PROTESTS ..... THE NEW CHURCH

Protests become a ‘lifestyle’ for some L.A. activists: ‘This has been like church for me’

 

LAPPL News Watch

October 9, 2020

Matthew Sanders had a broken rib and dried blood on his face when he was released from jail Sept. 9 after being arrested on suspicion of failure to disperse during a protest. For a moment, he questioned whether he could continue showing up at the demonstrations outside the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station.

“ I think it’s become part of a lifestyle for many people who have lost employment or who are working the gig economy,” said Shannon Thomas, 28, a conflict resolution consultant who has driven to the South L.A. protests from Santa Monica. “If we’re working 24/7 on our computers, what are we going to do that feeds our souls? This has been like church for me.”