Los Angeles, CA – Chanting, “Say his name! Christian Escobedo!” and “If we don’t get no justice, then they don’t get no peace! No justice! No peace! No trigger-happy police!” on January 12 over 60 neighbors, family members, friends and allies gathered on Galena Street and Amethyst Street – where Escobedo was shot and killed.

In the early hours of January 14 the year before, Christian Escobedo, who was 22 years old at the time, and a friend were asleep on the street. Someone called LAPD and the officers walked up to confront Escobedo, shooting him without provocation. LAPD claims they saw a gun, the friend ran, and they feared for their lives. Escobedo died almost instantly when LAPD shot him four times – once to the head.

From the site where Escobedo was killed, the large crowd marched on the route Escobedo would have traveled – if he had lived.

“That’s what he wanted to do, he wanted to get home,” Elizabeth Medrano, Escobedo’s mother. “Tonight, two days’ shy of the anniversary of his death, we will get him there.”

At the end of the peace walk, the crowd wrote messages on white balloons and released them.

“I am grateful for friends, family, community. This is a celebration of his life and I dedicate it to the community of Happy Valley.”

#LosAngelesCA #OppressedNationalities #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #PoliceBrutality #CentroCSO #LAPD #Antiracism #ChristianEscobedo