Surfers Paddle Out In Santa Monica To Honor George Floyd

SANTA MONICA, CA — Surfers met up to paddle out and honor George Floyd Friday amid a large protest stretching from Santa Monica to Venice.

Hundreds of people assembled in a long line on the sand Friday at 9 a.m. from Venice Pier to Santa Monica Pier. Some shouted and chanted, some held signs and some watched the waves.

Surfers paddled out Friday afternoon, following a paddle out ceremony and peaceful protest last Friday.

The ceremony was one of a handful planned across California in honor of Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, who died after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white man, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Chauvin pinned Floyd down after arresting him following a call reporting his suspected use of a counterfeit bill at a store. Floyd said he could not breathe during the encounter and had no pulse when he was taken into an ambulance.

In Santa Cruz, surfers plan to paddle out in honor of Floyd at 6 p.m. Sunday, off the shores of Cowell Beach.

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