Greater than 60 largely peaceable protests passed off this weekend in opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions, together with a number of in Southern California.
However whereas many protests have been with out incident, they weren’t brief on anger and moments of rigidity. Organizers referred to as the gatherings the “ICE Out for Good” weekend of motion in response to the deadly capturing of Renée Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis.
In Huntington Seaside, Ron Duplantis, 72, carried a diagram to symbolize the three pictures fired at Good, together with one by her windshield and two others that appeared to undergo her aspect window.
“These final two pictures,” he mentioned, “make it clear to me that that is homicide.”
Contributors within the “ICE Out” protest maintain indicators Sunday in Huntington Seaside.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Occasions)
Huntington Seaside has seen previous clashes between Trump supporters and anti-racism activists, however as of mid-afternoon, Sunday’s protest was tense at occasions, however freed from violence. About 300 folks — and two dozen counterprotesters — stood outdoors Metropolis Corridor, with protesters carrying anti-ICE indicators, ringing cowbells and chanting “ICE out of O.C.”
As vehicles sped previous them on Important Avenue, many motorists honked in a present of solidarity, whereas some rolled down their home windows to shout their assist for ICE, MAGA and President Trump.
“The explanation why I’m right here is democracy,” mentioned Mary Artesani, a 69-year-old Costa Mesa resident carrying an indication that learn “RESIST.” “They’ve to recollect he received’t be in workplace ceaselessly.”
Contributors within the “ICE Out” protest in Huntington Seaside maintain indicators as a automotive with a MAGA hat within the windshield passes.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Occasions)
The Trump administration has largely stood behind the ICE agent, recognized as Jonathan Ross, with Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem saying he acted in self-defense. Democratic officers and lots of members of the general public have mentioned the movies of the capturing circulating on social media seem to contradict not less than a few of the administration’s assertions.
“I’m outraged a girl was murdered by our authorities and our authorities lied to our faces about it,” mentioned protester Tony Zarkades, 60, who has lived within the Huntington Seaside space for almost 30 years. A former officer within the Marines, Zarkades mentioned he’s pondering of transferring to Orange to flee the presence of so many Trump supporters in Huntington Seaside.
Giant protests in opposition to ICE occurred within the Bay Space in addition to Sacramento and different California cities over the weekend. In Oakland, tons of demonstrated peacefully on Sunday, though the night time earlier than, protesters assembled on the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Constructing and left graffiti, in accordance with a report within the San Francisco Chronicle.
In Los Angeles on Saturday night time, protesters marched by the downtown space to Metropolis Corridor and previous the
Edward Roybal Federal Constructing, with the L.A. Police Division issuing a dispersal order at about 6:30 p.m., in accordance with Metropolis Information Service.
Whereas lots of the protests targeted on what occurred to Good in Minnesota, in addition they acknowledged Keith Porter Jr., a person killed by an off-dutyICE agent in Northridge on New 12 months’s Eve.
In Huntington Seaside, the coastal group has lengthy had a popularity as a Southern California stronghold for Republicans, although its politics have just lately been shifting. Orange County has a painful legacy of political extremism, together with neo-Nazism. In 2021, a “White Lives Matter” rally within the space resulted in 12 arrests.
On Sunday, a small group of about 30 counterprotesters waved Trump and MAGA flags on a nook reverse from the anti-ICE rally.
Counterprotester Victoria Cooper, 72, holds indicators and shouts at contributors of the “ICE Out” protest in Huntington Seaside.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Occasions)
“We’re right here to assist our nation and president and assist ICE,” mentioned Kelly Johnson, who gave his age as “sufficiently old to be your sugar daddy.”
Carrying an “ICE Immigration: Making America Protected Once more” T-shirt, Kelly mentioned the protesters have been “paid agitators” who had been lied to by the media.
“Have a look at the opposite angles of the [shooting] movies,” he mentioned. “She ran over the officer.”
Standing with him was Jesse Huizar, 66, who mentioned he identifies as a “Latino for Trump” and was right here to “assist the blue.”
The Chino resident mentioned he got here to the U.S. from Mexico when he was 5, however that he has no worry of ICE as a result of he “got here right here legally.”
Huizar mentioned Good’s demise was unhappy, however that she “if she had complied, if she received out of her automotive and adopted orders, she’d be alive proper now.”
However their voices have been largely overpowered by these of the anti-ICE protesters. One of many occasion’s organizers, 52-year-old Huntington Seaside resident Denise G., who declined to present her final identify, mentioned they’ve been gathering in entrance of Metropolis Corridor each Sunday since March, however that this was by far one of many largest turnouts they’ve seen.
She felt “devastated, indignant, and extra decided than ever” when she noticed the video of Good’s capturing, she mentioned.
Counterprotester Kelly Johnson stands throughout from the “ICE Out” demonstration.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Occasions)
“It may very well be any one in every of us,” she mentioned. “The folks not out right here in the present day want to grasp this may very well be their member of the family, their partner, their youngsters. The time is now. All fingers on deck.”
Close by, 27-year-old Yvonne Gonzales had gathered with about 10 of her pals. They mentioned they have been motivated to come back as a result of they have been outraged by the capturing.
“I want I used to be shocked by it,” Gonzales mentioned, “however we’ve seen a lot violence from ICE.”
She suspected that race was an element within the outpouring of assist, noting that Good was a white girl whereas many others who’ve been injured or killed by immigration enforcement actions have been folks of coloration, however that it was nonetheless “nice to see this turnout and visibility.”
A number of toes away, 41-year-old Christie Martinez stood together with her youngsters, Elliott, 9, and Kane, 6. She teared up occupied with the capturing and the current ICE actions in California, together with the killing of Porter.
“It’s unhappy and sickening,” mentioned Martinez, who lives in Westminster. “It makes me actually unhappy how persons are focused due to their pores and skin coloration.”
