10 Jun 2025

Officers Beat and Shoot Peaceful Protesters in Santa Ana, California

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In Santa Ana, California, police advanced on and beat and shot with less lethal rounds people who were peacefully protesting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Posted by Joe Cook-Giles, a friend of a friend in Santa Ana, California, about events the night of 9 June 2025:

Settling down for the evening, my husband and I decided to watch a movie. With so much going on in the world, “escapism” seems like it is becoming more and more difficult to find. Even during the movie, there was no way to escape the sound of copters overhead.

Around 10:45, I couldn’t take it anymore. I could see the copters circling downtown Santa Ana – the city I have called my home for over 20 years. “If the apocalypse is happening now,” I figured, I would rather see it with my own eyes. So I jumped up, and went out the door, heading south to the familiar area where I have worked, shopped, dined, etc.
As I got closer to 4th and Main, I could start hearing the commotion ahead of me. And what I saw was plain – a group of peaceful protesters carrying signs protesting against ICE. And there before them – a very large gathering of Santa Ana Police. Coming in from the northern side, I was on the side of the police. But after crossing the street, a couple of guys asked me, “are you with them?” pointing at the police. After assuring them that I am a proud descendent of immigrants, and that that is what makes this nation what it is, I received a round of hugs. Oh, if only that was the overall sentiment of the evening.
The police began to move their line forward. NO WORDS were spoken. No bullhorns. They just moved forward. And that’s when I saw them pulling out clubs. As I stood on the corner of the street on the sidewalk, one of the police came forward and told me to move or I’d be arrested. “For standing on the street in front of a restaurant?” That is when he shoved me hard, pulled out his club, and went for my knee. Had I not jumped at the moment he hit, it would have been the side of my knee. Luckily, it was just the muscle. Still, it knocked me to the ground, where I was helped up by a nice latino gentleman.
Next, a presumably Mexican gentleman wrapped himself in the Mexican flag. He walked into the street in front of the police. No weapons. No threats. He said, “You want me to leave. But where am I to go? This IS my home.” I walked out to stand next to him to show him support. But then all of two or three sentences later, three cops came forward and began to beat him with their batons. I yelled for them to stop, and tried to help him. That’s when I too got a baton to the shoulder.
The police insisted that we move. So we did. I turned from the police to walk AWAY from them. And that is when I was shot in the lower back with a rubber bullet.
This is America folks. This IS happening. And I saw it with my own eyes and experienced the injustice. Peaceful protesters carrying signs begging for compassion. And that was met with teargas, rubber bullets, and batons.
This is America folks. This is the America of djtrumpppp.

By the way, the movie we were watching? It was Rustin. If you haven’t seen it, I would recommend it. The timing is…. Most appropriate.