June 3, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Shona Calzada Ganguly | laleagueofconservationvoters@gmail.com
The Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in condemning the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many other Black lives at the hands of police officers. We want to unequivocally state that Black Lives Matter. We also condemn the widely seen acts of violence perpetrated by law enforcement on peaceful protesters. They are unacceptable.
As a group dedicated to protecting the environment, we believe that environmental justice has a wide and profound scope, encompassing social and economic justice as well. We love clean air and water, but we love the people that are struggling to breathe it and drink it even more. That’s why we call upon every elected official we have ever endorsed to take a stand and use their power to put an end to the violence so many communities face at the hands of police. This is fueled by over 400 years of systemic racism that we must acknowledge. If you are unable to stand with your community and constituents in this moment when it is demanded, then it doesn’t really matter how many trees you plant or how many beach clean-ups you do. We have to be committed to fixing the structural inequalities embedded in our society and to ending oppression in all forms.
As a Political Action Committee, we will be working to promote candidates that understand this and are committed to making this change. As President Barack Obama recently wrote, “if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.” Let’s work together to make sure the heart wrenching call for justice we’ve all heard on our streets is reflected in the ballot box this November. The candidates we elect will be crucial voices to ensure that our communities address these deep-rooted problems.