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People’s City Council Los Angeles

Location:

Los Angeles, CA

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People’s City Council Los Angeles is a center-left to far-left activism and protest organization that hosts protests against elected officials in Los Angeles, California, to demand far-left policy reforms including fully government-provided housing and defunding the Los Angeles Police Department. The group was formed in March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and began hosting protests outside the homes of Los Angeles politicians, including then-Mayor Eric Garcetti (D). While the actual legal structure of the organization is ambiguous, the organization raised over $1.2 million on a GoFundMe between March and June 2020 to fund legal fees and bail for arrested Black Lives Matter protestors as well as to purchase equipment for protestors such as masks, goggles, and helmets. 1 2

Background

People’s City Council Los Angeles was formed in March 2020 by left-leaning activists in response to the Los Angeles city council and then-Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) not pursuing far-left housing and homelessness policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization was primarily assembled by Nicole Donanian-Blandon, a left-wing organizer who decided to host protests outside the homes of the mayor and Los Angeles city council members. The organization’s first protests drew together organizers from other left-leaning and far-left activists groups including the Los Angeles Tenants Union (LATU), the Sunrise Movement, NOlympics LA, and Street Watch LA. 3

Early demands of the organization’s protests included suspending rent, evictions, and vacancies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization supported the city commandeering unused hotel rooms and other vacant properties to house homeless people and provide permanent housing for the city’s homeless population. 4

The organization’s first protest was held outside the home of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) with subsequent protests at the homes of then-City Council President Nury Martinez and then-City Councilmembers Mitch O’Farrell, Paul Krekorian, and Bob Blumenfield. The organization maintains that its protests were “peaceful,” yet many resulted in police response with several organizers arrested or cited, including Donanian-Blandon. 5

As the organization grew, it became increasingly tied to Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020. The organization supports defunding the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and is connected to the People’s Budget, a far-left organizing group that supports an alternative city budget that calls for defunding almost the entirety of the LAPD. 6

The organization is a member of the Check the Sheriff Coalition, a far-left criminal justice organization demanding the resignation of then-Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva (D). 7

People’s City Council Freedom Fund

Upon the formation of People’s City Council Los Angeles, the organization formed a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to raise money to support legal fees and “supplies” for anti-police protestors. The GoFundMe campaign was named the “People’s City Council Freedom Fund” and raised over $1.2 million by June 2020. Ricci Sergienko, an organizer for the organization said that funds would be used to pay for legal aid and bail for arrested protestors as well as supplies for protestors including goggles, masks and helmets. While the organization maintains support for “peaceful” protests it alleged a need for helmets and goggles to acknowledge the “reality” of the protests. 8

The legal aid money collected by the fund is distributed to left-leaning groups including National Lawyers Guild Los Angeles, The Bail Project and Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. 9

Financials

People’s City Council Los Angeles has no legally registered structure, describing itself as a “coalition” of left-wing organizations. Nonetheless, it solicits donations and acquired more than $1.1 million during the nationwide anti-police protests and riots of summer 2020. The organization claimed that the funds would be used to purchase protective equipment for protesters and pay the legal fees of activists who got arrested. 10

2022 City Council Racism Controversies

In October 2022, a leaked video showed several members of the Los Angeles city council making racist comments about their colleagues and discussing plans to increase the political influence of Hispanics in their districts at the expense of other ethnic groups. Following public and social media backlash, including denunciations and protests from People’s City Council organizers, one council member resigned and another lost re-election. Councilmember Kevin de Leon issued an apology but indicated that he had no plans to resign. Two months later, de Leon and People’s City Council activist Jason Reedy were involved in a physical altercation at a community holiday event. De Leon’s office blamed Reedy and his fellow activists, while Reedy’s attorney claimed that the councilmember and those with him started the incident. 11 12

References

  1. Corado, Albert. “The People’s City Council Does Not Cancel Meetings.” Knock LA. April 22, 2020. Accessed July 27, 2021. https://knock-la.com/hed-the-peoples-city-council-does-not-cancel-meetings-a466cc2d9f94/
  2. Denkman, Libby. “’People’s City Council’ Raises More Than $1 Million For Protester Legal Aid, Equipment And More.” LAist. June 1, 2020. Accessed July 27, 2021. https://laist.com/news/peoples-city-council-raises-more-than-1-million-for-protester-legal-aid-equipment-and-more
  3. Corado, Albert. “The People’s City Council Does Not Cancel Meetings.” Knock LA. April 22, 2020. Accessed July 27, 2021. https://knock-la.com/hed-the-peoples-city-council-does-not-cancel-meetings-a466cc2d9f94/
  4. Corado, Albert. “The People’s City Council Does Not Cancel Meetings.” Knock LA. April 22, 2020. Accessed July 27, 2021. https://knock-la.com/hed-the-peoples-city-council-does-not-cancel-meetings-a466cc2d9f94/
  5. Corado, Albert. “The People’s City Council Does Not Cancel Meetings.” Knock LA. April 22, 2020. Accessed July 27, 2021. https://knock-la.com/hed-the-peoples-city-council-does-not-cancel-meetings-a466cc2d9f94/
  6. Denkman, Libby. “’People’s City Council’ Raises More Than $1 Million For Protester Legal Aid, Equipment And More.” LAist. June 1, 2020. Accessed July 27, 2021. https://laist.com/news/peoples-city-council-raises-more-than-1-million-for-protester-legal-aid-equipment-and-more
  7. “About.” Check the Sheriff Coalition. Accessed July 23, 2021. https://www.checkthesheriff.com/about
  8. Denkman, Libby. “’People’s City Council’ Raises More Than $1 Million For Protester Legal Aid, Equipment And More.” LAist. June 1, 2020. Accessed July 27, 2021. https://laist.com/news/peoples-city-council-raises-more-than-1-million-for-protester-legal-aid-equipment-and-more
  9. “Intake Form.” People’s City Council Los Angeles. Accessed July 27, 2021. https://www.peoplescitycouncil-la.com/intake-form
  10. Libby Denkmann. “’People’s City Council’ Raises More Than $1 Million For Protester Legal Aid, Equipment And More.” LAist. June 1, 2020. Accessed December 14, 2022. https://laist.com/news/peoples-city-council-raises-more-than-1-million-for-protester-legal-aid-equipment-and-more
  11. @Jasmyne. “Rise and shine. @blmla embarks…” Twitter. October 16, 2022. Accessed December 14, 2022. https://twitter.com/Jasmyne/status/1581655530224746497
  12. “Los Angeles council member involved in fight with activist.” ABC News. December 10, 2022. Accessed December 14, 2022. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/los-angeles-council-member-involved-fight-activist-94925172
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