On Wednesday, over 1,000 fire victims gathered at the ruins of the historic Pacific Palisades Business Block to mark the one-year anniversary of the devastating fire that destroyed nearly 7,000 homes and buildings and claimed 12 lives. The protest, titled “They Let Us Burn,” turned into a powerful display of frustration as speakers and attendees accused Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) of “negligence” before, during, and after the disaster.

Among the crowd was Ann Juliano, a longtime Palisades resident who returned from London for her father’s funeral only to find her family home destroyed. Holding a sign reading “Not Wild. Not Natural. Stop the Propaganda,” Juliano directly rejected Newsom and Bass’ claims blaming climate change for the fire.

“This rally, the organization, is being funded by us,” said Mariam Engel, a fire survivor and rally organizer. “We are not accepting donations or selling anything. For the mayor to gaslight us in this way is outrageous.” Organizers, including Jeremy Padawer, emphasized that the event cost them $40,000 to coordinate, covering public address equipment, T-shirts, and signage, with no profit motives.

Speakers laid out a litany of failures they allege contributed to the destruction, including:

• Useless or nonfunctional fire hydrants

• Unmaintained brush and dry local reservoirs

• Fire trucks out of service

• No staging of fire crews despite high-wind forecasts

• Failure to monitor and extinguish an arson fire on state land a week prior

• Restrictions on fire prevention work in protected areas

Padawer pointedly criticized state protections for a milkweed plant, questioning the logic of prioritizing a plant over thousands of homes and lives. He also called out the absence of leadership in City Hall during the fire, noting that Deputy Mayor Brian K. Williams was suspended, and Mayor Bass was overseas in Ghana at a Biden administration event.

Rally attendees also expressed frustration over slow rebuilding processes, permit delays, and high fees, with demands including:

• Full waiver of building permit and inspection fees

• Suspension of property taxes until homes are rebuilt

• Clear, enforceable brush clearing and vegetation management

• Underground power lines

• Comprehensive evacuation planning

• Insurance reform to expedite claim payments

The rally reflected deep anger at political leaders who, in the eyes of survivors, prioritized narratives like climate change over practical safety measures and timely responses. Despite the community’s historically Democratic leanings, the criticisms were pointed, with some progressive organizers like Rae Huang joining in the call for accountability.

Padawer concluded, “So many things have to go terribly wrong to burn down an entire city. The city was unprepared and incompetent. Every department should have been coordinating and been prepared for the wind event.”

The Palisades fire anniversary rally served as both a memorial and a call to action, demanding real reforms to prevent future tragedies and to ensure survivors can rebuild their lives.