Fire Victims Rally for Justice in Pacific Palisades

More than 1,000 individuals affected by the devastating fire gathered on Wednesday in front of the ruins of the historic Pacific Palisades Business Block. They listened as speakers accused Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) of “negligence” concerning their actions before, during, and after the wildfire that devastated their community a year ago.

The rally, titled “They’ll Let Us Burn,” saw participants fill two streets in the village, with one attendee shouting, “Lay everyone, fire now,” which stirred excitement among the crowd.

Among the poignant stories shared was that of Ann Giuliano, a longtime Palisades resident. She held a sign that read, “Not wild. Not natural. Stop the propaganda,” expressing her frustration over the leaders blaming climate change for the raging fire that resulted in twelve fatalities and the destruction of nearly 7,000 homes.

This accusation intensified Giuliano’s sorrow following her personal loss. She had returned to Palisades for her father’s funeral and, just days later, had to evacuate, leaving behind cherished family memories. “I lived in the house that we all grew up in,” she recounted. “We thought he would be back that night.”

After being unable to return for several days, she faced the grim reality of complete destruction caused by the firestorm, which was so intense that it melted metal and glass into unrecognizable debris.

Rally organizer Jeremy Padawer took to the stage to outline a series of failures he claimed led to the fire, insisting that none of it had to do with climate change. He critiqued Bass and Newsom for using climate as a scapegoat for their own inadequacies.

“If they genuinely believed in climate change, why were they so unprepared?” he challenged the crowd.

Padawer, who also lost his home in the fire, discussed critical mistakes that led to multiple lawsuits filed against local and state governments by fire victims. He emphasized that it wouldn’t take much for an entire city to be engulfed in flames, pointing to reports of inadequate fire hydrants, insufficient brush maintenance, dry water reservoirs, and a lack of proactive firefighting measures.

One major concern was the fire officials’ failure to extinguish an arson fire on state land just a week before the major fire, which was reignited by strong winds.

Padawer specifically criticized decisions surrounding state land management, noting, “The fire started in an area that was protected for milkweed plants.” When he asked how many in the crowd cared about milkweed, not a single hand was raised.

Furthermore, organizers highlighted the absence of leadership during the fire’s outbreak. Notably, Deputy Mayor Brian K. Williams, responsible for public safety, was not on duty that day and was under investigation for unrelated issues.

Pawader pointed out the mayor’s absence, as Bass was in Ghana for an inauguration at the time of the fire. The crowd expressed their disbelief at the situation, highlighting the disarray in the response team.

Frustration mounted among rally attendees after comments made by Mayor Bass, who referred to the organizers as opportunists profiting from misinformation. One survivor, Mariam Engel, labeled these remarks as “gaslighting,” clarifying that all the rally funding came from their own resources.

Engel noted the city seemed to benefit by imposing high building permit fees on those seeking to rebuild.

The discontent toward the governor and mayor seemed unusual for a community historically aligned with Democrats. Ray Huang, a self-described “progressive” mayoral candidate, echoed their criticisms, saying the city demonstrated a lack of preparation.

The rally’s organizers presented their demands to Bass and Newsom, who were notably absent. Among these demands were waivers for building permit fees, deferral of property taxes, and better management of vegetation and evacuation plans.

While Newsom claimed that “2,500” building permits were approved recently in connection with the fires, many were for ancillary work rather than new construction. Of the 7,000 structures lost, fewer than 600 had begun the rebuilding process.

As the rally progressed, another victim, Natalia Osorio, reflected on her family’s loss. She had lived in Palisades with her husband and three daughters for 20 years. Wearing a shirt she made that read, “Bass and Newsom resign now,” she made her frustrations clear.