OC Protesters Honor George Floyd In Funeral Procession

ORANGE COUNTY, CA —Memorial services were held Monday in parts of Orange County and Los Angeles County for George Floyd, who died after being pinned to the ground by a white Minneapolis police officer who placed his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes.

There is a diverse crowd of protesters across the county, state, and nation as all call for an end to police brutality and reforms in the methods used by authorities. Over the weekend, peaceful demonstrations took place in Fountain Valley, Orange, and Huntington Beach.

On Sunday, U.S. Representative Harley Rouda spoke out Sunday against racism in America, saying: "We've got to stop looking back and saying, 'Look at the progress we've made,' and instead say to ourselves, 'Look at how much farther we must go."

In Huntington Beach, the Orange County Register reported on protesters and counter-protesters clashing in a war of words, but otherwise remaining peaceful as 3oo gathered to speak out against police brutality.

In the Southland, four funeral-like processions were held in honor of Floyd, beginning in Orange County, South Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Reseda. Each of the four marches made their way to downtown Los Angeles, where they converged for a midday gathering at First Street and Broadway.

Crowds of people were already gathering late Monday morning, with thousands of people expected to attend.

Tens of thousands of Angelenos took to the streets Sunday to denounce racism and police brutality, with more than a dozen countywide demonstrations tied to the deaths of George Floyd, killed by police on a Minneapolis street Breonna Taylor, in her Louisville apartment.

One Hollywood protest drew a massive crowd— "A triumph for the 1st Amendment," Los Angeles police Captain Steve Lurie, commander of the Hollywood area tweeted. "Today @LAPDHollywood hosted more than 50,000 demonstrators who peacefully marched and spoke out! No arrests, no use of force, and no issues reported."

Sunday evening, an estimated crowd of about 20,000 peacefully marched west on Hollywood Boulevard from Highland Avenue in Hollywood, according to Los Angeles police and media reports from the scene. Marchers were still moving as of 7 p.m., and most appeared to be wearing face masks, although social distancing did not appear to be observed.

Other gatherings were held in downtown Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Compton, East Los Angeles, and Beverly Hills.

National Guard troops that had been deployed to Los Angeles in the early days of the marches to help control violence and looting began leaving the area Sunday night. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said a small number of units "will be stationed nearby until June 10 to provide emergency support" if needed.

"We thank the members of the Guard for their willingness to serve to ensure the safety of demonstrators, businesses, residents, and everyone in our city," Garcetti said.

City News Service, Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig, contributed to this report.