East L.A. activists gatherat Atlantic Park to support BLM and oppose police brutality. Photo: Olivia Llanos By Aurelio Medina At 3:00 pm, on Sunday, June 7th, 2020; my girlfriend, a womyn friend of ours and I arrived at Atlantic Park in East Los Angeles. We approached humbly with our durable poster board signs. These proclaimed: “One Love,” “BLM,” “Capitalism is Cannibalism,” and “No Justice, No Peace, Defund the Police,” respectively in bold lettering. Although made in somewhat of a haste because we strove to be on time, they were no less heartfelt. Walking up to the East L.A. park, distinguished for its proximity to historic St. Alphonsus Church, we observed a growing crowd of peaceful demonstrators gathering to protest police brutality and the disproportionate use of excessive, often deadly force against unarmed people of color by police. Like millions across the country and around the world, the Boyle Heights, East L.A. and Greater East Side youth assembled in the park we