What reason would the Santa Ana Police Department use rubber bullets to shoot protesters who were only yelling words—albeit angry ones? Let’s not sugarcoat what happened. In Santa Ana, protesters were exercising their constitutional rights. Shouting their anger and displeasure at law enforcement—an activity safeguarded by the First Amendment—they were. And in reaction, the police did not respond with conversation or restraint, but with weapons.

Rubber bullets are not harmless. They are not a “safe” option. They result in very serious bodily harm. They disfigure. They cause blindness. They even cause Death. People have suffered from fractured bones, internal hemorrhage, and lasting impairments as a result of these so-called “less lethal” weapons. Santa Ana Police Department Agents are committing violence under the color of law, when law enforcement uses them against crowds just for yelling.

This is against the law. This isn’t public safety; it’s putting the public at risk.

Police provoke disorder when they turn a peaceful protest into a violent clash, which undermines the right to assemble. They bring about the very unrest they claim to be averting. Additionally, the lack of accountability for these acts sends a clear warning to the public that disagreement will be punished.

The Santa Ana Police Department needs to be held accountable. These incidents are not isolated; rather, they are part of a larger trend of repression and intimidation intended to silence voices critical of law enforcement, particularly in marginalized communities.

We must insist on thorough investigations, legal accountability, and systemic change. Santa Ana’s streets should never be a battleground. The right to protest should be protected, not singled out.

The public has a say. And it won’t be silenced by a rubber bullet.