By Mary O’KEEFE

Several relatively peaceful vigils and protests occurred in Pasadena, Montrose, La Crescenta and La Cañada Flintridge on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Pasadena held a vigil that saw a line of thousands of cars begin at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Pasadena, then caravan around the city stopping at city hall. People stood along the sidewalks holding signs and raising their voices in support of the caravan. The vigil was loud with “Black Lives Matter,” “I can’t breathe” and “Say his name … George Floyd” being yelled from car to car, with horns honking all the way to city hall.

The protest followed the death of George Floyd, a black man who pleaded for air saying “I can’t breathe” as then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd, 46, lost consciousness while still under Chauvin’s knee. This was filmed by several witnesses who could be heard pleading for the police to help Floyd. As of Tuesday, Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder, a change from an earlier charge of third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Three other now-former officers who were at the scene but failed to intervene have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder while committing a felony, and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter with culpable negligence. The charges are unintentional felonies, according to reports.

The Pasadena vigil was organized in three days by the NAACP [National Association for the Advancement of Colored People] -Pasadena Chapter, NDLON [National Association of Day Labors] and IMA [Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance] and CCC [Community Clergy Coalition].

“It was NDLON’s [members’] idea,” said President Allen Edson, NAACP Pasadena Chapter. “They had been doing car protests around [Pasadena] for minimum wage and it worked well.”

An estimated 3,500 cars participated.

“I wanted a vigil where people could express themselves,” he said. “It was more about remembering George Floyd.”

There was a sense that Floyd’s memory was very much part of this vigil.

“If we had gotten a hundred cars I would have been happy but then I spoke to someone [just before the vigil] and he said you will have 500 cars. We had a lot more than that,” he said.

Edson added he was glad that things went the way they did, that the speakers reached people and that it was a peaceful event. He wants to continue this type of organizing in the future.

“I am begging people to stay in it,” he said of the protestors.

He added that although it was “kind of an anti-police protest” Pasadena police, and especially Chief John Eduardo Perez, worked with the organizers.

“We were able to have authorization to work beyond the curfew,” he said.

Pasadena police were at intersections for traffic control.

“It was a powerful coming together,” Edson said of the vigil. “The real proof is what happens [in the future].”

In La Cañada Flintridge on Sunday there was a small but loud group of protestors at the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Angeles Crest Highway. The protestors ranged from young kids to older adults.

Two college students from La Cañada Flintridge joined in the protest.

“Time is a resource and having a voice is a resource and at a time like this it is really important to use the resources we have to show solidarity for other people,” said one of the students as to why she was there.

They both said it was important to raise awareness and to stand together.

“I hope [people see] that here in La Cañada there is a lot of community support for this and I hope people realize it is something a lot of us care about, and there really is support for the black community,” the other student added.

Another resident of La Cañada joined the protest with her son.

“I felt an old white lady should show up and say it was wrong,” she said.

She added she had been protesting this type of injustice for 20 years and wanted her son to protest as well.

There were two protests on Wednesday in Montrose. One began at 10 a.m. and the other at around noon. The 10 a.m. one had a large number of people walk along Honolulu Avenue and Verdugo Road. They paused at the intersection of Honolulu Avenue and Verdugo Road and took a knee as names of black lives that had died in 2015 at the hands of law enforcement were announced. The protests in Montrose were organized by local high school students.

Mila Bryan was one of the organizers who joined a chat group that included a lot of other students. They put together the protest quickly and expected about 90 people; there appeared to be closer to over 100 people who joined the 10 a.m. protest.

“It feels that La Crescenta lives in a little bubble,” she said. “I want people to see there is an outside world that is affected and we can all work together and speak for what is right.”

There were several families with children carrying signs.

“It is important for us to be here because a lot of people are getting killed based on the color of their skin and we have to change it,” said an elementary school aged girl.

Her younger sister added, “I don’t want anyone to be killed. That is not nice after they didn’t do anything.”

Their mother said it was important to bring her children to protest.

“I want them to understand what is going on and the challenges they are going to face in life, and I want them to be part of the movement to help change their future,” she said. “I keep telling them they have to fight for this future.”

There was another protest on Wednesday outside La Crescenta Library.

The NAACP in Pasadena has been getting a lot of calls since their Tuesday vigil from people wanting information and people wanting to join the organization. To join the NAACP-Pasadena Chapter it is $30 a year or lifetime is $750 paid over 10 years. For more information, to join or donate to the NAACP-Pasadena Chapter visit naacppasadena.org.

  Mary Okeefe