Horns blared intermittently along Valencia Boulevard as supporters honked while driving past demonstrators outside City Hall Wednesday afternoon.
Protestors holding up signs with the words ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ‘Abolish The Police’ had gathered for their third sit-in on the grassy lawn below the brick portico with the big, brass City Hall lettering.
These demonstrators represent a youth movement against racism; the majority being high-school or college-aged. When asked why they were participating in these demonstrations, they all mentioned names that have become synonymous with discussions about racial profiling and police accountability. Names like Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice, who were the same age as many of these demonstrators when they were killed.
“I’m so tired of seeing innocent people killed just because of their skin color, just because they’re viewed as a threat,” said Vincent Rangel, a protestor. “I want (the community) to see this is what the reality is, this is what you’re ignoring. And if you’re ignoring it you’re part of the problem unless you’re trying to fix it.”
Demonstrators have gathered at least a dozen times at different locations around the Santa Clarita Valley since their first protest on May 30. They have been demanding that their neighbors and local officials recognize what they perceive as racism and injustice in our society and the criminal justice system.
SCV For Change is one of the groups that have been organizing protests and marches around Santa Clarita and are the organizers of the sit-ins outside City Hall that started last week. Aside from support from passing cars they’ve also received direct messages from supporters in the community online, according to SCV For Change organizer Lauryn Valley.
“It’s been very interesting to see how many people support SCV For Change. We get a lot of DMs,” Valley said. “It’ll be people that have lived here for like 15, 20 years and they’re like, ‘Yeah I’ve been racially profiled since I’ve been here. It’s been a racist city since I moved here.’ So it’s definitely awoken me, and I think a lot of people, to what this city is about.”
This string of protests is clearly a youth movement, with most of the protestors and organizers in their late teens to mid-twenties. This is a generation that grew up with social media and smartphones, and also with graphic videos of police shootings on their timelines and feeds.
Although these protests began in the wake of George Floyd’s death, most demonstrators also referenced other high profile deaths of people of color, as well as acts of racism they witnessed or experienced in Santa Clarita, as their motivation to participate in these demonstrations.
“When Trayvon Martin got shot I was a senior in high school, and I just remember sitting in class and these white boys behind me were talking about how Trayvon Martin probably deserved it,” Valley said. “I remember being so angry about that, so I’ve kind of been fired up since then.
SCV For Change organizer Megan Duncan mentioned public displays of the Confederate battle flag and racist rallies in Santa Clarita’s past.
“There’ve been KKK rallies, and you’ll see people driving around with their Confederate flags,” Duncan said. “Because we’ve been more vocal about it and speaking out with the protests we’ve been having, people are coming out of the woodworks and saying, ‘No, all lives matter’ or ‘White lives matter, black lives don’t matter.’”
Members of SCV For Change, the Santa Clarita Valley Civil Advocacy Network, and other groups involved in recent protests, have met with Mayor Cameron Smyth to address their grievances and discuss solutions.
One point that has been reached is the reestablishment of the Human Relations Task Force. This City-community partnership could act as a conduit for an open dialogue between protestors and officials, according to people familiar with the meetings.
Even with this development, demonstrators and organizers at the sit-in outside City Hall expressed disappointment that local officials have, in their view, disregarded stories and concerns about racism in Santa Clarita. There was a general feeling that city leaders are not actually hearing what they have to say.
“We’re out here for a reason. We’re out here because we want them to hear us,” Duncan said. “We want them to show some initiative, to show that they’re changing.”
Sponsored Articles
KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Air headed, snowflake, brainwashed youth, our future adults—may God help us!!
Perfectly said
God IS helping us with clear-thinking young people, unspoiled by hatred, seeking justice.
What are you after, JoJo? Man up and SAY it w/o your damn transparent dog whistles.
Denny: Justice has and is being done! Fairness does not rush justice/judgement! The youth have been brainwashed by Liberals in the schools and lied to by the Liberal media! The kids are too young and naive to have experienced real life and the behaviors of different cultures!
They and we have already seen far too much of your culture to last a lifetime; hence the protests and demonstrations. Apparently many former Trumpers have also based on, by all standards, the pitiful turnout at his Tulsa rally last night.
I heard that the requests to attend was sabotaged by the Liberals with a bogus over-ordering of tickets from out of towners, etc. through the wonderful social media, causing hundreds of thousands of wasted money for preparation, security, etc.!! Of course the deceitful, underhanded Liberals will say it was fear of the Wuhan China virus! Unbelievable what the Liberal degenerates can keep coming up with to defeat Trump 24/7!!
We are being used by our political parties. We are in the middle of a media civil war and dont even realize it the parties are using a known weapon in psychological warfare. Netflix even released a fake documentary titled thirteenth its full of false history, lies about America. Its an opinion piece,propaganda its a story in disguise as a historical documentary . We have black scholars trying to speak out against the old civil rights leaders that are saying racism is what is wrong with our poor black communities. They are out there being suppressed by thier own people. Although they have nothing to do with politics YouTube sticks them in the Republican section where they will never be heard. Listen to them on thier ideas listen to Shelby steele on his book about white guilt. We can not let them manipulate our black americans for political gain.
Sad but true and couldn’t agree more.
you should be on your knees thanking those snow flakes. They are the ones who are going to save America from itself. BLM
Denyse
Waste of time
BLM is starting to get a black eye. This has been going on for too long. Plus they attract the bad elements of paid rioters. The public at large is starting to get pissed at all the interruptions going on in their daily affairs. This must end at some point before a blow back occurs.
You should have to pay taxes to vote. This is the kind of crap that happens when non vested citizens have a say in how other people’s money is spent.
When does school start so these liberal boot kickers can go back and pow wow with their leftist teachers.
KKK rallies, racial rallies and Confederate flags ? I lived here for 19 years and haven’t seen any of those …. they make is sound like this is a common occurrence in this town .
Neither have I or my kids and have lived her 30 years. So much deceit is being spread and these kids are soaking it up like a sponge. So many falsehoods. It doesn’t make sense. Parents please try and educate your children with the truth and to use common and think for themselves.
Mom, John & Kris: Alert, non-fooled media brainwashing words well spoken!! Why are there so many non-thinking sheep out there?! The Liberals play by underhanded, deceitful rules, to the demise of our once wonderful USA! Nothing but negative, paid upheaval, to continued Anarchy!! Thanks for your words of true wisdom!
LOLOLOL, am I the only one that scrutinized the photo above? The woman has more muscle on her arms than him! “Gamer” arms! Ha!
Stop spending your time standing on street corners and holding up signs… get a flippin’ job.
Probably yes, you lol-ing fool. Most are interested in and agree with the message, not your attempted body shaming. And it’s he not him. Do you have knowledge of their employment or student situation?
You’re nearly a laugh (yourself) but you’re really a cry.
Oh Denny NNWofLA, thank you so much for the English lesson and immature insults. Anyone who has day after flippin’ day to stand around with a paper sign on a street corner has no job.
Keep up the good work. LOL
The loser youth of America, heads stuck in their cell phones all day, living in thier parents house, no job and paying no real bills!
Their rooms are full of participation awards and their lives full of entitlement!!
No discipline and no structure as “new age” parents fail everyday!!!
Soooo true!!
If the local social justice young adults want to protest peacefully, then that is fine. Although they need to make sure they are careful in not to become radicalized, by the violent members of Black Lives Matter.
Tucker Carlson exposes the sad Black Looting and Mayhem (BLM), that thankfully was far away from Santa Clarita. May God give all Americans equality because all lives matter, not just one race that says “give us this, or else!” Which is exactly what BLM has done this past month. See link below.
https://youtu.be/3n5_D59lSjc
Rufus: Thanks for the excellent link, although very, very depressing & concerning !!☠️?
Some TV makes some people less smart.
Dave R.: As well as social media!
And I wonder why these young snowflakes are fighting you. Just listen to your comments try and see pass your own closed minded thoughts and ideas and maybe you’re understand what they’re fighting for…
Inform us Irene. The narrative is based on lies and not proven with any substantial data. There’s a common thread linking these police shootings…criminal activity. Shocking, I know. You may not perceive a minor infraction as warranting a shooting but things escalate quickly when ignorance and disdain for law and order prevail in the minds of criminals.
Not sure, but 172 white people killed by cops in 2020 and only 88 black doesn’t really add up to what you little children are pretending to know. Hispanic is even lower. Of course you never see that on social media because that wont cause poorly organized protest and stupidity in the streets.
Children you must stay in school.
Bogus numbers.
Irene, well said. The language of these so-called adults in these comments is telling. Name calling and insults? They aren’t hurting you. They aren’t affecting your daily lives in a negative or harmful way. Why so angry? Are you okay with racism and police brutality? Because it sure seems like you are. I expect to get some name calling on me as soon as I post this. Bring it…
OK Krissy, I’ll call you enlightened. Same goes for Irene and Dave R.
Blacks and African Americans can make their own lives matter. Sharing a novel idea that I think will work. Do not break the law. Do not resist arrest. I urge them to give it a try to see if it works.
You sound so ridiculously dismissive. Black lives do matter; you presume they all engage in criminal behavior leading up to their arrests. That is how ingrained systemic racism is in you that you do not even recognize how your perceptions and beliefs have been shaped by systemic and institutionalized racism.
Alice. They do not when they are criminals breaking the law.
Alice: The loud mouths constantly yell to try to get sympathy and cover-up and excuse reality! Bobbyg & Jim posted rational/truthful/facts! Why don’t POC like Japanese/Koreans/Jews/Filipinos/Chinese/Icelandic keep having all these constant problems in life?!?! Decent BEHAVIOR!
Thank you Jim. I couldn’t agree more. All lives matter. No one is better than another. Reverse racism is obvious when one says only black lives matter. It’s a racist message in itself.
Denny, Krissy, Irene,Alice , and Dave,
So grateful to read your comments. I don’t appreciate the HATEFUL remarks that some people are writing, not sure what explains it. Fear of change?
It is in our CONSTITUTION that we have the right to peacefully protest, and now some people are viewing it as some sort of UNAMERICAN activity. Strange and sad.
Anne, which remarks are hateful? Is a differing viewpoint “hateful”?
Better yet, maybe your buddy Denny could ‘enlighten’ us all. He knows about hateful remarks…just read his response to my post.
We all deserve justice and equality. Screw your law and order.
“day after flipping day to stand around on a street corner with a paper sign has no job”
“You little children pretending to know”
“The loser youth of America, heads stuck in their cell phones all day,..”
“Airheaded,snowflake brainwashed youth..”
Culpepper VA. Cop shoots unarmed Sunday School teacher. 2015.
This is all just playing the race card once again. Racism does exist but does anyone believe that they can change a racist to be non racist?
So this is all about concessions. The rioters will riot, the protesters will protest, cnn will blame it all on trump and the politicians will concede. We will be gentler and kinder to the black criminals, we will make an new black holiday, we will hire a black person before we can hire a more qualified person and we will invest millions in the black communities. And the black people will have to do nothing for all of this but riot loot and raise a sign and stomp there feet.
Is anyone so naive to think that a white criminal or white person has never been unjustly killed by a cop or black person before? How many white riots do you see? Or white protests? No these poor white criminals are sadly forgotten or erased with no heroes funeral. Maybe these protests should be about WLM
Ink: Very truthful, insightful, factual predictions! Decent behavior gets decent behavior, good education gets good jobs, respectful behavior gets respect, etc.!
That’s right, Flatulence. I still remember Lisa’s tanks rolling down Lyons and over McBean and Valencia (rumble rumble). Very impressive! Oh, wait- that didn’t happen. We did not have rioting and looting here. But you wouldn’t know that from lawful and peaceful protests would you. The looting that followed protests at the beginning several weeks ago included all races but you won’t acknowledge that either.
Not exactly “breaking” news there. SOS as always.
Who raised these angry adults who are having such a problem with bringing attention to racism and trying to change things for the better? Wow.
Flo, let’s see how quickly your comment will be criticized and how many insults you get thrown at you. These angry people live among us and that scares me just as much, if not more, than a bad cop having a bad day.
What are people so angry about? The incredible degeneration of society!!! Look at the accurate link Rufus(top of the thread) shared with us!! UNBELIEVABLE!! ☠️?
I remember Woodstock from my childhood and recently watched a documentary on the festival. The youth of the 60s and 70s had the same ideas and principles as these protesters here. Peace love and all living together. What changed that youth to this so-called racist society we have today? I still believe it but lies spread by the political media has us all under attack. The free thinkers of yesterday have been corrupted by these political outlets. The same will happen to these kids here until we can all be the free peaceful people we were 30,40 or 50 years ago
Try thinking for yourselves and not be influenced by the CNNs. FOXs and MSNBCs propaganda
Agreed! Nuff said! ?
Just wondering how old you are.