“Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Hillary has got to go” was heard outside of the men’s gym on Cesar Chavez boulevard right outside East Los Angeles College in the city of Monterey Park.
Democratic Party nomination hopeful Hillary Clinton held a rally at ELAC on Thursday, May 5 while a protest was formed in response right outside the college.
While supporters were clad with Clinton pins and placards, anti-Clinton demonstrators lined up with mega phones, posters denouncing the democratic front runner, others held Bernie Sanders signs.
Clashes between both camps broke out, some using the siren on the mega phones to identify Clinton supporters walking by.
According to ELAC nursing major Regina Castaneda Clinton spoke briefly before leaving the stage, mentioning Republican hopeful, Donald Trump in her speech.
About 1,000 supporters attended the Clinton rally.
The evening saw a mariachi band play for the attendants followed by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who showed his support for the former New York senator.
Culinary major Nicole Mendoza also attended the rally and noticed the clash in ideologies at the event.
“The majority were [Clinton] voters but there were a few that protested their opinion but they were immediately shut up.
“When people started noticing there were going to be protesters, they sat people that were big [Clinton] supporters next to them so when they started screaming they would be blocked out,” she said.
Mendoza added, “As soon as they did speak out they were kicked out by the police.”
Clinton supporter and West Hollywood resident Sydney Ross, walked through a line of protesters and left feeling like the demonstrators didn’t shake her support.
“I am here supporting my girl, Hillary Clinton. She stands for everything I stand for, she is the only one in this presidential election that is going to fight for me and my rights and everyone else I respect right’s and she is going to make America fair and amazing again.”
Los Angeles resident Jeanette Orduno stated, “I support her because she has done a lot for health care and she supports women’s rights, equal pay and affordable care for everybody and I think she would make a really good candidate.”
Decked in purple Service Employees International Union gear, Carmel Matanga, whose husband is president of the Local 1,000 chapter said, “[Former ELAC Professor] Judy Chu gave a speech about how she grew up here [Monterey Park] and […] not to build a wall but tear it down.”
Hillary Clinton supporter Sydney Ross walks down Cesar Chavez boulevard away from the anti-Clinton protest. Clinton held a rally at East Los Angeles College on Thursday, May 5.
However, not everyone present at the college felt the same way.
John Parker, who is running for U.S Senate was vocal during the demonstration outside of the gym.
“I am here today because this is an important issue especially for black and brown people who are being victimized.
“This is repression that is trying to keep us all working people in fear because society cannot meet the needs of the people, so what they do to keep us from protesting is try to put us in fear he said.”
Parker expressed his belief that Clinton is a part of this repression.
He continued, “The Clintons were the ones who were responsible for the mass incarceration of black youth.
“When Bill Clinton was president he passed these laws that facilitated these mass incarcerations and Hillary is behind that super predator rhetoric.”
Anti-Hillary Clinton protesters(left) lined up and questioned Clinton supporters (right) as she walked by the gym area of East Los Angeles College. Clinton held a rally at ELAC on Thursday, May 5.
Eli Diaz questioned Clinton’s visit to ELAC, which according to a spring 2014 report is 77.3 percent Hispanic/Latino.
“This cause is really important to me, I’m actually an Anaheim resident, I’m a dreamer. My political science professor told me about this rally and I didn’t think much of it, but then I heard the chicano side was going to be here representing Latinos.”
“One thing I couldn’t figure out was why [Clinton] would come to ELAC and then I put they date together, May 5, and thats back to what we’ve been fighting, pandering,” he said.
“We don’t exist just on these holidays,” Diaz expressed. “Our issues continue.”
