Under most circumstances, a city budget hearing can feel pretty routine.

Can you hear me?

But last week in Los Angeles, hundreds of Angelenos joined the Crowded Conference line

to demand change from their police department.

Yes, we can.

First of all, I want to say that it is wildly frustrating.

You're paid a fortune of the city's money to oversee the terrorizing of the people of

Los Angeles, particularly communities of color and the impoverished.

I am a 16-year-old young black woman, and I just want to propose the question.

Do you know the trauma behind watching countless black men and women be killed by racist police

officers?

The fact that you did not foresee having more than 500 people come to this meeting is a

sort of breathtaking lapse in responsibility and sort of emblematic of the larger problem.

In the wake of George Floyd's killing, their voices are among the course of people all

across the country who are saying, we need reform.

We're in a moment when some people are calling for full abolition of police, getting rid

of them entirely.

But another growing demand?

Defunding.

Reducing the police department's budget and putting that money to work elsewhere.

We need to defund the police department immediately.

We don't need these people anymore killing our folks in the streets.

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