To protest the brutal murder of George Floyd in Minnesota and to demand an end to police killing with impunity, people gathered at Kelly’s Corner at the Fullerton Transportation Center Saturday May 30 at 4pm. Kelly’s Corner is where Fullerton Police brutally beat Kelly Thomas on July 5, 2011. Thomas died days later in the hospital. The killing sparked months of weekly protests at the Fullerton Police Station.
Demonstrators gather to protest the police killing of George Floyd
About 150 people carrying signs gathered and listened to families whose loved ones were killed by police, some still awaiting answers, all awaiting justice. Youth, activists, and community members, many who knew each other from the weekly protests demanding justice for the murder of Kelly Thomas rallied together.
The day prior, Fullerton Police Chief Dunn had alerted local restaurants in the area and told residents to stay away from the area to avoid the protest. Police handed out pamphlets to demonstrators as they arrived to alert them that, while the Fullerton PD supports peaceful protest, participants should not block driveways, sidewalks, or traffic, nor should they “disrupt or terrorize” the community. A drone flew overhead to surveil the crowd’s actions.
Demonstrators gathered at the memorial to Kelly Thomas
About 5pm the group took to the street, marching on Commonwealth, impeding westbound traffic. As they neared the police station, police cars blockaded the street east of the marchers.
Demonstrators march to Fullerton police station
Protestors display signs in front of police headquarters
A young man in a gold SUV attempted to drive through the crowd. The driver accelerated into a man who had his belly against the hood. The man jumped back to avoid being injured. Another man opened the passenger door but was pulled back by others as the car lunged forward repeatedly. A woman then stood in front of the car until she was pulled away by bystanders while the driver continued to lunge his car into the crowd until they parted.
Driver attempts to push through crowd
Demonstrators took a knee and raised a fist in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and in remembrance of George Floyd. They stood and chanted in the intersection blocking all directions of traffic.
Taking a knee in the street for Black Lives
La Habra and Brea Police marched into formation wearing riot gear alongside Fullerton Police. A North Orange County SWAT vehicle was positioned on Highland facing Commonwealth.
La Habra police provide backup
The crowd moved west of Highland on Commonwealth. As police ordered them to disperse, many moved onto the sidewalks and began to leave. The remainder continued their march south onto Highland and then returned to where they began at the Transportation Center.
Protestors blocking street told to disperse
After another rally, some demonstrators left. But others took to the street again, marching west on Commonwealth back to the police station at Highland. The Fullerton PD in riot gear and the SWAT vehicle were lined up waiting on Highland north of Commonwealth. Police cars blockaded Commonwealth from both the east and the west.
Police prepare to advance on peaceful protesters
The crowd was ordered to disperse and then the front line of officers advanced. The demonstrators retreated to south of Commonwealth on Highland where one woman kneeled and then sat in the street. Other women appeared to attempt to dialogue with police.
Passive protestor remains in street after order to disperse
The SWAT vehicle advanced twice, each time announcing a two minute warning to disperse.
Fullerton police deploy SWAT vehicle
Police advance on women peacefully protesting
Two officers from the back flank ran forward of the SWAT vehicle to apprehend the passive protestor sitting in the street.
Police apprehend passive protester
Protester signals non-resistance
An officer joined in the fracas. They forced her face down on the pavement. One officer’s knee was on her right shoulder while another appeared to pull up on her left.
Officers kneel on protester in street
Protester bound and prostrate in street
She was walked to a police van and whisked away into the bowels of the police building.
Protester loaded into police van
The police continued to advance, pushing the demonstrators down an alley. They emerged from the alley and onto the sidewalk and then walked east along Commonwealth back to Kelly’s Corner.
Protesters retreat as police advance
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Categories: Downtown, Local News, Uncategorized
Remember to turn Face ID off on iOS devices, use a password that you type in manually. The supreme court ruled the police can not force you to unlock your phone with a password. Unless they have a warrent Facial Recognition they can.On Android have it set to password and power button to instant lock. Have the siri shortcut “Police”. Always have a internet drive like Google drive or Dropbox or One Drive constantly uploading photos and videos. Incase they get pass your phone lock. Have Trusted Contacts installed so someone can do a remote wipe. Find my iPhone has a remote wipe too I think. Or your login to iCloud has it. Consider Cyberus for Android it’s cheap per year.. Very powerful on rooted phones, Tasker if you are into programming.
I agree with Jon’s comment regarding Jane Rand’s use of the word bowels to describe Fullerton Police Station’s holding cells. Using the metaphor bowels to describe a holding cell is silly melodrama when put into this article’s context and reflects the author’s lack of insight into these protests.
Law abiding lives matter. Ciminal lives DO NOT matter.
As a former business owner in Fullerton for over 40 years, I understand people needing to express themselves. Living in a small town in Colorado now I can appreciate the observers POV and sensitivity in bringing me this story
God these people are so stupid
Now they’re sporting signs “Silence is Violence” – so, in other words, if I disagree with you and don’t say anything, I’m literally committing an act of violence… while they burn, break windows, steal, destroy people’s livelihoods.. Thanks to them we will NEED Marshall law, unbelievable entitlement, selfishness and stupidity. Disgusting.
OH and did I mention, shooting a cop in the back of the head in Vegas, throwing bricks at random into crowds which can KILL people, lighting buildings on fire with kids in them? Dirtbags, we have ZERO sympathy for you, so you can take your sympathy for a man you don’t REALLY give a toss about, and the money you were PAID to protest and hope you enjoy it sitting and ROTTING in a jail cell, preferably for life !!! WELL DESERVED.
Empirical evidence demonstrates that the less intelligent you are, the more Conservative / Religious / Superstitious you are… so, are you referring to whom as being stupid?
Would it be asking too much of you to post your empirical evidence sites?
These idiots should move out of mommy and daddy’s house. Maybe they should move in with the chicoms and see how great socialism really is. They have no real world experience. Only what they’ve read on social media. Freaking pathetic. If they only would visit some of these foreign countries that they idolize, they might come away with a different perspective.
Bowels is a perfectly apt descriptor. booking and holding cells are located below ground tucked far away from the main entrance and a definition of bowes is a small part deep inside something large. Interestingly enough, a third definition describes the space between someone’s ears whose primary impetus for posting a comment is to talk shit.
Yeah, well. Conservatwits typically have a very limited vocabulary, poor language skills, and very little comprehension of common literary terms and phrases.
Yeah, last time I used the word “prostrate”, as a description of some politicians’ relationship to big businesses – and then people started calling me homophobic. I figured out later that not only was that because the politician was gay (Jordan Brandman) but because they thought I was saying “prostate.”
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2019/08/despicable-jordan-brandman-on-releasing-the-stadium-appraisal/
The bowels of the police station, really thought you iwere unbiased journalist/reporter, then again you are no different than the culprits your job is to report the facts, since when does a police station have bowels? Oh yeah freedom of speech right. This is why nobody believes the media anymore. Liars are no different than thieves
Agree 100% – Did you notice night before last the curfew mass-text said “Credentialed media only” can be out past curfew? AKA Liars only allowed. The OC register, NY times, on down to this rag – all totally biased, America-hating, disgusting left liars. The colleges on up to the Presidents are liars and Traitors too. Pay attention to the subtext of every article – all race baiting. What will they do when they realize how utterly outnumbered they actually are…
Thank you for reporting what happened. We followed instructions and did not go out to watch or join the protest. Not being there we cannot judge what went right, what went wrong or what was achieved. We believe in justice, the right to protest and authority response to maintain order. Thank you to all.