Tag / Amezcua

by The OC Reporter

Editorial: A Cry for Empathy in Santa Ana — Not Control

Protester that lost family in the Military.

Last night, if you caught my Facebook Live broadcast, you witnessed a moment that cut deep into the soul of our community. I found myself stepping into a couple of tense altercations during what was otherwise a peaceful demonstration of solidarity in Downtown Santa Ana.

The first involved a young Latino man, overwhelmed with pain. Another demonstrator tried to de-escalate the situation, but emotions were high, and instead of cooling down, things flared up—especially between the young man, law enforcement, and military personnel on site. I had to step in. What could have turned violent needed a voice of calm. I did my best to be that voice.

Lone Demonstration of Solidarity

This young man—hurting, frustrated, and grieving—had family in the military. The pain he carried exploded into words directed at law enforcement. Again, I stepped in to calm him. But minutes later, after walking away, he returned, now face-to-face with an OCSD deputy. This time, his grief turned to desperation. He pleaded with the officer to shoot him. Said he wanted to die like his brother, who lost his life in service.

He stood just inches from the deputy, who had assumed an aggressive posture. I intervened once again, shielding this broken soul from what could have become another tragic incident on our streets.

Solidarity

Which raises the question: What is it with law enforcement and the lack of empathy? Have badges and state protection numbed their humanity? When did they stop hearing pain and start seeing only threats?

I have family in the military—my brother, my cousins. I understand duty. But duty, whether in uniform or behind a badge, is first and foremost to the Constitution, not to a delusional narcissist like Donald Trump. The U.S. Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the Oath of Enlistment make this clear: uphold the Constitution, not the man who happens to sit in the Oval Office.

Orange County Sheriff Department taking an Aggressive Stance on Peaceful Protest.

The same should be expected of our local police. Their oath is not to power—it’s to principle. Yet increasingly, we’re seeing the military and law enforcement used not as protectors of the people, but as enforcers of a nationalist, fascist agenda driven by fear and division.

We are not the enemy. That young man was not the enemy. He was a citizen in pain. And what he needed was compassion—not confrontation.

by The OC Reporter

Editorial: Santa Ana Police Shot Rubber Bullets at Peaceful Protestors This is Violence Approved by the State.

Law Enforcement Line Of Defense

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.

Protestor with Hands Up and no weapon, Santa Ana Police Department Agents pointing the rubber bullet weapon at the unarmed individual and ready to shoot.

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.

A least 3 Santa Ana Police Department Agents on top of the individual on the ground that was not resisting arrest.

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.

Peaceful Demonstrator who was arrested.

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.

Message to Law Enforcement
by The OC Reporter

Letter from the Editorial Desk – The Orange County Reporter By: Igmar Rodas, Chief Editor

Editor in chief at The Orange County Reporter.

Through all this I saw a time to reflect on this time with thoughts of Solidarity. Peace ✌️

Tonight, I walked the streets of Downtown Santa Ana — not from behind a newsroom desk, but in the middle of it all, Backpack, Camera with my Zoom Lens, as the tension in our city reached a boiling point.

What began as a passionate demonstration quickly escalated as Santa Ana Police Agents and a wide array of law enforcement agencies descended with riot gear, military vehicles, and coordinated force. Santa Ana, once again, found itself in the national spotlight — not for its resilience or culture, but for the unrest that unfolded before our eyes.

And yet, amid the flashbangs, the smoke, and the chants, I heard something else — the voice of reason from myself at the center of the storm. I’m , standing at the edge of the chaos, a thought came to my mind speaking truth with clarity and urgency:

“Just remember — violence is not the answer.”
“It makes the city look bad, and ICE and the police — they end up looking like the good guys.”

That thought of mine struck me. It wasn’t an attempt to silence protest or dismiss the community’s pain — it was a call for strategy, for discipline, for remembering the power of optics in a society rigged against those demanding justice. It was a plea to not let the system flip the narrative — to not give them what they want.

What I witnessed tonight was more than a confrontation. It was a crossroads. The community is angry — and justifiably so. They’ve endured ICE raids, over-policing, and institutional neglect. But their strength lies not in matching the state’s aggression with fire — it lies in showing the world a different kind of power: unity, clarity, and moral high ground.

To the demonstrators: Your voice matters. Your truth matters. And how you choose to express it shapes the outcome more than you may realize. Hold the line — but hold it smartly.

We will continue reporting the truth, as it unfolds, with the voices of Santa Ana at the center.

In solidarity,
Igmar Rodas
Chief Editor, The Orange County Reporter
June 10, 2025

by The OC Reporter

Editorial: Downtown Santa Ana Demonstration Turns Violent Amid Police Crackdown

Orange County Sheriff Department

What started out as a calm protest in Downtown Santa Ana quickly descended into disorder and violence as various law enforcement agencies —including the Santa Ana Police Department, Huntington Beach, Anaheim, Irvine, Seal Beach, La Palma, Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), even the California National Guard— descended on the demonstration to forcefully disperse the crowd.

Witnesses say that police in riot gear advanced fiercely aided by armored vehicles and monitoring drones. What should’ve First Amendment rights exercise turned into a conflict involving tear gas, rubber bullets, and batons against demonstrators. Police sirens and shouting dispersal commands drowned out justice chants.

Orange County Sheriff Department

Why agencies from cities miles away—including Huntington Beach and Seal Beach—were called in to intervene in a Santa Ana protest? Why was the National Guard sent in a civilian environment and with what mandate?

The scene reflected a disturbing national trend: the swift militarization of local law enforcement and the organized suppression of public opposition. It begs immediate concerns about civil liberties, jurisdictional overreach, and the decline of local trust when peaceful protesters are treated as enemy combatant and police from different jurisdictions act in harmony without transparency or local accountability.

Santa Ana Police Department

This is not public safety.” This is a display of power;it sets a hazardous precedent.”

City and county level elected officials have to account for this increase. Mayor Valerie Amezcua and the Santa Ana City Council have to account for their involvement—or lack of influence—regarding what happened. People ought to know why if they approved this.Who else would?

Demonstrators put up a barrier

The citizens of Santa Ana are entitled to object, seek justice, and hold those in authority responsible. Official news releases or cleaned reports should not cover the events of this day. The community is watching; history will remember.

by The OC Reporter

Editorial: El ataque de la Asociación de Oficiales de Policía de Santa Ana contra CSO-OC revela una tendencia de engaño e intimidación

SAPOA – Santa Ana Police Officers Association
Asociación de Oficiales de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPOA)

El reciente ataque del presidente John Kachirisky a la Organización de Servicios Comunitarios del Condado de Orange (CSO-OC), encabezada por la Asociación de Oficiales de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPOA), no es sólo un ataque a una organización de base; es un ataque a la verdad, a la justicia y a las comunidades que se atreven a hablar en contra de la violencia policial.

El presidente de la Asociación de Oficiales de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPOA), John Kachirisky.

SAPOA ha vuelto a revelar su estrategia en su cobarde intento de desacreditar a CSO-OC y a sus líderes, incluyendo a David Pulido: silenciar la disidencia, difamar a las víctimas y mentir para proteger la placa a toda costa. No se trata de defender a la policía ni de proteger la seguridad pública; se trata de poder, control y la defensa de un sistema que, con demasiada frecuencia, oculta las irregularidades tras un manto azul.

El momento y el tono del ataque de SAPOA son reveladores. Ocurre en un momento en que aumentan las demandas de rendición de cuentas por el asesinato de Noé Rodríguez, un hombre cuya vida fue arrebatada durante un enfrentamiento policial que amerita total transparencia y justicia. Familias como la de Noé han soportado durante mucho tiempo no solo el dolor psicológico de la pérdida, sino también la agonía adicional de ser ignoradas, tratadas con irrespeto y quizás incluso calumniadas por quienes ostentan la autoridad. La acción más reciente de SAPOA es un intento deliberado de intimidar a quienes exigen un cambio.

Photo by: The Orange County Reporter / Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana

Esta no es la primera vez que SAPOA ha señalado a organizadores comunitarios. Han intentado repetidamente silenciar a las autoridades municipales, engañar al público y socavar a los activistas. Sus afirmaciones están meticulosamente redactadas con la intención de difundir desinformación y desviar la responsabilidad, una estrategia que busca proteger a la organización en lugar de beneficiar a los residentes de Santa Ana.

Sin embargo, no nos dejaremos intimidar.

Apoyamos a CSO-OC. Apoyamos a las familias de las víctimas de la brutalidad policial. Y apoyamos a todos los ciudadanos de Santa Ana que creen que la verdadera seguridad pública no puede existir sin responsabilidad.

La alcaldesa de Santa Ana, Valerie Amezcua, es una de las principales partidarias de SAPOA, que financió parcial o totalmente su puesto como alcaldesa de Santa Ana.

Los funcionarios electos que dicen representar los intereses del pueblo deben dejar de actuar como sirvientes políticos de un sindicato que prioriza la autopreservación sobre la justicia, y el Ayuntamiento no debe permanecer en silencio. Se opondrán a las tácticas intimidatorias de SAPOA y abogarán por la transparencia, la supervisión independiente y un cambio real si realmente les importan los ciudadanos de Santa Ana.

Noé Rodríguez merece justicia por necesidad moral, no solo por exigencia. Mientras tanto, seguiremos luchando por una Santa Ana donde la seguridad se base en la protección contra la violencia, en lugar de la intimidación de quienes han jurado servir.

Es hora de parar. La verdad no será reprimida.