George Floyd protests in California

On May 31, 2020, the Department of Human Resources advised "all state departments with offices in downtown city areas" to close on June 1.

Northern California

Protestors in Oakland, California on May 29

An Asian American protesting in solidarity in Oakland

Nevada City on May 31

Oakland graffiti - I can't breathe / no puedo respirar

• Davis: Roughly 100 UC Davis students held protests in downtown Davis. The Davis Police Department was vandalized.
• Eureka: Hundreds protested in the streets near the courthouse on May 30. Two different cars drove into demonstrators.
• Arcata: About 200 protesters marched around the plaza on June 1.
• Lake Tahoe: Vigils and protests were held at Lakeview Commons every night from May 30 through June 1.
• Modesto: On May 31, hundreds of protesters in Modesto marched through downtown core and diverged up to McHenry Avenue until reaching Standiford Ave. Protesters then walked south back to downtown starting point. Protests were largely peaceful with few instances of bottles being thrown at police. Fifteen people were arrested.
• Oakland: On May 29, hundreds of protesters gathered near the Oakland Police Department headquarters in downtown Oakland. Some protesters set off fireworks and threw bottles at police. Police fired flash-bang grenades and tear gas at the crowd. Many businesses in the area were ransacked or had their windows smashed. Several dozen protesters blocked traffic on Interstate 880, stopping traffic in both directions for about half an hour. Oakland police department reported arrests but didn't provide any specific details. Two Federal Protective Services officers were shot during the riot, one of whom died. A vehicle pulled up next to the federal building and someone inside the vehicle fired at security personnel stationed outside. Authorities said they have not determined a suspect or a motive for the shooting, and cautioned against assuming it was related to the protests. This incident was labelled by Department of Homeland Security Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli as an "act of domestic terrorism." In addition, six police officers and seven civilians were injured in clashes elsewhere in the city.
• Sacramento: Hundreds of people protested peacefully on Franklin Boulevard on May 29. A group of protesters jumped onto Highway 99 southbound at the 12th Avenue overpass and traffic. On May 30 protesters blocked part of I-5 and marched downtown. On June 1 Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg issued a curfew. Later that day, over a thousand people attended a prayer gathering at Cesar Chavez Plaza before marching to the County District Attorney's office and back, eventually breaking curfew. Among the later leaders was Stevante Clark, brother of police shooting victim Stephon Clark.
• San Francisco: A protest was held at the UN Plaza the afternoon of May 30. Later that night, looting occurred at stores at the Union Square and ten arrests on felony looting were made. San Francisco Mayor London Breed issued a curfew.
• San Francisco Peninsula: Hundreds of protesters marched through Menlo Park, Palo Alto and East Palo Alto on June 1. In the morning, people knelt on the lawn for nine minutes at Burgess Park and listened to speakers including Menlo Park's first African-American female mayor before marching to El Camino Park. Picketers blocked lanes on US Route 101 and the Oregon Expressway. Fireworks hit a patrol car but the officer was not injured. About 150 demonstrators marched to Mark Zuckerberg's home and stayed briefly.
• San Jose: On May 29, hundreds of protesters blocked traffic on Highway 101, then marched to City Hall. At Highway 101 some people in the group were seen attacking vehicles. One man was filmed smashing a car's window while a woman pulled on the doors and yelled at the occupants to get out. Protesters also blocked Interstate 880. Some threw bottles and rocks and launched firecrackers at police, injuring some officers. Many businesses and properties had their windows smashed and were ransacked. Some rioters also used graffiti to vandalize. One crowd started a fire on Broadway and fed it with debris and construction barricades. The city imposed a curfew from 20:30 to 05:00, beginning on May 31.
• Santa Cruz: On May 30, hundreds of protesters gathered peacefully. The city's Mayor and Police Chief joined the protest.
• Santa Rosa: On May 30, up to 500 protesters marched from downtown Santa Rosa to Mendocino Avenue, towards the Sonoma County Jail. Later that night, windows of downtown restaurants, banks, church, and the Santa Rosa Plaza had windows smashed and graffiti mentioning the death of Andy Lopez, a 13-year-old killed by police in Santa Rosa in 2013. Police have not determined if any arrests were made in the vandalism.
• San Rafael: Protesters lined up along Third Street in the North Bay on May 31. Passing drivers honked in encouragement.
• Vallejo: About 100 protesters marched from Wilson Park to the Vallejo Police Department station on May 28.
• Woodland: About 150-200 protesters demonstrated peacefully on the south side of Freeman Park in front of the Yolo County Courthouse on May 31.

Southern California

• Bakersfield: Hundreds of people protested in Downtown Bakersfield on Friday. Rioters vandalized a Fallen Officer memorial and threw rocks and bottles at officers. A group of around 200-300 protesters blocked traffic on Truxtun Avenue. 10 people were arrested. A 31-year-old man ran his car into protesters, striking a 15-year-old, and was arrested for attempted murder.
• Beverly Hills: On May 30, 2020, protesters entered the city having marched from the Fairfax district in Los Angeles, chanting "Eat the rich" and other slogans. Initial waves were peaceful but eventually looters broke into stores. Looters breached the Gucci store's blue plywood barricade. By 6pm, on Rodeo Drive, rioters broke into Alexander McQueen store and looted. A city curfew was imposed starting at 8 p.m.
• Chino Hills: On May 31, 2020, hundreds of demonstrators chanted and held up signs that said "No justice, no peace" and "Black Lives Matters" at the corners of Grand Avenue and Peyton Drive.
• El Centro: Businesses shut down June 1 in anticipation of a planned George Floyd protest.
• Fontana: One hundred protesters took to the streets of downtown Fontana. Rioters blocked traffic on Sierra Avenue and threw rocks and bottles at cars and buildings. Some threw bottles at police. Nine arrests were made for vandalism of cars, buildings, and the Fontana City Hall.
• Fresno: On May 31, 2020 over 3,000 protestors marched up Fresno Street toward the Fresno Police headquarters.
• Glendora: On June 1, 2020, a protest of over 100 demonstrators started at 2 p.m. at the corner of Route 66 and South Grand Avenue. Protesters chanted "I can't breathe" and "No justice, no peace". A moment of silence was held for eight minutes, and five members of the Glendora Police Department knelt with the protesters.
• Hemet: On May 31, 2020 at 4pm, A protest happened at the Hemet Valley Mall with hundreds of protesters. This protest stuck with the recurring theme of opportunists taking advantage of an otherwise peaceful protest to loot. The Hemet Valley Mall was reportedly broken into, and merchandise stolen.
• Huntington Beach: More than 500 people demonstrated at the Huntington Beach Pier at 11:30am on May 31. It was declared an unlawful assembly by 1pm after counter-protesters showed up.
• Irvine: On May 31, peaceful protest at Irvine City Hall.
• Joshua Tree/Twentynine Palms/Yucca Valley: In the afternoon of May 31, 2020, over 100 demonstrators protested on California State Route 62 and nearby streets.
• La Mesa: Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the La Mesa Police Department on May 29 following another local viral video of the Wednesday arrest of a young black man at the San Diego Trolley station at Grossmont Transit Center, which resulted in a white officer being put on leave. Marchers say they felt compelled in light of what's happening nationally. On May 30 around 2:00 p.m., about 1,000 protesters started at the police station and took to the streets, breaking through a police line and making their way to Interstate 8, where they blocked both sides of traffic. Back at the police station, graffiti was scrawled on the walls and some people threw rocks and bottles. Around 6 p.m., police began using tear gas, pepper balls, flash-bang, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. At about 8 p.m., looting began at a nearby Vons and Play It Again Sports at La Mesa Springs Shopping Center, and fires were started at that Vons and in downtown La Mesa at Chase Bank and Union Bank. The Play It Again Sports owner, who recovered some of his merchandise as looters fled, said most of the perpetrators were young, perhaps not even 18 years old. His said the store suffered an estimated $200,000 in damage. The violence also spread to Grossmont Center, which suffered vandalism and where the Walmart was looted.
• Los Angeles: Protesters blocked traffic and threw rocks at the windows of businesses and passing vehicles. They also set off fireworks which hit several buildings. Looters broke into several stores and stole items such as televisions and jewelry. Buildings were also spray painted. A Starbucks had its windows smashed and painted with slogans such as "End Racism" and "Brown Power Unite." Other damaged and looted businesses included a CVS and a Whole Foods. Thousands of protesters converged on the 110 Freeway, shutting it down temporarily. Several protesters scuffled with police, which resulted in two officer injuries. Police begun to use batons and rubber bullets against the protesters. Protestors protested on May 30 at Pan Pacific Park located on Beverly Boulevard near the shopping center The Grove. Police and protestors stopped traffic and cars exploded on live national news. On the same day Los Angeles Mayor, Eric Garcetti authorized the deployment of the California National Guard overnight. On May 30, 2020, protesters put an LAPD officer in a chokehold and kicked the officer.
• Montclair: On May 31, over a hundred protestors marched to Ganesha Park, in Pomona from the Montclair Plaza
• Orange: On May 30, hundreds marched at the Orange Plaza.
• Oxnard: More than 300 protesters marched from Plaza Park to the Oxnard Police Department on May 30.
• Palm Desert: On June 1, "at least 500" protestors marched in a peaceful protest, starting at the Palm Desert Civic Center Park and walking along Fred Waring. Officers joined in, kneeling with protestors. Despite the county-imposed curfew of 6:00 pm, the protests extended beyond that time causing police to set off smoke bombs on the small remaining crowd.
• Palm Springs: A protest of 50 people started early June 1 near Palm Canyon downtown but eventually grew to 500. Protesters asked police officers to "kneel with us." Prayers were said. Organizers decided to cancel the event at one point but the crowds remained. Riverside County officials claimed that the reason for setting a curfew was in response to riots in other cities in southern California and only partially because of the planned protest. Palm Springs Mayor Geoff Kors, a former civil-rights attorney, said: "This isn't a curfew. This is government taking away our First Amendment rights."

University of California, Santa Barbara on May 30

• Palos Verdes Estates: On June 1, 2020, about 150 people protested outside of the Palos Verdes Estates police station. The majority of the protest was made up of recent high school graduates and their families and children. The demonstrators also held up signs and chanted at an intersection at Malaga Cove Plaza.
• Pasadena: On May 30, 2020 6:30pm Protesters gathered at Colorado Blvd and Fair Oaks Ave. The city declared a local state of emergency and ordered an 8 p.m. curfew.
• Pomona: On May 30, 2020, about 250 people protested.
• Riverside: Hundreds protested at a "Stand in Solidarity" demonstration outside the Robert Presley Detention Center and the Riverside Public Library. A "small amount" of arrests were made. A plane with a banner that said "We Love the Police" flew overheard.
• San Clemente: On May 31, more than 700 people protested peacefully at the San Clemente Pier.
• San Diego: On May 30, a car caravan organized by the "Racial Justice Coalition" drove through the Point Loma neighborhood. They intended to deliver a message to Mayor Kevin Faulconer at his home, but San Diego Police had barricaded the street. On May 31, several hundred protesters at a "Justice for George" demonstration at the Hall of Justice shut down I-5 downtown.
• San Luis Obispo: On June 1st, hundreds of protesters gathered at Mission Plaza, before marching down the streets of downtown. Soon protesters blocked the road, and the gathering was declared unlawful. Several protesters were arrested, and after a line of police moved towards downtown, most of the protesters dispersed.
• Santa Ana, California: On May 30, 2020 8pm About 200 protesters gathered at McFadden Avenue and Bristol Street. Protest.
• Santa Barbara: Hundreds gathered for a demonstration at Storke Tower on the UCSB campus on May 30.
• Santa Monica: On May 28, 2020 3pm, protesters gather at Santa Monica Police Station at 333 Olympic Dr. Protesters marched down Ocean Front Walk to a LAPD substation in Venice. Hundreds of protestors gathered peacefully along Ocean Boulevard on the afternoon of May 31. Unrelated looting erupted in the nearby shopping district soon after. Some protestors refused to disperse after the 4:00 p.m. curfew and engaged in standoffs with police. Hundreds of arrests were made that night.
• Temecula: On May 30, 2020, hundreds of protesters came to protest at the Temecula Duck Pond. Six hours into the protest, Riverside County sheriff's deputies issued a dispersal order.
• Thousand Oaks: More than 100 protesters gathered at a busy intersection on May 30.
• Visalia: On May 30, 2020 at around 3pm, a Jeep flying an American flag and a Keep America Great flag drove through a group of protesters, hitting two.
• Walnut: On June 1, 2020, more than 100 people attended a protest near Mt. San Antonio College. Several of the protestors walked down to the Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff Station to continue their protest.
• West Covina: On June 1, 2020, a four hour peaceful protest took place where demonstrators walked to the 10 Freeway overpass from nearby parking lots. At one point, the demonstrators laid down on the overpass. By mid-afternoon, there were around 170 people that participated in the event.