Black Lives Matter Rally in Support of Dijon Kizzee
September 8, 2020
Ted Soqui is a Los Angeles-based photographer.
Hundreds gathered outside the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station on Saturday to protest the killing of Dijon Kizzee. Kizzee was shot and killed on Aug. 31 by L.A. County sheriff’s deputies following a traffic stop while riding a bicycle. Details on the traffic stop have yet to be released by the department.
The sheriff’s department is currently under FBI investigation for alleged gang activity among deputies.
The protest, organized by Black Lives Matter L.A., was peaceful during the 100-plus-degree day, but some demonstrators and deputies clashed after sundown. These are the images I took while trying to maintain social distance. No wide-angle close-ups, it was a telephoto zoom day.
A line of sheriff's deputies surround the sheriff’s South L.A. station. They were heavily armed with weapons varying from simple Plexiglas shields to high-powered sniper rifles.
The yellow wire completely sealed off the sheriff’s station from demonstrators.
I usually avoid sign or T-shirt photos as they are considered a “crutch shot” in photojournalism, but her shirt’s statement seems like a real possibility in these times.
The Old English typeface felt appropriate for the sentiment.
Shaneika Hall, a cousin of Kizzee, spoke to the crowd about the anger she and her family feel over his killing. When she broke down and began to cry, the crowd urged her on.
A young demonstrator wearing BMX bicycle gear for protection at the protest.
Protesters and sheriff’s deputies eye each other in front of the sheriff’s station. Several protesters called out particular deputies for a fight.
A heavily modified Ford truck made into a gun perch for deputies. Three deputies stood on the bed of the truck armed with pepper ball and tear gas guns. The truck was surrounded by a crudely made metal cage, making it look like something from a “Mad Max” movie.
A line of deputies in tactical gear.
A protester flipping the double bird to sheriff’s deputies.
A 16-year-old girl spoke about what it’s like to grow up in a world where police have targeted her and her peers. She also claimed that several deputies had their rifles aimed at her from the roof of the sheriff’s station.
Protesters shut down West Imperial Highway in front of the sheriff’s station.