The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) held a protest called “Billionaire Hands Off, Workers Fight Back!” in response to President Donald Trump’s administration in Santa Ana on April 19.
The protest was a part of the 50501 movement’s national day of action, denouncing the Trump administration for deportations without due process, attacks on education and healthcare and the dismantling of federal agencies.
Around 200 people attended the event at Sasscer Park near Santa Ana City Hall, holding signs that read “Hands Off Immigrants” and “Democracy Dies in Silence.” Mayor Pro Tem of Santa Ana Benjamin Vazquez, Harbor Institute Executive Director Carlos Perea and PFP Orange County Chair Juliana Musheyev spoke at the event.
Cars honked as they drove by to show support, and the crowd reacted loudly with cheering and applause. Several protestors brought drums, while others chanted.
Musheyev spoke to New University about the importance of not being tied to either major political party and said people need an alternative party to represent their concerns.
“Our stance is that working people need an independent third party that speaks directly to their needs, which are to have access to health care, housing, human rights, education, everything that we need to survive and live a life of dignity,” Musheyev told New University.
The PFP is a ballot-eligible political party in California “committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism and racial equality,” according to its website. The party worked closely with the Orange County chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) in organizing the protest by bringing speakers and handing out flyers with party information. The PSL program states it aims to replace “the corrupt, rotten and anti-people capitalist economy, state and governmental system” with a socialist system.
Perea, who also serves on the Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission, spoke to the crowd about the importance of fighting collectively against the policies they oppose.
“No matter if you’re White, no matter if you’re Black, no matter if you’re transgender, no matter if you’re an immigrant, we have to stay united and we have to have a collective program that speaks to all people that are impacted by this takeover,” Perea said to the crowd.
Perea also criticized the Democratic and Republican parties for failing to address the influence of the billionaire class and corporate control in the oil industry and immigration policy.
Councilmember Vasquez attended and spoke at the event, highlighting Santa Ana’s role in protecting its residents who may be impacted by the federal policies.
“We do have a sanctuary city, so we do not work with ICE. We hired a police chief who had been undocumented as an infant. He came undocumented. We had a $200,000 universal fund to protect undocumented people, and we increased it to $300,000. Those are the practices [we have] so far,” Vasquez told New University.
In 2016, Santa Ana became the first city in Orange County to declare itself as a sanctuary city, which prohibits cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
One protestor, Frank Arban, came dressed as Mr. Monopoly holding a bag with a dollar sign and a sign that said, “Trump Card: Go Directly to Jail, Do Not Call a Lawyer. Do Not Get Due Process.”
“I’m protesting a couple [of] things. One is the stealing of wealth to go to the super rich and taking it away from the people. And the illegal deportations and the lack of due process,” Arban told New University, adding that he hoped to provide visibility in a lighthearted way and to “make people smile and get some messages out there.”
Another protestor and former UCI English professor, John Rowe of Newport Beach, said he hoped people driving by the protest would be inspired to unite beyond partisan divides.
“We hope that they see that there’s very strong support in this country for these crucial democratic principles. Whatever their political persuasion might be that they support us,” Rowe told New University.
Noosha Taghdiri is a News Staff Writer. She can be reached at taghdirn@uci.edu.
Edited by Jaheem Conley.