Thousands Protest in Pacific Palisades a Year After Fires With No Rebuilding: ‘They Let Us Burn’ (VIDEO)
While national attention has focused on anti-ICE protests in Minnesota, a significant demonstration on the West Coast has largely gone unnoticed.
Residents of Pacific Palisades held a protest Wednesday to demand action on recovery efforts one year after devastating wildfires destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.
The demonstrators criticized ongoing delays, bureaucratic hurdles, and fees that have slowed rebuilding, and called for accountability from leaders they say have failed to respond effectively.
FOX News reported:
‘They let us burn’: Palisades Fire victims demand accountability one year after wildfires
Survivors of the Palisades Fire gathered to urge elected officials to address gaps in emergency preparedness and recovery efforts following one of California’s most destructive wildfires.
“We didn’t have water, we didn’t have reservoirs, we didn’t have personnel, and there was no emergency response,” said Jeremy Padawer, organizer of the “They Let Us Burn” rally. Officials targeted by demonstrators included California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and local fire agencies. Padawer emphasized that the rally was not politically motivated.
Chad Skowron, a Palisades resident, said, “It’s just crazy to think that we didn’t even have the resources here in a city with a known fire risk.”
Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park spoke at the event, telling FOX News Digital that the city had been “not well prepared” for the disaster. “These are constituents who feel that they were really, in many ways, let down on January 7th, 2025,” she said. “All of the systems we desperately needed that day failed around them.”
Many attendees expressed frustration with state and local leadership. Skowron told FOX News Digital, “You’re out of here. There’s no chance you’re getting re-elected.” He added that Bass and Newsom should have resigned months ago.
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