Santa Ana Police shoot rubber bullets at protesters without warning

Santa Ana Police shoot rubber bullets at protesters without warning

A peaceful demonstration protesting President Trump's mass deportation plans and recent ICE activity in Santa Ana began Wednesday afternoon on Fourth and Birch Street, directly where National Guards were positioned to defend the Ronald Reagan Federal Court building. Protestors marched throughout Downtown streets, danced, and even shook hands with National Guards.

The Santanero arrived in Downtown at around 10:25 PM Wednesday. There were two main protest groups: one stationary at Plaza Calle Cuatro, holding a protest that resembled a block party with about 200 individuals and several dozen cars, and another group of about 100 that had marched from Downtown down Main to Warner, up Flower, and back into Downtown. These groups had splintered from the larger crowd of over 2,000 that had marched throughout Downtown earlier Wednesday.

Photos by Daniel Diaz/The Santanero

The Santanero began broadcasting live on the ground via Instagram at 10:35 PM from Fourth and French Streets. What appeared to be a festive block party turned into a shouting match after protestors saw police vehicles begin to arrive at 10:41 PM and form lines to surround the crowd. The group that had marched met up with the stationary demonstrators as police were establishing their positions.

After about 10 minutes of faceoff and insults shouted at police by protestors, peacekeeping protestors convinced the crowd to turn their backs on police and march away. Three water bottles were launched by instigators, who were quickly reprimanded by peacekeepers. No rubber bullets were fired, no actions were taken by officers, and an unlawful assembly was not declared. The Santanero followed the merged groups and parade of cars from Plaza Calle Cuatro to Lacy, then First, Grand, McFadden, and ultimately Main Street.

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About 80 protestors—the remnants of the same peaceful protest that marched (and drove) across the city Wednesday—stopped on Fourth and Main shortly after midnight Thursday. Santa Ana Police officers arrived around 12:30 AM. Most protestors remained on the sidewalks, while vehicles came to a halt, blocking northbound traffic on Main Street reaching Fourth Street. The demonstration remained peaceful, despite familiar sights like burning rubber and fireworks being set off.

At 12:39 AM, The Santanero witnessed a line of Santa Ana Police officers being formed across Main Street between Third and Fourth Streets. As the line was being established—without any warnings or lawful commands given and with no apparent provocation from demonstrators who were still on the sidewalks—officers fired multiple rounds of rubber bullets and what appeared to be flashbangs into the crowd and at cars still flowing through Fourth Street.

Immediately after rubber bullets rang, instigators threw two water bottles and a firework that diffused itself at officers as the protest spilt into two running in both directions of Fourth Street.

Exactly one minute later, at 12:40 AM, Santa Ana Police declared the protest an “unlawful assembly" over the PA system in the police's armored vehicle. This announcement came after police had already fired rubber bullets and undetermined canisters into the crowd.

The Santanero's sole staff member, Daniel Diaz, who witnessed and livestreamed the unfolding chaos, said there was no clear instigation from the crowd towards officers and no lawful orders were given before rubber bullets were fired, causing mass panic among protestors, drivers in their cars who got caught in the crossfire because traffic had not been stopped in both directions of Fourth Street, and even put residents at Rafferty at risk.

According to Diaz, windows were heard being shattered, but The Santanero could not immediately confirm if any Fourth Street businesses or Rafferty apartments were struck, or if it was windows of cars speeding away.

It is also unclear how many demonstrators were injured by rubber bullets. The Santanero can confirm that no officers were injured during any of Wednesday's protests. It has not been confirmed, but after the crowd dispersed, no arrests were made.

Councilmember Johnathan Ryan Hernandez was watching The Santanero's livestream coverage, the only City Councilmember The Santanero could confirm viewing amidst the chaos.

The Santanero shared its livestream and contacted Santa Ana Police Public Information Officer Natalie Garcia to confirm whether the events that occurred Thursday reflect standard procedure. A response is pending as this occurred overnight.

In addition, The Santanero filed a public records request to obtain body camera footage from officers who were deployed.

As for property damage, no businesses were witnessed to be looted, no cars were set on fire, tagging was witnessed occurring live at the Cubbon Street Northgate, and additionally spotted at the M&M Kitchen and Floors on McFadden and Main, as well as the Dollar Tree and El Porto Boots off Chestnut and Main.

This is a developing story.