Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas issued a statement this week in support of peaceful protests in the community, but condemning the looting and rioting that has popped up around San Diego County.
“We must stand against racism, and I support the peaceful protest seeking justice for all, including for the deaths of Floyd, Taylor and Arbery, whether the perpetrators are police or civilian,” said Salas, referencing the three most recent deaths in the Black community that have sparked nationwide outrage against racism. “But I do not support the vandalism and rioting caused by a small number, for their own gain, that has marred the effort to obtain justice and equal treatment under the law.”
Casillas Salas’ statement expressed gratitude for Chula Vista’s diversity and police-community relations.
“I am particularly proud of the relationship that we have developed between our police and the community-at-large,” she said. “Our department is a model of professionalism and continuous community outreach… No, we are not perfect, but our residents and our police department help make this a great place to live.”
The mayor’s statement comes on the heels of a violent weekend in San Diego with protests that broke out into riots in both Downtown San Diego and La Mesa. Although the protests are part of a response to the death of George Floyd’s death in police custody, the rioting, looting and arson that have accompanied them have been condemned by many leaders of the protests.
Casillas Salas’ statement said that the complicated situation has left many with misperceptions about the Black Lives Matter movement, including the belief that they are anti-police.
“The Black Lives Matter was, in turn, co-opted into an All Lives Matter slogan,” she said. “But All Lives Matter is a false slogan unless all lives matter equally—and it seems that, for some, black and brown lives matter less.”
