A coalition of Black Lives Matter activists recently took the spotlight at Los Angeles City Hall to oppose increased funding for police recruitment.
Many local residents expressed frustration after being excluded from the initial public budget hearing. Meanwhile, activists from Black Lives Matter–Los Angeles and People’s Budget LA were granted a 20-minute platform to present their perspectives.
The focus of the discussion was the city’s $14.9 billion budget, a pivotal financial plan that shapes Los Angeles each year.
Leading the charge, Melina Abdullah and her group called on the city council to reallocate funds from law enforcement to community-oriented social services.
This group has previously been noted by The California Post for disrupting public meetings in their advocacy efforts.
The activists strongly oppose Mayor Karen Bass’s plan to hire 510 police officers, arguing that it merely compensates for the department’s high turnover and does not address the existing staffing challenges.
Abdullah claimed her coalition, formed in 2020, wanted a “people’s budget” shaped by community input, sharply reducing police funding and redirecting billions toward housing, mental health care, and social services.
Inside the chamber, officers assigned to secure the room were required to stand watch as the activist presentation, and hours of public comment that followed, much of it calling for cutting or eliminating police.
The Los Angeles Police Protective League blasted the decision to have them lead the budget proceedings.
“To think, just a few days ago the People’s Budget mastermind Melina Abdullah was tossing miniature toy pigs over a fence at our office and now she will present her confirmation bias-riddled sham of a defund the police budget to the city council—well, it just warms our hearts,” the union said.
Eunisses Hernandez, a self-described abolitionist, was among the elected officials who invited the coalition to deliver the opening presentation.
Abdullah told councilmembers the group had presented before under former Council President Herb Wesson, who led the body from 2012 to 2020 and briefly returned as an interim appointee before a court blocked his reappointment on term-limit grounds.
The activist-led presentation launched a budget process set to stretch over three weeks.
But as the hearing began, many of the people who came to speak weren’t even in the room.
Residents, union members, and advocates were blocked from entering City Hall as the first 20 minutes unfolded without them.
Jill Larson, who drove in from Sherman Oaks to speak about street lighting and rising taxes, said she was shut out as the hearing started.
“I came here to talk about how we’re spending money, basic things like street lights that don’t work,” she said.
“I drove all the way here, and I couldn’t even get in while they were giving that time to a group that isn’t part of the city.”
Teresa Koehn, who came to address funding for animal services amid overcrowded shelters, said the opening presentation missed the urgency of what she sees on the ground.
“I’m here because our shelters are overwhelmed and animals are paying the price,” she said. “But instead of hearing from people dealing with that, the first voices were activists with an agenda.”
Tension inside the chamber escalated as the meeting got underway.
Shouting from activists, including members of a Latina trans advocacy group, forced a pause in proceedings as councilmembers tried to regain control.
Public comment quickly ran over its allotted time, forcing the Budget Committee to extend it by an additional hour.
The hearing resumes Monday.
