Santa Ana Chicanos stand in solidarity with Palestine

Santa Ana, CA – On October 7, over 30 people crowded on the busy street corner of Bristol Avenue and McFadden Street to protest the ongoing genocide in Palestine. They carried signs supporting an end to the siege on Gaza, calling for a victory to the Palestinian resistance, ending U.S. aid to Israel and defending the Freedom Flotilla.

The protest, organized by Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) kicked off with chants of “Free, free Palestine!” and “When Palestine is under attack, what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!” which was met with honks and cheers of support from passing drivers. The chanting continued as the protesters took to the street and marched between each of the corners on the intersection, bringing the message directly to the commuters.

Matt Compton, a member of CSO OC stated, “Chicanos living in the American Southwest recognize the oppression of Palestinians for what it is. The oppression currently happening here in the U.S. involving ICE snatching immigrants from the streets and out of the courts, comes from the same vein of racism used in the genocide of Palestinians. Shame!”

David Pulido, the emcee of the protest, told the crowd, “It’s important to build political power here and to fight back against the Trump administration who now oversees this genocide.” He also called out local Santa Ana politicians Valerie Amezcua, Phil Bacerra and David Penaloza, stating, “We can’t forget that they are also Zionists! In early 2024, when Santa Ana City Council voted on a ceasefire resolution, which was forced upon them by the people, Phil Becerra and David Penaloza fled the room while Amezcua summoned police to form a wall around her and threatened to arrest people for touching those around them.”

Rain Mendoza, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “The genocide that is being waged by Israel could not exist without the aid of the United Stated government. Since taking office, the Trump administration has approved $12 billion in foreign military sales”.

Mendoza continued, “Every day, more and more people understand that Israel is waging a genocide against the Palestinian people, and yet our government continues to support Israel. That is because the exploited and oppressed masses do not have political power in the United States; the monopoly capitalist class has power. The only way to change that is revolution. FRSO is dedicated to building a communist party that can lead the fight against the ruling class.”

#SantaAnaCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoLatino #CSOOC #FRSO