8. DTLA: May 31 Protest

Recorded in DTLA near City Hall on Sunday, May 31. The streets are relatively empty while the city readies its show of state power. Eric Garcetti had announced the arrival of the National Guard the previous night, and here they are. Alongside cops in riot gear, rifle-clad, fatigue-wearing soldiers are posed around City Hall and paraded down the street in armored vehicles. Their sand-colored fatigues and cars look markedly out of place. It is an aesthetic that I associate with our wars in the Middle East. Alongside this visual projection of power is a sonic one: the patter of helicopters hovering above, clicks and tinny voices coming from police radios, and the constant yelp of sirens echoing through the corridors of high-rises. Garcetti and his Chief of Police Michael Moore have repeatedly emphasized their desire for “peace.” But their words are clearly farcical in juxtaposition to the blaring, anxiety-inducing sounds of the city.  (Content warning: contains audio of police shooting protesters with rubber bullets) All sounds original recordings except archival recordings taken from: 1. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles Police Chief Michael Moore’s press conference May 31 (https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=182573599745722) 2. Zoom Police Commission meeting with Michael Moore (http://lacity.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?clip_id=19995&view_id=97) 3. @mkultranews via @ionel_prodan (https://twitter.com/ionel_prodan/status/1266916445662752768) 4. @mkultranews (https://twitter.com/mkultranews/status/1266884729673900032) 5. Alluringskull (tiktok) via @AdoreDelano (https://twitter.com/AdoreDelano/status/1267688320735166465)