The tribute was also to remember all victims of police abuse.
Four funeral processions converged in downtown Los Angeles on Monday at noon in downtown Los Angeles to celebrate a memorial service honoring George Floyd, the African American who died at the hands of Minneapolis, Minnesota police on May 25.
Vehicle processions arrived from South Los Angeles, Long Beach, Orange County, and the San Fernando Valley.
Thousands of people, including interfaith leaders, people of color, immigrants, community members and victims of police brutality, joined the Black Lives Matter-LA group at the intersection of First Street and Broadway.
Guillermo Torres, director of programming with the organization Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), said that this procession is not only for George Floyd but also for all those African-Americans who have died at the hands of the police.
"The most important message is that for years and years people have been disconnected from the sentiment of our African American brothers," Torres said. "They can no longer close their eyes and ears."
Torres said the problem goes far beyond police brutality. It is the disparity of education, employment and health.
"Many industries do not employ African Americans," said Torres. "Construction in Los Angeles is one of them where African Americans are less than 1% of workers … but in the homeless community (African Americans) they occupy 80%."
Jews by Black Lives Matter. (Supplied)
"If you are disconnected from your neighbor, you are disconnected from God," he said.
For his part, Pastor Benjamín Juárez, from the church without a denomination Newsong, was one of the organizers of the procession that left Orange County.
The pastor indicated that more than 50 vehicles joined together very early to make a group statement about what is happening.
"It is great to see that the representatives in Orange County are not only African American but there is also everything, Asian, white, Latino," said Juarez. "That is something that gives me a lot of faith that just as churches are coming together, the nation is united."
Juárez said that since the marches against police brutality began, members of the church have come together to participate. However, this is the first where the largest group of Newsong church members unites with non-religious believers for a single purpose and were very pleased to participate.
Movement in the right direction
As the hundreds of vehicles gathered at their respective starting points Monday morning, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a judge set bail for former policeman Derek Chauvin at $ 1.25 million or one million with conditions.
Chauvin is the police officer who pressed his knee to Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes as the man pleaded for his life.
Some conditions for releasing Chauvin on bail include not working security or law enforcement, not having contact with Floyd's family, not leaving Minnesota and turning in all of his firearms and permits, CNN reported.
During the Los Angeles protest, Melina Abdullah, leader of the Black Lives Matter-LA group, said that she grew up in the Baptist church where they know very well the fight for freedom as African American Christians.
"Our sacred duty is to fight for the total freedom of our people, not to conform to oppression," Abdullah said in front of protesters in downtown Los Angeles. "It is our sacred duty to raise our voices not only for George Floyd but for Breonna Taylor," said Abdullah, referring to another African-American woman killed by police in her sleep.
Abdullah said 601 people have so far been killed in Los Angeles County by police.
"The sheriff and the Los Angeles police are the two deadliest forces in the country," said Abudullah, assuring that a change is needed.
The demonstration lasted for several hours a day with presentations by various religious and community leaders. Some mothers asked for justice for their children who died at the hands of the police and criticized local officials for cracking down on other states' cases when they allow brutality in their own cities.
Among them was Valerie Rivera, mother of Eric Rivera, a man who had a toy gun and was shot by Los Angeles police and hit by one of his moving vehicles in 2017. Ten months later, the officers involved were justified by your actions by the police commission.
Rivera said he will continue to fight for justice for his son and against police brutality.
"If I can't rest, these people can't rest," Rivera said, referring to local officials and agents involved in the death of her son.
