Santa Ana rallies and marches to commemorate Chicano Moratorium

Santa Ana, CA – On Saturday, August 30, approximately 70 community members gathered at El Centro Cultural de Mexico to commemorate the Chicano Moratorium. People chanted, “Chicana! Power! Chicano! Power!” as the event kicked off.

Emcee Diana Terreros of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) stated, “Especially today as Trump’s attacks on Raza have started and will continue throughout his term, we are here to demand ICE out of Santa Ana, justice for Noe Rodriguez, community control of the police, legalization for all, ending U.S. aid to Israel, and more!”

Santa Ana music artist Francis Co. and the Lusitanos then performed a song titled ICE out of Santa Ana about ICE’s presence in our communities and knowing your rights.

David Pulido of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) told the crowd, “Our enemy has always been the capitalist system because it needs the oppression of Aztlán to survive.” He stated that each new generation of Chicanos inherits the task “to liberate Aztlán, not only for Chicanos but for all oppressed nationalities and indigenous peoples in the U.S. We owe it to the people of Palestine and the Philippines, and to all who suffer from U.S. imperialism abroad.”

Attendees then heard from families impacted by police brutality and ICE arrests.

Erika Armenta is fighting for justice for her husband Noe Rodriguez, who was killed by Santa Ana Police Department Officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra. The officers fired almost 30 bullets at him, leaving his two daughters to grow up without a father.

Armenta stated that the officers continue to patrol the streets while under investigation by the California Department of Justice. She added that Casillas was recently involved in other violent incidents, stating “these officers are a danger to our communities, because they do not act professionally and they do not have the ability to de-escalate situations.” Armenta continues to demand that the officers be fired and jailed.

Ashley Avellaneda demanded justice for Imanol Gonzalez via a statement read on her behalf by Caro Munoz, CSO OC Police Accountability Committee (PAC) member. Gonzalez was a 19-year-old Santa Ana resident who was killed in Tustin by Los Angeles police Officer Carlos Coronel in February of 2025. “While he was off duty, Coronel egoistically decided to drive knowing he was drunk. He ran over Imanol and left the scene. He didn’t call for help, he didn’t stop to see if he was okay. Carlos Coronel is only facing six years and eight months in prison as his maximum sentence.” She stated that this is unfair and that the family is struggling for no preferential treatment and a stronger sentence through a campaign with CSO OC PAC. “I didn’t know where to start or how, but by coming to the PAC meetings, and joining city council sessions, I have learned so much and especially learned that we all have a voice.”

Terreros then shared a statement from a Santa Ana resident who wished to remain anonymous, reading, “I recently had to attend a court hearing, which was a nightmare. The journey to the courthouse was fraught with anxiety, not knowing if I’d be stopped or detained on the way…This is why I believe that implementing universal remote hearings is crucial. Imagine being able to attend your hearing from a safe location, without the fear of being snatched.”

CSO OC is carrying out a campaign to implement virtual immigration hearings at the Santa Ana immigration court, a practice used during COVID. ICE has been arresting people on site since May, and this would prevent further arrests at the court.

The crowd then marched to the ICE field office, holding banners that stated “Fuck ICE,” “Community control of the police, and “Chicano self-determination.” Chants of “Raza si! Migra no!” echoed down Santa Ana Boulevard.

Jocelyn Pacheco, a member of CSO OC PAC, chanted “Down with the cover ups! Down with the lies!” She spoke about their 24/48 Campaign, which is pushing for a policy change on transparency after police killings to require the police department to publish the names of officers in 24 hours and body camera footage within 48 hours.

These demands are important to help families in their struggles for justice. Pacheco reminded the crowd, “They lied about what Noe was doing before they shot him and they lied about how many times they shot him and if it weren’t for CSO obtaining the extended body camera footage then who knows what other stories they would have come up with.”

Speaking for CSO OC’s Immigration Committee, Clara Delgado shared her experience as a Chicana born and raised in Santa Ana. “I grew up watching the people I love such as landscapers, food truck workers, hotel staff, and kitchen staff labor day and night while battling racism, loneliness and exploitation.” She went on to talk about CSO OC’s campaign for virtual immigration hearings and their barrio walks, where CSO members hand out know your rights information. She ended with, “I promise you this: CSO OC will not stop fighting until justice is served for our people.”

The event included a rap performance by Kozmik Force, spoken word by Santa Ana poets Iuri Lara and Gustavo Hernandez, a baile folklórico group, and local vendors.

The event was put together by CSO OC and was endorsed by multiple organizations, including FRSO Orange County, the Orange County Rapid Response Network, Chicanxs Unidxs, Pueblo Unido, Santa Ana Active Streets, Democratic Socialists of America, and more.

#SantaAnaCA #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoMoratorium #ChicanoLatino #CSOOC #DSA #FRSOOC

Source: https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-rallies-and-marches-to-commemorate-chicano-moratorium?pk_campaign=rss-feed