Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

CSOOC

By David Pulido

Alter at angelversary for Noe Rodriguez.

Santa Ana, CA – The curbside of Casa Linda Furniture was transformed as community members and activists gathered to honor Noe Rodriguez on December 1, the anniversary of his death. Last December Santa Ana Police Officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra confronted Rodriguez while he was having a mental health crisis, gave three commands in English only, and fired 29 bullets at the unarmed Chicano.

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By Matthew Compton

Santa Ana activists demand community control of the police.

Santa Ana, CA – On November 22, Santa Ana community members rallied in front of the city attorney’s office to defend the powers of the Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission. The city has been trying to gut its powers, despite incidents pointing to the need for more oversight of the police and other agencies.

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By staff

Miembros de CSO OC recolectando firmas en el Día de Muertos.  |  Foto: Noticiero ¡Lucha y Resiste!

Santa Ana, CA – El 1 de noviembre, la Organización de Servicio Comunitario del Condado de Orange (CSO OC) respondió al llamado a la acción de la Red de Legalización para Todos y participó activamente en un gran evento del Día de los Muertos en el centro de Santa Ana. Cientos de Chicanos se reunieron para honrar a sus ancestros y construir grandes altares a lo largo de la Calle 4, y CSO OC los acompañó para exigir la legalización de todos los indocumentados, el cese de las deportaciones, la expulsión del ICE de los tribunales, el control comunitario de la policía y el encarcelamiento de los policías asesinos.

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By Rain Mendoza

CSO OC members petitioning at Dia de Los Muertos

Santa Ana, CA – On November 1, Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) responded to a call to action of the Legalization for All Network and agitated at a huge Dia de los Muertos event in downtown Santa Ana. Hundreds of Chicanos came to honor their ancestors and build huge altars along 4th Street, and CSO OC was with them to demand legalization for all of the undocumented, stop the deportations, ICE out of the courts, community control of the police, and jail killer cops.

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By Emma Gottfried

Santa Ana, California rally in solidarity with Palestine on October 7.

Santa Ana, CA – On October 7, over 30 people crowded on the busy street corner of Bristol Avenue and McFadden Street to protest the ongoing genocide in Palestine. They carried signs supporting an end to the siege on Gaza, calling for a victory to the Palestinian resistance, ending U.S. aid to Israel and defending the Freedom Flotilla.

The protest, organized by Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) kicked off with chants of “Free, free Palestine!” and “When Palestine is under attack, what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!” which was met with honks and cheers of support from passing drivers. The chanting continued as the protesters took to the street and marched between each of the corners on the intersection, bringing the message directly to the commuters.

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By staff

David Pulido demands justice for Noe Rodriguez.

Santa Ana, CA – On September 16, Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) members demanded justice for Noe Rodriguez and protested attacks on the Police Oversight Commission at a city council meeting. Though the city faces two lawsuits related to the police killing of Noe Rodriguez, city staff have tried to ignore the incident. CSO OC has made that effort unsuccessful.

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By Diana Terreros

Santa Ana protest against ICE, mass deportations.

Santa Ana, CA – On Friday, September 19, about 30 community members protested at the intersection of Bristol and 1st Street to condemn the September 8 Supreme Court ruling that greenlights racial profiling by immigration agents.

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By staff

Santa Ana, California press conference demands remote hearings for immigration cases.

Santa Ana, CA – On Friday, September 12, approximately 50 activists, community members and public officials gathered in front of the Santa Ana Immigration Court to demand that the judges reinstate universal remote hearings, which was done during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees held a banner reading “Stop ICE arrests at the court.”

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By Abraham Quintana

Chicano Moratorium marked in Santa Ana, California.

Santa Ana, CA – On Saturday, August 30, approximately 70 community members gathered at El Centro Cultural de Mexico to commemorate the Chicano Moratorium. People chanted, “Chicana! Power! Chicano! Power!” as the event kicked off.

Emcee Diana Terreros of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) stated, “Especially today as Trump’s attacks on Raza have started and will continue throughout his term, we are here to demand ICE out of Santa Ana, justice for Noe Rodriguez, community control of the police, legalization for all, ending U.S. aid to Israel, and more!”

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By staff

A group of protesters holding signs.

Santa Ana, CA – On Friday, July 25, about 20 protesters gathered on the corner of Bristol and 1st Streets, chanting “Healthcare is our right, try and take it, we will fight!” and “Y la migra? Fuera!” The protesters were answering the national call to action by the Legalization for All Network against Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”.

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By staff

A group of protesters holding signs.

Santa Ana, CA – On Thursday, July 3, community members and local activists rallied in front of the Santa Ana Federal Building. They demanded U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli drop the charges against immigrant rights activist Alejandro Orellana. They also called for “Hands off Verita Topete!” another activist with Centro CSO who was targeted by the FBI.

“When activists are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” chanted the fiery crowd.

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By staff

Protesters and children holding signs.

Santa Ana, CA – On Friday, June 27, approximately 200 people came out for a vigil for Narciso Barranco, who was brutally assaulted and kidnapped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Santa Ana on June 21.

The assault happened while Barranco was working outside of an IHOP where he had been hired to do landscaping work. Unidentifiable masked men chased Barranco then held him face down on pavement while one of the federal agents repeatedly punched him on his head. Barranco can be heard on video footage screaming, with horrified onlookers shouting, “Why are you hitting him?”

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By David Pulido

Ashley Avellaneda and Ariana Salvador speak to reporters and demand justice for Imanol Gonzalez

Santa Ana, CA – On Friday June 27, about a dozen family members and Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) activists held a press conference inside of the OC Superior Court to demand justice for Imanol Salvador Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was a resident of Santa Ana and only 19 years old when he was killed by off-duty LAPD officer Carlos Coronel on February 1. According to a statement released by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, officer Coronel was driving through the city of Tustin after a night of heavy drinking when he struck Gonzalez with his pickup truck.

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By staff

Protesters holding signs.

Santa Ana, CA – On June 27, activists and community members waved signs on the corner of Flower Street and Civic Center Drive near the Central Justice Center chanting, “Drop the charges now!” and holding signs reading, “Protesting is not a crime!”

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By staff

Protest against ICE raids in Santa Ana, California.

Santa Ana, CA – On Monday, June 9, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began raiding multiple locations across the city of Santa Ana and the surrounding Orange County. ICE was seen arresting day laborers at many Home Depot locations, people at fast food restaurants, bus stops, car washes and more.

Community organizations like the OC Rapid Response Network responded immediately, calling for a protest at the Santa Ana United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field office where those arrested were being taken to. Protesters shouted “Shame! Shame! Shame!” at ICE agents surrounding the building holding non-lethal weapons and playing an automated message on a megaphone telling protesters to stay off the property.

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By David Pulido

Residentes de Santa Ana se reunieron para honrar la vida de Noe Rodriguez y exigir justicia.

Santa Ana, CA – El 1 de junio, unos 25 residentes de Santa Ana, familiares y organizadores se reunieron para honrar la vida de Noé Rodríguez y exigir justicia. La vigilia, seis meses después de su muerte, ocurrió frente a Casa Linda Furniture en el centro de Santa Ana, a pocos metros de donde los oficiales Luis Casillas e Isaac Ibarra asesinaron a Rodríguez.

Una mesa con dos ramos de flores blancas, 20 velas y dibujos de las dos hijas de Rodríguez marcó el lugar de su muerte para que la comunidad de Santa Ana pudiera admirarla. Varios asistentes se vistieron con playeras blancas decoradas con fotografías de Noé Rodríguez.

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By staff

Santa Ana community demands justice for Noe Rodriguez.

Santa Ana, CA – On June 3, nine Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) members and supporters delivered public comments at Santa Ana’s city council meeting to demand justice for Noe Rodriguez. The attendees included two members of Noe Rodriguez’s family, including Erika Armenta, Rodriguez’s wife and mother of his two daughters, and Rodriguez’s sister. Many attending wore shirts designed by Armenta that included portraits of Rodriguez, and all held signs that displayed his killers – Officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra.

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By David Pulido

Santa Ana, CA – On June 1, about 25 Santa Ana residents, family members and organizers gathered to honor Noe Rogriguez’s life and demand justice. The vigil, six months from the date of his death, took place in front of Casa Linda Furniture in downtown Santa Ana, just feet away from where Officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra killed Rodriguez.

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By staff

Santa Ana protest demands ICE get out of the courts.

Santa Ana, CA – On Friday, May 30, chants of “ICE out of Santa Ana!” were heard on the corner of Dyer and Hotel Terrace, where about 20 community members gathered to protest the recent ICE detainments of immigrants attending their hearings at the nearby courthouse.

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By staff

Activistas en la reunión del Concejo Municipal de Santa Ana.  

Santa Ana, CA – El martes 20 de mayo, cerca de 20 miembros de la comunidad y activistas llenaron la sala del ayuntamiento para exigir transparencia al Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPD) sobre las alertas recibidas de ICE. También exigieron el encarcelamiento de los asesinos de Noe Rodríguez.

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