Thousands gather in anti-ICE protests across California

More than 60 largely peaceful protests were held this weekend against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions, including several in Southern California.

But while many of the protests were free of incidents, they were not without anger and tense moments. The organizers called the gatherings ““ICE Out for Good” is an action-packed weekend In response to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Judd by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis.

In Huntington Beach, Ron Duplantis, 72, held up a diagram representing the three shots fired at Judd, including one through her windshield and two more that appeared to have penetrated her side window.

“These last two shots make it clear to me that this is a murder,” he said.

Huntington Beach has seen previous clashes between Trump supporters and anti-racism activists, but as of mid-afternoon, Sunday’s protests were at times tense but violence-free. About 300 people — and dozens of counter-protesters — stood outside City Hall, with demonstrators holding anti-pandemic signs, ringing cowbells and chanting “Ice out of OC.”

As cars passed them on Main Street, many motorists honked their horns in a show of solidarity, while some rolled down their windows to show their support for ICE, MAGA and President Trump.

“The reason I’m here is for democracy,” said Costa Mesa resident Mary Artesani, 69, holding a sign that read “Resist.” “They need to remember that he will not stay in office forever.”

The Trump administration has largely supported the ICE agent, known as Jonathan Ross, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying he acted in self-defense. Democratic officials and several members of the public said videos of the shooting circulating on social media appeared to contradict at least some of the administration’s assertions.

“I’m angry because our government killed a woman and our government lied to our faces about it,” said protester Tony Zarkadis, 60, who has lived in the Huntington Beach area for nearly 30 years. Zarkadis, a former Marine, said he is considering moving to Orange to escape the presence of so many Trump supporters in Huntington Beach.

Large anti-ICE protests occurred in the Bay Area as well as Sacramento and other California cities over the weekend. In Oakland, hundreds demonstrated peacefully on Sunday, although demonstrators gathered the night before at the Ronald Dellums Federal Building and left graffiti, According to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle.

In Los Angeles on Saturday night, protesters marched through the downtown area to City Hall and past the Edward Roybal Federal Building, and the Los Angeles Police Department issued a dispersal order at about 6:30 p.m., according to the City News Service.

While many of the protests focused on what happened to Good in Minnesota, they also recognized Keith Porter Jr., a man who was killed by an off-duty ICE agent in Northridge on New Year’s Eve.

In Huntington Beach, the coastal community has long had a reputation as a Republican stronghold in Southern California, though its politics have undergone a recent shift. Orange County has a painful legacy of political extremism, including neo-Nazism. In 2021, a “White Lives Matter” march in the area ended with 12 arrests.

On Sunday, a small group of about 30 counter-protesters waved Trump and MAGA flags in the corner across from the anti-ICE rally.

“We are here to support our country, support our president, and support ICE,” said Kelly Johnson, who described his age as “old enough to be your favorite parent.”

Kelly, wearing a T-shirt bearing the phrase “Immigration in Immigration: Making America Safe Again,” said the protesters were “paid agitators” who had been lied to by the media.

“Look at the other angles of [shooting] “I ran over the officer,” he said.

Standing with him was Jesse Huizar, 66, who said he identifies as “Latino to Trump” and was here to “support blue.”

The Chino resident said he came to the United States from Mexico when he was 5 years old, but he doesn’t fear ICE because he “came here legally.”

Huizar said Judd’s death was sad, but “if she had complied, if she had gotten out of her car and followed orders, she would be alive right now.”

But their voices were largely overshadowed by those of anti-ICE protesters. They have been gathering in front of City Hall every Sunday since March, but this was by far one of the largest turnouts they’ve seen, said one of the event’s organizers, Denise Gee, a 52-year-old Huntington Beach resident who declined to give her last name.

She said she felt “devastated, angry and more determined than ever” when she saw the video showing Judd being shot.

“It could be any one of us,” she said. “People who are not here today need to understand that this could be their family member, their spouse, their child. It is time. All hands on deck.”

Nearby, 27-year-old Yvonne Gonzalez had gathered with about 10 of her friends. They said they were excited to come because they were angry about the shooting.

“I wish I was surprised by that, but we’ve seen a lot of violence from ICE,” Gonzalez said.

She expressed doubt that race was a factor in the outpouring of support, noting that Judd was a white woman while many others injured or killed by immigration enforcement actions were people of color, but that it was still “amazing to see this turnout and clarity.”

A few feet away, 41-year-old Christy Martinez stood with her two children, Elliot, 9, and Ken, 6. She cried as she thought about the shooting and recent actions taken by ICE in California, including Porter’s killing.

“It’s sad and disgusting,” said Martinez, who lives in Westminster. “It really saddens me how people are targeted because of the color of their skin.”