Hundreds protest George Floyd’s death for a second night in Santa Ana
As demonstrations in Huntington Beach, San Clemente and elsewhere seemed to be winding down, protesters in two groups held what started as peaceful gatherings in Santa Ana Sunday evening, a few hours before a 10 p.m. curfew was to go into effect citywide.
A smaller group, which Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna estimated to be about 100 people, stood outside the Old Orange County Courthouse holding signs that read “I can’t breathe” and chanting, “No justice, no peace.”
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Protesters came out to oppose the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis pollice officer, who restrained Floyd with a knee on his neck for more than eight minutes.
Sunday’s events followed Saturday demonstrations that began peacefully but turned violent, prompting Santa Ana Mayor Miguel to order a 10 p.m. curfew. Protesters threw rocks and shot fireworks at police, who used tear gas and rubber bullets to subdue the crowd.
Worried about a repeat of the previous night’s events, business owners boarded up their shops Sunday. By 7 p.m., protesters were shooting off fireworks, sending others running. Neighboring Costa Mesa also declared an 8 p.m. curfew.
Costa Mesa police spokeswoman Roxi Fyad said by phone there was no incident within the city that prompted the curfew ordered by City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison.
“We did it because there is unrest in neighboring cities, and we were alerted of social media posts threatening to vandalize and loot in Costa Mesa,” she said. “It was done out of an abundance of caution.”
The larger of the two groups in Santa Ana, estimated at 500 or more, marched up Flower Street and Civic Center Drive, past the Orange County Superior Court – where sheriff’s deputies in riot gear were standing guard.
First-time demonstrator Tina Pham of Westminster marched with a sign that read, “Viet 4 Black Lives.”
“It’s a lot of domino effect,” Pham said of what motivated her to show up. “When we see events like Amy Cooper and George Floyd, it woke everyone up.”
Cooper is a white woman who told police a black man was threatening her after he told her to keep her dog on leash in Central Park.
Ryon Rodgers, 35, of Riverside, came to protest police violence.
“I want people to get together and realize we shouldn’t be divided as people. It’s the police and the government that’s dividing us,” he said.
As to Saturday night’s vandalism, Rodgers said, “I don’t stand for destruction – but when you have no other route, you have to do what you can to be heard.”
Later Sunday, crowds were dispersing but police declared an unlawful assembly in hopes of clearing out remaining protesters.