Santa Ana, CA – On Tuesday, April 21, residents of Coach Royal mobile home park demanded Kingsley Management Corporation get out of their park. Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) joined them to demand the city council intervene against years of harassment, unjust evictions, home theft, and intimidation by the corporation. The abuse resulted in the suicide of resident Maria Pedraza, whose home was in the process of being taken after years of sacrificing to purchase it.

Karla Alvarado, one of the residents whose home was stolen, stated: “The city of Santa Ana has already met with 45 residents who can testify to this. 45 residents and counting. We have spoken to people across multiple parks. The stories are consistent, the tactics are consistent, and the outcomes as well. That is the definition of a systemic issue.”

Lupe Barragan, a resident and organizer, looked at and pointed directly at each council member as she spoke. “You need to respond! Phil Bacerra, you tried to intimidate us when we came to your office. You, Jonathan Hernandez, we need you to respond to us too. You came to support us and we need more of that. City manager, we need your help. Valerie Amezcua, I know my presence doesn’t please you, but you told us you were going to get out the big guns. We are waiting for you!” As she walked away, Mayor Amezcua laughed at her. Barragan turned around, pointed at Amezcua and scolded her for being disrespectful.

Sylvia Ayala, another resident, told the council, “I’ve lived here for 40 years and I’ve never gotten any help from you. Because you don’t care about the people; you only look out for yourselves. You work, but we have to work more than you. The humiliation that people with money have done to us is not fair.”

While the residents spoke, CSO OC and residents unfurled a banner reading “Kingsley fuera!” The camera began frequently changing angles to avoid showing the banner on screen. At one point, four Santa Ana Police Officers approached the organizers and told them they must move to the back if they are going to hold a banner, despite nobody complaining about an obstructed view.

When Rain Mendoza of CSO OC went up to make public comment, she first held up the banner and told the council to look at it and show it on camera.

Mendoza responded to the council’s frequent response that they cannot do anything because the park is private property, stating, “You sued El Centro Cultural de Mexico, a pillar in this community, so you can use your cops to toss homeless people’s belongings in the trash and push them out of a place where they were allowed to stay by the private property owners. So, you can do all that and use the courts, the police, and all your resources to terrorize a very vulnerable community, but you can’t lift a finger when there is a company that operates in Santa Ana that acts like thugs? Shame on you!”

Diana Terreros of CSO OC reminded the council that the residents of Coach Royal are mainly working-class immigrants whose homes are their refuge during the Trump administration. Terreros stated, “Kingsley’s actions go against the spirit of the entire sanctuary city ordinance. They are exploiting the fear of the immigrant population in Santa Ana. They are hoping the fear will be enough to force the residents to keep their heads down and their mouths shut. They are exploiting this community and their fear to increase their profits by stealing their homes. This is a multi-million dollar corporation from Utah. Why are we allowing them to exploit Santa Ana like this?”

Another member of CSO OC summarized the hundreds of thousands of dollars that groups representing mobile home park owners have donated against the campaign for the Rent Stabilization and Just Cause Eviction Ordinance that was passed in October of 2021. They have also donated to council member’s campaigns. He asked council members, “Is this what’s influencing your frequent responses that there is nothing you can do to enforce what you know is unjust and illegal acts by Kingsley against the Coach Royal residents?”

#SantaAnaCA #CA #CSO #OC #OrangeCounty #PeoplesStruggles #CoachRoyal #Eviction #Featured

Santa Ana, CA – El 26 de febrero, 20 miembros de la comunidad marcharon a lo largo de Civic Center Drive para confrontar al Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPD). Cantos como “¡Cárcel para los policías asesinos!” y ”¡La migra, la policía: la misma porquería!” resonaron por todo el vecindario, mientras los residentes hacían sonar sus bocinas en señal de solidaridad. Los asistentes portaban pancartas que exigían justicia para Noe Rodríguez, así como otras en referencia a víctimas recientes de la violencia policial.

Noe Rodríguez fue asesinado mientras se encontraba desarmado y en medio de una crisis de salud mental en diciembre de 2024. Las solicitudes de registros públicos realizadas por la Organización de Servicio Comunitario Condado de Orange (CSO OC) revelaron que los agentes de SAPD responsables de su muerte—Luis Casillas e Isaac Ibarra—continúan trabajando para SAPD y fueron movidos discretamente a otras unidades.

Jocelyn Pacheco, del Comité de Rendición de Cuentas Policial (PAC) de CSO, presentó los hechos del caso de Noe, afirmando: “Luis Casillas e Isaac Ibarra, los agentes responsables de su asesinato, continúan prestando servicio en el cuerpo policial, incluso después de haberle disparado 29 veces. ¿Cómo puede justificarse eso como defensa propia?”

Erika Armenta, viuda de Noe, alzó la voz contra los concejales que se oponen a la rendición de cuentas, afirmando: “Algunos representantes nos dicen que no podemos despedir a los agentes mientras se encuentran bajo investigación por un incidente, pero ¿quién puede garantizar que nuestras comunidades estén a salvo de la violencia repetida?”

Ambos agentes se han visto involucrados en otros casos de mala conducta y muertes desde que mataron a Noe Rodríguez, quien se encontraba desarmado. Casillas mató a tiros a Henry González Jr. el 1 de enero de 2025, quien también sufría de una enfermedad mental, incluido un comportamiento suicida.

Ibarra estuvo involucrado en el brutal arresto y la muerte bajo custodia de Freddy DeAngelo Washington el 16 de enero de 2025. Después, participó en la golpiza a Mario Díaz, un joven de 15 años, quien tuvo que ser trasladado a un hospital debido a sus heridas a pesar de haberse entregado a la policía; este hecho quedó documentado en un video fechado el 9 de junio de 2025.

Menos de dos semanas antes de la protesta, miembros de CSO OC—incluidas las dos hijas pequeñas de Noe Rodríguez—fueron abordados por el oficial Isaac Ibarra mientras ofrecían una conferencia de prensa frente al departamento.

Matthew Compton, de CSO, comentó: “Cuando empezamos a filmar a Ibarra y lo confrontamos con sus crímenes, mintió y dijo que lo habíamos amenazado y agredido. La verdad es que intentó repetidamente provocarnos para que peleáramos con él.”

David Pulido, miembro de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad (OSCL), habló en español sobre cómo el largo patrón de asesinatos policiales de chicanos constituye un rasgo de la opresión nacional, y afirmó: “Necesitamos una revolución para establecer el poder político de la clase trabajadora y liberar a naciones oprimidas como Aztlán. ¡Esa es la solución a estos asesinatos policiales racistas!”

La marcha fue encabezada por la familia de Noe Rodríguez y CSO OC, y contó con el apoyo de Chicanxs Unidxs (CU) y los Socialistas Democráticos de América (DSA). También acudieron observadores legales del Peace and Justice Law Center (PJLC) en solidaridad con la comunidad.

CSO OC lucha por la autodeterminación chicana, el control comunitario de la policía y la legalización para todos los inmigrantes indocumentados. Tienen reuniones generales cada tercer jueves en Santa Ana, y se les puede contactar en Instagram @cso.oc y en Facebook, Orange County CSO.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #CSO #CSOOC #OC #OrangeCounty #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities

Costa Mesa, CA – On Saturday, May 31, chants of “Free, free Palestine!” were heard as about 50 protesters gathered on the corner of Sunflower and Bristol in Costa Mesa. The protest was across from South Coast Plaza, which is a luxury shopping center filled with high-end stores that rakes in $2 billion per year.

Emcee Amy Parker of the Orange County Democratic Socialists of America (OC DSA) reminded the crowd that the plaza is owned by the Zionist Sergerstrom family. The family has also donated at least $40 million to the Sergerstrom Center of the Arts which was also protested earlier this year for hosting the Israel Philharmonic.

Abe Quintana of Freedom Road Socialist Organization Orange County (FRSO OC) spoke about the death toll in Palestine rising “to ever higher numbers while food and medical supplies are not allowed to enter the occupation zones. Shame!” Quintana said this is made possible by U.S. capitalists. He called people to action stating, “we must be building and waging our own struggle at home to end US aid to Israel! We live in the belly of the beast and it's our responsibility to fight U.S. imperialism from home!”

Protesters then marched throughout the intersection with chants like “Netanyahu you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” Protesters held up signs to the cars waiting at the light with messages of “Stand with Palestine! End the occupation now!” and “Victory to the Palestinian resistance!” Many cars driving by honked in support.

Chris Ahmed of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) encouraged the crowd to keep fighting for Palestine, stating, “Remember this: try! Stand up for the people of Palestine! Have your voice heard! Convince your friends, convince your families, convince your coworkers and one by one our ranks will grow, their ranks will shrink! Free, free Palestine!”

David Pulido of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC), stated, “The enemy of Palestine is the same enemy as ours. Just like Chicanos in the late 60s identified with the Vietnamese resistance to the U.S. empire, today we identify with the Palestinian resistance to brutal Israeli occupation, sponsored and supported by our government.” Pulido added, “just like how Vietnam delivered a crushing blow to U.S. imperialism, I am confident that Palestine will win!”

The protest was primarily organized by OC DSA and was endorsed by CSO OC, FRSO OC, JVP, International League of People’s Struggle, and many more.

#CostaMesaCA #CA #OC #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #FRSO #DSA #CSOOC