The L.A. Kings winning the Stanley Cup twice in the last 3 years no doubt inspired some of the young skaters on the ice in Pershing Square in downtown L.A. Most of them wobbled along on rented skates while Mom and Dad looked on from the sidelines, cameras and cell phone capturing their images. Other adults got into the spirit and joined their children on the ice.
Ice skating was just one activity sponsored by the City Of Los Angeles for this holiday event in Pershing Square. There was a Santa, a caricature artist, sledding as well as carolers singing under the palms about snow and silent nights and Christmas trees. Of course, there were the ubiquitous food trucks. I didn’t wait around, however, to see the elf olympics or the reindeer dancers.
Then off in a corner of the square was a demonstration about race and the cops–which the LAPD helped by blocking off traffic for one block at 5th and Hill. I walked over to the demonstration, listened very briefly to the angry young man with a bullhorn and then I walked away and went back to listen to the carolers. I’ve been marching in demonstrations for 50 years (anti-war demonstrations) and I wonder if people will still be demonstrating against something 50 years from now. But that is too serious a topic for this post.
Here is some of what I saw on Saturday morning. Please read the captions.
