South Bay Protests Continue Against Racism, Police Brutality

Protest against cop killing of Andres Guardardo in Compton

On July 11, a collection of local civil rights activists and organizers led by local civil rights activist Najee Ali  descended upon the Compton sheriff’s substation to call for the firing and arrest of the deputies involved in the police killing of Andres Guardardo. 

“It has been the pressure of our protests and the strength of Andres’s family that has forced the public release of the coroner’s report, over the objections of Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva,” Ali said. “We shall continue to demand the arrest of Deputy Vega for murder and his prosecution by Jackie Lacey, the L.A. District Attorney.” 

Ali was addressing a rally of 200.

“We will pay tribute with five seconds of silence, one second for each bullet that killed Andres,” Ali said.

Andres Guardardo was a refugee who fled El Salvador with his family to escape political repression –repression the US created there through its support of multiple repressive regimes  that sought to suppress the youth, workers and farmers led-activism in that country.

Alejandro Garcia, a community organizer of the first car caravan following Guadardo’s death told this reporter 

“We know that Andres was murdered, shot in the back with five bullets…” 

Garcia said  Guardardo’s killing was not an isolated incident in Compton.  

“There have been so many others,” Garcia said. “Having a badge and a gun does not give anyone the power to be judge, jury, and executioner.  We shall get justice by continuing to apply pressure.”

The organizer of the Pasadena chapter of Black Lives Matter,  Jasmin Abdullah, reminded the crowd that “we have the power to stop these killings.”

“Your anger is valid. We must continue to speak up,” Abdullah said.

The crowd enthusiastically responded to her chants “our duty is to fight for freedom.  To love and protect one another.”

A number of organizations and coalitions brought messages of support to the demonstration.  A contingent representing the El Segundo high school students, who last week had their own rally (See RLNews), also attended.

Protest by Asian-American Community in Torrance

A coalition of Southern California Asian-American organizations staged a rally drawing 100 demonstrators to Wilson Park drawing attention to the rise in an Anti-Asian hate in the wake since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The group was also calling for an independent investigation into Torrance resident, Lena Hernandez, the woman seen in two viral videos harassing a Filipino American woman with a slew anti-Asian rants and taunts at a local park. The same day, Hernandez was captured on video using similar offensive language to a man, speaking in a mock Asian accent, telling him to “go home” and calling him “Chinaman.”

Hernandez was later arrested in connection to a 2019 incident at a Torrance mall, but faced no charges in the two recent incidents.

Speakers at the rally included representatives from the Pacific Southwest District Japanese-American Citizens League (JACL), Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress, the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, and the attorney for Hernandez’s racial taunt victims, Sandy Rojas. 

“We are here to support justice and to have the city of Torrance take measures to make sure all the parks and recreational facilities are safe from hate and racism,” Kent Kawai, president of the South Bay JACL, said. 

Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi expressed support for the victims and noted that many Asian Americans have faced the same type of racism and discrimination in Torrance (a population that is one third Asian or Pacific islander). 

“We are dealing with a pandemic of hate, all around the country…directed against all social groups,” Muratsuchi said. “The hate that is being green lighted by our president…Those words that were directed against (several Asians) are words that are familiar to all Asian American. “Go back to where you came from.  What Asian American hasn’t heard those words?” 

The racial taunting of Asian Americans since the start of the pandemic appeared to explode after President Trump, looking to shift blame for the deadliness of COVID-19 but shifting attention and blame on China with dubious claims and racialized naming of the of COVID as “Kung Flu” during a press briefing. At the time, the President was addressing an Asian American journalist. 

The rally also heard statements from an 11-year-old victim who witnessed his father harassed by racist taunts.

At the end of the rally, in an unusual development, participants broke into groups for workout sessions.