This march took a bit of planning to photograph. It began in Hollywood and weaved its way through to West Hollywood. I knew it was going to be a large march. Hollywood Boulevard was painted with the words “All Black Lives Matter,” and I needed to shoot that. I talked to a manager of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which just re-opened, about giving me quick access to the penthouse roof. She was more than happy to help.
Next up was how to follow a five mile route and take photos. I walked the first half then rented an electric street scooter and was able to zoom around the giant mass of people to capture this historic event. I found a five-story parking lot on Santa Monica to use as a photo perch to capture the mass of people. The crowd stopped briefly and gave us a fist in the air for Black Power. What a moment. I was amazed how in sync the whole march was. Most marches I cover are just masses of people walking together. This one was way more engaged.
At the end of the march, different groups broke out. A metal band without a lead guitar played next to a dance group. Something for everybody today.