchanged at the get together for helping bring a coordinated response to fruition.
Source: youtube.com
