San Diego protesters gathered in their cars in La Jolla and University City to caravan in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement on Saturday, June 6. Starting at noon, the protesters drove in a line down La Jolla Village Drive, Genesee Avenue, and Torrey Pines Road toward Glider Port and chanted the names of black individuals who were murdered by the police.

The caravan halted traffic moving in and around the UC San Diego campus. The Genesee Avenue off-ramp on Interstate 5 was temporarily inaccessible due to the volume of traffic created by the caravan.

Despite being in their cars, the protesters did not remain silent. They honked their horns and held up homemade signs. One demonstrator even took to the streets on their skateboard and supported the protesters sitting in traffic.

Around 1 p.m., the protesters flooded the opposite side of traffic with their cars, heading toward Westfield UTC mall. Cars consisting of medics, food and water, and safety information provided by the San Diego chapter of Black Lives Matter led the procession. Horns sounded sporadically as demonstrators sat on their window ledges and popped out of their sunroofs to chant and wave their signs. The signs featured phrases like “No Justice, No Peace,” “We Stand In Solidarity,” and “White Silence is Violence.” 

A BLM representative walked up and down the median of Genesee Avenue asking for protesters to “Chant Her Name” in reference to Aleah Jenkins, a black woman who died of an overdose while in custody of the San Diego Police Department. Due to a blockade of police officers, the first stop of the caravan — the San Diego Police Department in University City — was inaccessible. This led the demonstrators to change course and head toward nearby Crossroads Judicial. 

At Crossroads Judicial, more protesters stood on the sidewalks and walked up and down the medians of the surrounding streets in order to be heard and not risk being diverted by the police. Cars looped throughout the various neighborhoods as the protestors continued to demonstrate. 

Although COVID-19 concerns have prevented many from protesting in person against racism and police brutality, the La Jolla protest was one of many creative demonstrations including forms of social-distancing that have taken place across the country. Protests are expected to continue throughout San Diego in the coming days.

Photo by Hanaa Moosavi for The UCSD Guardian.