Paddle Out Ceremony To Honor George Floyd

SANTA MONICA, CA —Following protests across the country, including throughout Los Angeles, locals are planning to remember George Floyd with a paddle out Friday night in Santa Monica.

Floyd died earlier this week after he was forcibly arrested in Minneapolis and groups across the country have demanded justice in protest.

In Santa Monica and Venice, people the group will meet at 6 p.m. at The Inkwell. The paddle out begins at 7 p.m. near Tower 20 at Bay Street.

Organizers also urged attendees to wear a face covering and continue social distancing at the beach event Friday.

The Inkwell is a significant location for African American groups from the westside of Los Angeles, particularly the Santa Monica and Venice communities, according to the Santa Monica Conservancy. During the early 1920s, and before the U.S. ended Jim Crow-era laws in the 1950s, the Bay Street Beach was preferred by people of color because they encountered less harassment there.

"The African American beach site was originally situated near Pico Boulevard where Shutters Hotel and the Casa del Mar are today, south to Bicknell Street," according to the Santa Monica Conservancy. "It emerged as a popular gathering place for African American beachgoers in the County of Los Angeles into the mid-1960s. African Americans from the Santa Monica and the Los Angeles County environs met for parties and to socialize at this beach. Here they enjoyed the ocean breeze, swim, and play games with less racially motivated harassment than at other Southland beaches."

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Starting at 6:00pm Meet at The Ink Well. 7:00pm Paddle Out to the ocean.
A post shared by California Mermaid (@californiamermaidphotography) on May 28, 2020 at 3:58pm PDT

This is a developing news story. Stay with Patch as more information is made available.

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