Black Lives Matter demonstrators marched up the sidewalk of Glendora Avenue on June 1 with their hands in the air, chanting “black lives matter.” On a lawn outside of City Hall, they knelt in silence for eight minutes –– the time office Derek Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd’s neck.
The protest was organized by three students who were studying for the Law School Admissions test, Haya Tello, Joelle Kantarji and Hallie Culotti.
“It’s a beautiful thing to see a predominantly white city that’s not necessarily known towards inclusivity and diversity to come out like this and show support in a situation like this,” Culotti said.
Protesters of the Black Lives Matter movement were met by a group of mostly white men who assembled across the street at the intersection of Glendora Avenue and Foothill Boulevard.
Glendora Police broke up several altercations between two groups of demonstrators outside of Glendora City Hall at a protest of police brutality and the killing of George Floyd.
Across the street a group of diner counter-protesters assembled outside of Kara’s Korner Deli & Family Restaurant. The group chanted “white lives matter” and “all lives matter.” Distant murmurs could be heard from the counter-protesters.
“Why are they even here, they’re not even shopping here,” a counter-protester said.
Onlookers who opposed the protest said they were trying to prevent a riot. However a couple counter-protesters passed police and the crosswalk that separated the demonstrations to confront the Black Lives Matter protesters.
A middle-aged Glendora resident who said his name was James shouted “white lives matter” inches from the faces of the protesters, before being pulled away by police. The Clarion posted a video of the incident on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram taken by the a Clarion reporter.
A group of protestors on June 1 in Downtown Glendora protest for the #BlackLivesMatter movement and for the death of George Floyd. Glendora Police tried separating a group of men who came in contact with the protestors who started yelling out ‘white lives matter.’ pic.twitter.com/aKm3aumN2H
— CitrusCollegeClarion (@CCClarion) June 3, 2020
Real Estate Agent and Glendora business owner Trina Michalak was among three onlookers watching from the steps of the library who said they’d shoot protesters if they rioted.
“That’s just common sense — you attack somebody, you defend it,” Michalak said.
One counter-protester made a nazi salute. The Black Lives Matter protesters chanted across an intersection, “Nazi’s go home.”
Demonstrators held signs that read “hands up, don’t shoot.”
“We’re tired of being discriminated against,” said Leia de Guzman, a protester.
People screamed the chants audible to the counter protesters across the street.
“The world is now opening their eyes and it’s time to be more vigilant in our own communities,” said protester Mark W. who declined to give his last name.
Several Black Lives Matter protesters said they would not give their names because they were afraid of being “doxxed by those racists.”
“Glendora has a history of racists,” said another protester, who did not want to be identified.
The Clarion reported members of a group opposing state immigration laws made racist statements at a Glendora town hall meeting on Oct. 11, 2018.
Dozens of Glendora police officers and some L.A. County Sheriff deputies arrived to intervene between the two groups at about 4:30 p.m. The counter-protesters dispersed thereafter.
When the city clock tower rang at 5 p.m. Glendora police announced the county-wide curfew would be enforced at 6 p.m.
“We all are friends, we all hang out together, we go to school together and as soon as we start talking about this political subject, there is tension in the air,” Tello said. “And that’s why we are here, we wanted to make it peaceful, so we can talk to each other.”
Ten minutes before curfew the protesters knelt again and left for home. Some agreed to meet again the next day at 1 p.m. A group named Pomona Protests tweeted another Black Lives Matter “Glendora Peaceful Protest” meets in the same place at 2 p.m. on June 3.
