March to Save the Sea: ‘Save the sea, save ourselves’
A small crowd of protesters gathered in the morning on March 8 at Santa Monica City Hall. As they waited for people to arrive, signs were made on the pavement, children ran around and cupcakes were handed from a pop-up table.
“We’re concerned about the quality of our beaches, the air, water, and sand, as it relates to the runoff from the rain and fires. We’re urging the government to do something about it,” said Harris Baum, a Santa Monica resident.
They were there to protest what they called a lack of transparency in the government actions taken in the aftermath of the Palisades fire.
In January 2025, a historic fire exacerbated by a nine-month drought and high-speed Santa Ana winds ravaged the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and surrounding communities. Black soot now sits on what used to be lively and small mom-and-pop shops; homes passed down from generation to generation have become gray ashes; and the skies that were decorated by vibrant palm trees are now empty.
Two months removed from the Palisades fire, there is still debris, hazardous material and toxic waste sitting alongside the coastline.
According to an article from the Guardian, “the EPA has planned to clean up hazardous materials in just a month – a timeframe it announced in later January, after Donald Trump visited the area. The size of the disaster makes the timeframe challenging – after the devastating fires in Lahaina, Maui, it took the EPA more than three months to remove hazardous materials from just 1,448 properties that burned.”
The article continues, “On a precious segment of California coastline, there are few places where the debris can be sorted. Right now, the Palisades cleanup is focusing on phase 1: the removal of hazardous material. For that, the EPA has deployed more than 1,000 people to remove, sort, consolidate and truck away any hazardous items. Officials say the staging sites need to be at least five acres large, and preferably paved, so that trucks can enter and exit, and they can lay down large plastic sheets and fencing to contain dust.”
Due to proximity, logistics and environmental risk, the Willis State Beach parking lot has been designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the best area to begin phase one of the clean-up process. This decision was met with backlash and apprehension from local communities.
Annelisa Moe, associate director of science and policy and water quality scientist at the non-profit organization Heal The Bay in Santa Monica, told the Guardian, “In a situation like this, unfortunately, there are no good answers, and there isn’t really a ‘better place’. There’s just the least worst option.”
“FEMA was asked to do the phase one and phase two clean up simultaneously so that the Palisades could rebuild more quickly, but I’ve stood with Palisadians whose homes are in the burn area and their chant was ‘sort the debris in the burn area, in their backyard, to protect our oceans,’ said Dr. Debra Rivera, CEO of Journey Metrics and associate professor at Eindhoven University of Technology.
As the early morning turned late, protesters in blue and black clothing and ocean-themed costumes began to fill the crowd and line the streets waving signs that read “Save the ocean, Save ourselves.”
March to Save the Sea was organized by concerned community members from Santa Monica and Venice.
“I was watching the news online and I was losing my mind with the inaction, the feeling of powerlessness. After watching this disaster happen all around us I told (boyfriend) Justin, ‘Babe, do you want to do a donation hub in our yard? Maybe some friends can drop off water bottles or something. We can take them to the firefighters.’ Three weeks later we had activated a huge community of volunteers; a 100% volunteer-driven organization that for weeks helped deliver supplies, helped people, and made space for victims and evacuees of the fire,” said Veronica Velasquez, co-organizer of March to Save the Sea, who donned a lionfish costume during her speech.
She then said, “I think a lot of people have the misconception that the debris on the beach is just burned wood and that’s wrong. The debris on the beach is batteries, construction materials, housing insulation. It’s supermarkets that burned down. The Clorox wipes run off. The soaps, the polyester fabrics in our closets. All of these things are now burnt on the beach. When charred material gets wet, it releases toxins into the water.”
According to a statement released by the EPA, phase one of the clean-up was completed by Feb. 26, 2025.
In a statement, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said, “President Trump set an extremely ambitious deadline for EPA to clean up all hazardous materials in the wake of the deadly California wildfires. Thanks to his leadership and the hard work of countless personnel in the field, we got it done in record time. There is still a long road ahead for thousands of residents who lost everything just a few weeks ago, but EPA is proud to do our part in the recovery process.”
But some residents say there’s still work to be done.
“I don’t know, and I can’t say if I’m sure, that they have done anything. Part of the problem is that if they are doing anything, they’re not doing a good job about making the public aware. It’s just causing a sense of general uncertainty, a lack of answers as to the status of things. Any risk we might be exposed to. Generally speaking, I’m not sure if there has been anything done and if there is, it hasn’t had any impact,” said Baum.
“It’s one thing to go out and clean, have a beach clean-up. But it’s too much, all the particles. It’s just too much to be done with our hands,” said Shakur Forrest, a Santa Monica College student.
Aside from debris and toxic runoff residents are also angered by the lack of transparency from the EPA and government authorities.
“I’m sure you all agree that safeguarding our beaches, which is our most important natural resource, is the most important thing that the government can spend its money on. So, we don't want any cover-ups, we want transparency. That’s not a lot to ask for, right, for the people to demand that the government is transparent. We know it’s not good and they should not be afraid to let the public know how bad it really is. We expect honesty from our government. We want transparency, we do not want a cover-up,” said Oscar De La Torre, a former member of the Santa Monica City Council, during his speech.
“ Can I let my kids go to the beaches? Can I go to the beach and feel safe about it? I think that would put people at ease. People who have resources, to test and understand what’s going on, or tell us about what’s going on,” said Sarah Kampa, a Marina Del Rey resident.
After the speech, protesters began to march to the Santa Monica Pier to the beat of a drum being played by Rivera. As traffic stopped, while the protestors disappeared into the park, supporters in their cars began to cheer and honk. Velasquez led the march chanting from a bullhorn, “Be the change you wish to sea.”
Dirty beaches do more than hurt marine wildlife and contribute to the acceleration of climate change; they affect the local economy.
“I think it’s important to know the economic impact of having dirty beaches on our community, on the local businesses. This isn’t just surfers wanting to get in the water and we can’t—boo-hoo us. It’s, if people don’t come to the beach in the summer our local economy suffers. So, it’s not just a health risk, it has an economic impact on our entire community,” said Velasquez.
The protesters came to a halt in front of the Santa Monica Pier and continued chanting. As the chants grew louder, pier-goers began to stop and stare, some took pictures and others joined the march. After a few minutes of protesting, they began to march back to City Hall.
In one last demonstration, protesters lined both sides of the sidewalk and displayed their signs to incoming traffic. Occasionally a driver would roll down a window and yell in solidarity or give a fist pump while honking as they drove by the busy street.
Phase one of the clean-up initiative was the removal of hazardous materials: propane tanks, lithium-ion batteries, solvents, paints, and more. Phase two is going to be debris removal.
According to a press release from the office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, phase two began in early February 2025 and will be “led by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers and can begin on individual properties following a federal EPA’s sign-off that their work is complete on the property. Property owners must also choose to accept U.S. Army Corps debris removal or to hire their own contractor.”
The deadline for residents with property affected by the fires to submit a Right of Entry form for debris removal is March 31, 2025. The debris removal form can be found on the L.A. County Recovers website.
In a statement issued by the governor’s office, Gov. Gavin Newsom said, “The speed of this cleanup is unprecedented, and it’s a testament to local, state, and federal government’s commitment to getting families back on their feet as quickly as possible.”
He then said, “We’re cutting through the red tape and working with our partners to ensure that recovery moves at a record pace, helping communities rebuild stronger and more resilient.”
March To Save the Sea came to be after an initial grassroots movement that was focused on helping those affected by the Palisades fire. Two months later, those same activists are demanding transparency from the government in their clean-up process and sample findings.
“The next part of our campaign is going to be the letter-writing campaign and meeting with elected officials,” said Ashley Oelsen, founder of the Coastal Alliance and co-organizer of the March to Save the Sea.
According to an article from the New York Post, “Government red tape means it could take up to 18 months to clear the ash and debris from the charred remains of homes that were burned in the Los Angeles Wildfire.”
As the city expedites the clean-up process, preparing the city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it’s become pertinent to residents that it will not come at the cost of the Pacific Ocean and the public health of surrounding communities.
For the time being, March to Save the Sea organizers will continue writing letters, meeting with officials and trying different methods to ensure clean beaches, transparency and better public safety.