Thousands rally in San Luis Obispo on Sunday for George Floyd
–Thousands of people gathered Sunday afternoon at Mitchell Park in San Luis Obispo for a rally organized by Race Matters SLO. Six speakers and a rapper addressed issues related to the recent death of George Floyd in Minneapolis which has inspired a rash of protests across the country, some of which have turned into looting and riots in the late-night hours. The protest was peaceful; no violence and no damage was reported by the San Luis Obispo Police Department over the weekend.
Those who spoke at the rally included a recent San Luis Obispo High School Graduate, a recent Cal Poly graduate, a Cuesta graduate, a UCLA senior who is about to graduate, a Nipomo-based rapper, and a Korean Christian minister.
Those in attendance included County Supervisor Bruce Gibson, San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell, and more than 2,000 people from all walks of life.
Those in attendance included County Supervisor Bruce Gibson, San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell, and more than 2,000 people from all walks of life. Chief Cantrell said no one dislikes “bad cops” more than good ones. She said police are not perfect, but they must do better. She applauded the constructive, peaceful rally at Mitchel Park.
After an hour of speeches, many of the attendees walked through downtown San Luis Obispo. They walked down Higuera to Nipomo and then back up Marsh to the intersection of Santa Rosa and Pacific. More people spoke at that intersection, and then they walked through the city a second time.
Meanwhile, several local police agencies sent officers to Los Angeles after being contacted by the California Office of Emergency services with a request for mutual aid. The officers headed south to address the rioting, looting, and vandalism in the greater Los Angeles area. The SLO County Sheriff’s Department sent 35 deputies to Los Angeles.
