Photos by Bennett Rountree
Paddle outs have traditionally been memorials for loved ones, where surfers paddle out and circle up. They are usually somber and generally kind of intimate gatherings.
Continuing a movement that started earlier in June as Black Lives Matter protests swept the world, on Saturday, June 20 Black Surfing Association in Rockaway hosted a massive paddle out in memory of George Floyd and other victims of police brutality. Many people from New York City and the Rockaway community came to peacefully protest, lay roses on the beach, support the cause and end the day with some surfing.
