KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Hundreds of residents came out to support local fruit vendor La Palma on Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours after a video surfaced online which showed the vendor being harassed by the business owners of a Canyon Country restaurant.
On Monday, hundreds of residents lined the sidewalk near the intersection of Soledad Canyon Road and Sand Canyon Road in Canyon Country to support local fruit vendor La Palma.
“I see a lot of love (and) people just trying to help each other out and keep us strong,” said Jesse Mendoza, who came out along with several of his coworkers. “It made me feel good to live in this community because of how many great people there are here supporting this man today.”
Much like many of the others in attendance, Mendoza and his coworkers decided to come out after seeing a video that showed Renee McAlonis and Mike Foster, who own the nearby Canyon Country-based Bergie’s Bar And Grill, harassing the fruit vendor.
“This isn’t the f***ing ghetto, it needs to go,” Foster said in the video that was posted Sunday.
See Related: Fruit Vendor Harassed By Business Owners In Canyon Country (VIDEO)
When Mendoza’s boss showed him the video the following morning, he felt that what happened was “not right.”
“(The vendor) is not hurting anybody, he’s not asking for a handout, he’s actually out here in the hot sun trying to provide a living for himself and his family,” Mendoza said. “So it kind of made me feel suck-y in a way.”
Mendoza’s sentiments were shared by many of the residents who came out to support La Palma, including Deanna Ford, who was “angry and sad” after watching the video.
“To target individuals who are just trying to make a living and to give them a hard time (…) it just made me really angry,” she said. “They’re not doing anything wrong, they’re just trying to come out here and earn an honest living.”
Photo courtesy of Austin Dave.
Ulbado Alcantar, who recorded Sunday’s video with his brother Christopher, said that he and his brother were on their way to get food when they saw McAlonis and Foster yelling at the La Palma vendor.
“I wanted to make sure that the altercation didn’t turn into anything else than that,” the Canyon Country resident said. “Once I started recording, they did tone it down a little bit, but not before cussing a little bit.”
Alcantar does not personally believe that the confrontation was racially-charged, but he went on to say that he would do what he did “again in a heartbeat,” citing his experience growing up with a single mother who had to work several jobs to provide for him and his brothers.
“I know exactly what it’s like,” he said. “This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with some sort of issue like this. I just hope that we see it less.”
Both Alcantar and Ford expressed that they were glad to see the community come out “in full force,” with Ford urging others to “be kind.”
“There’s so much chaos in the world, why add to situations and make it worse?” she asked in conclusion. “A little bit of kindness goes a long way.”
KHTS reached out to Foster earlier Monday for comment, but has yet to receive a response as of Monday evening.
Photo courtesy of Austin Dave.
Ed. Note: The full video from Sunday can be viewed here, and it includes explicit language. Viewer discretion is advised.
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Why is it ok for people to not apply for a business license and not be regulated by any health codes?
Then people doing the right thing have to see the lack of regard for laws flaunted in front of them as they struggle under ridiculous laws?
Ah, the same reason we can’t protest reopening but we can burn, loot, and riot and the government is ok with it because people who aren’t white will cry. Gotcha.
Why is anyone comparing a small cart slicing fruit (not even cooking anything) to a restaurant? Why would any one say that looting is allowed or ok? Why would someone who isn’t a minority understand their plight? Do business owners open up just ‘get by’ and pay their workers decent wages? If someone is struggling to get by on much less than you have and you have a problem with that, reassess your life! You probably need help, love, a hug and or reassurance that the PERSON you see before you isn’t a threat to you or the “high class” front you try to portrait for your “high class” community…. in quotes cause somebody like the stars of this clip live there …. please stop and think….
Stanley: Most Americans know their plight, because they started with crappy jobs in between school!! They followed the rules, laws, assimilated, behaved and eventually moved up to decent paying jobs and life—that’s one of the fantastic beauties of being an American! Everyone can do it!!??
What is so funny is that Bergie’s is literally SCV white trash clientele at its finest..so stating a fruit stand is “ghetto” as if his business is some pillar of society is laughable.
Maybe because majority fruit vendors are POC who statistically have a harder time obtaining the permits and resources needed to start a business, let alone SURVIVE, in a country that prevents them from living a stable and comfortable life
scvbb: Why do these POC have a harder time obtaining permits and resources?!?! They all have free taxpayer paid education from K-12 including breakfast, lunch & ?dinner with free buses to & from school! Did you leave something out??!
Perhaps they’re Illegal Aliens &/or refuse to assimilate & speak English, so what do you expect—more free hand outs from the American taxpayers!!
Jojo.. your ignorance is unbelievable. Perhaps you may want to learn about illegal immigration and taxes. Undocumented individuals are pay taxes with the hope someday to obtain a work permit if there is an immigration reform. Educate yourself it may help you.
As a POC who “looks white” I can tell you there’s a big difference between a white and a POC coming up in America. It is not the same opportunities.
Racist and ignorant huh? congrats Goober!
Jojo you are a carbon copy of Donald Trump and all the racists in this country, the division of this country is due to people like you, that think all Blacks and Latinos are criminals.
Thanks Liberals who have degenerated cities from Seattle to San Diego, Chicago, Baltimore, Minneapolis, etc., etc.!!
Yeah blame everything on supposed liberals Trust me the owners of Bergies are hardly liberals, they are most likely right wing make America suffer Trumpers!
BECAUSE.. everybody loves fruit. Fruit is good.
David: True, everybody loves fruit, especially our Idiot Governor, gel head Gavin Newsom, former Mayor of degenerated San Francisco—speaking of White Privilege!!
JoJo is the man!
Thank you for that well made remark. But like always the Libertards and DemoRats will defend a law breaker instead of defending Americans.
These are the same idiots that wanted inmates out of jail, illegals to stay and Americans to pay for it all
U are slow dude if he didn’t have paper to work there all them people wouldn’t been there next day supporting dud
Because there is no established law for this type of enterprise in some municipalities. That is why before harassing this person, the harassers should have checked to ensure no law was being broken before their racist act. I say racist because of their implication that the fruit stand would be okay in the “ghetto.”
We all want to make a living and provide for our families, but the legal businesses have to follow strict rules of disinfecting mask’s and shields. They pay rent and taxes and payroll. I do not see this, nor do I see social distancing. Local restaurants are closing because they just can’t afford to open with all the protocols they have to adhere to. I want this man to make a living, but he should not be exempt from the rules of all other businesses. All people should follow the same set of rules.
By chance I happened to make a quick stop at this Vons this afternoon and saw this rather large spirited and orderly crowd. At the time I didn’t know what it was about but could feel the positive energy emitting from them all. Now that I know, I wish I had joined them in support.
Everyone is complaining about this man not having a permit and comparing him to businesses when he makes $200 maybe $300/day and restaurants make thousands of dollars and the owners of restaurant are in the shade at 70 degrees and these vendors are outside sometimes at 110 degrees nice comparison!!
Arnulfo: That’s their choice to work in the hot sun fruit vending, digging ditches, throwing out trash, cutting lawns, etc.!!
You can get SBA lone they can’t ! Please have Sympathy for other , life is shot .
Athar: Why can’t they get a SBA loan?!?! We have sympathy for the honest hardworking taxpayers ! Can one imagine the incredible stresses that have been put on small businesses, their families, their employees, their employees families, their vendors, etc.! Their rent, electricity,water, etc. still has to paid every month with horrible decreases in revenues!
You really are some kind of special.
I don’t think this was about this gentleman working illegal. I think this whole thing was about how it was approached. Yes this vendor does need to do what’s right in getting a permit, but that does not give anyone the right to treat another human being the way the vendor was treated. There is so much hate in this world and it was spewed out in this video. Using bad language is unacceptable.
The other comments are from the business owner hahaha
Covid Covid Covid!!! Hundreds gather. Oh but that’s ok. That’s double standard for you. So tired of the picking and choosing when liberals decide it ok to gather. SMH
Let’s think about this.
Where is your permit. You posted a cart outside of multiple businesses which have Subway Cocos the list goes on. Many that have been shut down due to CoVID. Now they are starting to open you want to take away from them.
Are you exempt from the rules?
Where’s the masks that are required by law? Sitting there spewing about laws and he is a hypocrite.
The good vibe is coming from the fruit BECAUSE… (Duh) fruit is good.
Put that vendor in front of your business thats has to follow strict rules and guidelines and now shut down again. While Mr. lawbreaker continues to sell right in front of your shut down business. See how you would react. These candy a$$ millenials are going to show all their mommys and daddys what righteous adults they have become while living off mommy and daddys hard earned money.
Such a bad man for defending his business. HYPOCRITE millenials
IBK–
This comment would be more threatening if it’d included your name and you’d been willing to take ownership of the hateful sentiments you so gingerly post. We “candy a$$ millen[n]ials” (I’ve taken the liberty of correcting your spelling) were taught by our “mommys and daddys” to do what’s right — how disheartening you’ve mistaken right for “righteous.” As for their hard earned money — how do you think the white harassers own a storefront? If they tell you they’re self-made, I’d like them (and you) to consider generational wealth and the advantages their skin color has granted them in applying for loans, applying for a lease, working with marketing vendors, etc. in a town that historically favors white people (yes, I live here and have experienced it firsthand). We are not hypocrites for putting our dollars (inherited or otherwise) where our mouths are (at fruit, no less). I’d like to think our “mommys and daddys” would be proud.
I do not underestimate the stresses of a poor economy or struggling businesses. I do, however, believe we are stronger together and request we consider who we vote for in the upcoming election, which directly correlates to the strict rules, guidelines, and laws you’ve mentioned.
Eat your fruit,
Sharon Lee
Sharon,
If these were my kids I would not be proud but embarrassed. Right is NOT sticking up for the lawbreakers.
Maybe you’ve seen the whole video but the one I watchers misses the first part of the interaction. I don’t know what happened during the part that was missed. The business man certainly could have handled this more professionally but I can’t make a judgement on whether he was provoked or not. I do know that while he does not own the storefront, he at least is paying rent for that storefront and should have more rights to it that a fruit dealer.
As far as your comment on generation wealth and skin color well generation wealth does not give you “entitlement” like you and most other Millennials (Thanks for the correction) may think. And the examples of loans and leasing, people of color are protected by law so those are very poorly thought out examples. It sound to me like there another victim of the greatest use of the race card since OJ simpson
IBK,
You should never be embarrassed about your kids. I hope even in wrong decisions, you show them understanding and ways forward. Martin Luther King was a lawbreaker. Rosa Parks was a lawbreaker. To diversify even this example, George Washington was a lawbreaker. Some (emphasis) laws are relics of narrow minds and should be open for discussion, especially when they disadvantage others and especially in a nation built on ideals of democracy.
You’re arguing provocation, and “who started it,” which I can’t help but notice sounds more appropriate for a playground. Paying rent for a storefront does not excuse slurs. And it clearly shows in the video: the vendor was in front of the gas station, not the man’s doorstep. And regardless of where he was, this man was not “entitled” to harass because nothing excuses harassment.
By the way your sentence is structured, it sounds like you believe entitlement correlates directly to success. I ask that you examine that. I also ask that you examine why you have equated a man of color selling fruit to OJ Simpson who was tried for murder, and the gross generalization that is.
Thanks for the lecture! Another pompous bloviating awakened apologist expressing how ‘words hurt’..
Please don’t encourage looting, rioting and burning in our town over this encounter!
The most idiotic statement I read, “Generational wealth and the advantages of skin color”. Stop blaming white people for the woes of others. Laws are laws. You can’t choose which ones are okay to break and which ones are not. If the fruit vendor does not have a license or permit, he should not be able to sell fruit. Period. Should he have been verbally attacked? Absolutely not! But what would you do if the fruit you buy from him is tainted with E coli? Think about it before you defend a poor helpless fruit vendor just trying to make a living when everyone else’s business is just about shutdown by a lunatic in Sacramento.
Thank you @SharonLee
My grandfather came to the US years ago and worked hard to support a family. He didn’t ask for a handout and he followed all of the laws and paid his taxes. No one is going to fault anyone for trying to make a living but it has to be done in fairness and according to the laws. People who have businesses that follow the laws and pay their permits and taxes are not “priveldeged” The american dream is to be a successful business owner/person and it’s not based on a person’s color. Stop making excuses for individuals who try to cheat the system! If you want to help him than pay for his permit and don’t insult the people who legally try to do business.
My daughter purveys food items at a local farmers market. A thousand dollars for sinks, sanitizing equipment, food temperature, etc., etc. Another $800 for City Permits. 1099’s for here hired workers needed on occasion.
Why does this individual get FREE pass? Jeopardizing public health, no taxes, and really an affront to the livability of the community.
Go and try to peddle your fruit in Beverly Hills. SCV has made ourselves a soft target for this type of action.
I wholeheartedly stand with the restaurant owner who basically has this vendor metaphorically spitting in his face.
I hope the City will enforce this violator. That is why I pay taxes.
Guess what? These are the same folks picking the fruits you buy in grocery stores. They don’t go through any health checks, they don’t get any healthcare benefits. You can’t be complaining about too much regulations at the same time you want other people regulated. Stop being a hypocrite.
Selling Fruits is better than committing crimes, like burg, or even murder. Do you people think if this vendor has a choice of job, he’ll sell fruits under a very hot weather. Keep praying that this Pandemic will end soon. .There are more things to worry about than talking about this vendor
If you don’t agree with it then don’t eat there. Simple as that. You don’t agree with the whole permit thing? Don’t eat there. Maybe call the city or LASD to report what you think is an unlicensed food vendor… fine then. Let the officials deal with that part. Don’t be an a**hole and confront these people. Follow the rule of law right? Let the proper authorities deal with it. Don’t get up in their face and mask your racism under the guise of needing a permit… nobody is buying that. You get what you deserve. That and your establishment is freaking disgusting. One time… and never again. Good luck. Hopefully you collected something from that socialist PPP program.
I keep hearing Racism. But i didn’t hear anything racist. I heard alot of rude comments, What was racist?
Also everybody that wants to support this vendor, maybe just let them know what neighborhood you live in. Then they’ll be close enough you can get the fruit everyday. A great way to expand this business.
Ibk: Great idea! Sat. 5 PM another whinny protest in front of the Horrible, unforgivable Bergie’s—A person needs to take down their addresses so dozens of fruit, trinket, clay pot, cheap beads, leather belts/sandals, etc. can go to their quarantined houses to provide their wonderful/classy services! Great, giving & thoughtful idea ibk! Thanks for helping out the vendors & tender-minded protestors—-
Yea Awesome Town…Can’t wait until the Chinese Wet Markets open up next…
Orange man has confirmed that it’s a hoax so no need to worry about this virus. Fake news folks. Let’s get those ditch digging Mexicans and Black BLM folks. Gotta strike while the iron is hot. Who is with me?!! Come on JoJo I know you’re game. Get that torch and sheet ready.
You are quite ill. Very sad! Mercy.
I would hate to be anything like you. Hope you get better
Gordon: Oh my God, you’re a horrible racist, how dare you, you should be ashamed, you should be in prison—how could you say such a thing? You’ve triggered all the Liberals, I’m running to Mommy & then my safe space?
You got HIM pegged for what he is! (but we already knew that!)
Wearing a mask is required. He should be worrying about himself and following the laws.
There are always 2 sides of coin.The owners of Burgie’s made their point but they used very very bad language and insulted the vendor who tried to make his living but to be fair any vendors or mom and pup businesses must obtain seller and health permits to conduct business legally so the city and state can benefit from it and up to the city to allow the vendors to sell in SCV not up to the owners of Burgie’s to decide. Don’t use this incident to divide our community.
Jesus, is your last name Christ?
Then let’s none of us follow the laws, or pay our taxes.. let’s see how society will last with “rules for some but not for all” it’s about fairness and equal playing fields. You guys are bad at this civil society stuff… no wonder leftist cities crumble.
I hate to say because I’m very pro law enforcement but if the LA County Sheriffs Department (law enforcement), LA County Code/Licensing Enforcement and or SCV Code/Lucensing Enforcement Officers were actually enforcing the street vending laws, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.
Perhaps the apathy on their behalf needs to be investigated.