By DOUGLAS W. MOTLEY
Senior Writer
Some 200 individuals, at the behest of the Mountain Bears Democratic Club, gathered at the intersection of Lake and Lake Gregory Drives in Crestline at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 14 to loudly protest the practice of government agents rounding up suspected undocumented immigrants in public places.
About 200 demonstrators lined Lake Gregory Drive last Saturday, loudly voicing their disapproval of the rounding up of alleged undocumented immigrants.
Club president and event organizer Holiday Heller told the Alpine Mountaineer that she had forwarded information about the event on a local Facebook page a few days prior to the demonstration. “A lot of people are upset with the current regime and want to save democracy. People are going to jail for having brown skin and for just being here,” she said.
With passing motorists on Lake Gregory Drive honking their horns in approval of the public demonstration, Caleb Cervantes, a five-year resident of Crestline, was asked what inspired him to participate in the demonstration. “I’ve been keeping my eyes open for activism and I found out about it two days ago,” he said.
Mincing no words, Crestline resident Mariana, admitting that she’s the daughter of an undocumented immigrant, said her friend’s uncle got picked up and she was worried about ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of the Department of Homeland Security) taking her. “I’m here today to stand up for democracy.”
As Saturday’s demonstration in Crestline wound down around noon, many of the participants journeyed to Big Bear Lake to continue their anti-ICE demonstration in front of the Von’s parking lot on Big Bear Blvd. as a part of the nationwide “No Kings Day” demonstrations.
Protesters also gathered in Blue Jay on the corner across from Grocery Outlet.
0 Comments