DON KOHLBAUER / Union-Tribune
Law enforcement agencies from around the county were called to a disturbance at the corner of California and N. Santa Fe Road in Vista Monday night.
Posted on 05/02/2006 8:54:19 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
VISTA – Law officers from around the county raced into Vista last night to help quell what sheriff's officials called a riot, with crowds throwing rocks and bottles at deputies.
Authorities estimated 800 to 1,200 people swarmed the streets after a rally to protest the proposed federal immigration bill had broken up at Wildwood Park on East Vista Way at Escondido Avenue.
Nearly 200 officers poured into town in the hours after Vista deputies radioed for help about 8 p.m.
Officers dressed in riot gear started clearing the streets and ordering crowds to disperse about 11 p.m. Rows of officers with dogs marched down Santa Fe Avenue, followed by cruisers and an armored SWAT car.
“If you don't go home now, you'll be arrested,” officers told the crowd. At Avenida de Benito Juarez and West Los Angeles Drive, officers were donning gas masks at 11:40 p.m. when crowds refused to leave. Some people reportedly had armed themselves with rocks.
By 12:30 a.m., police had cleared the area.
During the day, deputies had been monitoring the park rally, then reported that people were throwing bottles at them, sheriff's Capt. Glenn Revell said. Revell said deputies retreated and were not injured.
Revell said crowds split into three groups, some staying near Wildwood Park, while others congregated along Melrose Drive. Others sat down and blocked the intersection at North Santa Fe Avenue and Bobier Street until officers converged to break up the crowd.
Some 200 people walked up and down Santa Fe Avenue from Bobier Drive to Vista Village Drive. About 10:30 p.m., 40 to 50 police cars lined Santa Fe Avenue. Many officers wore helmets and padding.
“It's not supposed to be a riot, it's supposed to be peaceful,” said Adrian Olivos, 21, of Vista. “I don't know why there is all the commotion.”
“It was spontaneous,” said Christina Colt, 19, of Vista. “People were waving the Mexican and American flags. They all just came together, and out of nowhere cops just started pouring in, and canines.”
Near Wildwood Park, a mob swarmed two television trucks, throwing rocks and trying to overturn them.
“The Sheriff's Department is not placing blame on the demonstrators,” Revell said. “We believe this is a very small group of people who are making this protest for criminal behavior.”
Councilman Frank Lopez said the park rally had been peaceful but loud.
“It was calm, people were enjoying themselves,” Lopez said.
He added that later in the evening, he could hear young people racing up and down the streets in trucks, waving flags and yelling.
“I saw a lot of officers go by” soon after that, Lopez said.
Sheriff's officials requested aid from law agencies around the county. Five Carlsbad officers headed to Vista about 8:30 p.m.
About 9 p.m., the California Highway Patrol sent eight officers from its El Cajon-area office. A short time later, 20 San Diego police officers started racing, lights and sirens on, toward Vista. Escondido sent 19 officers and Oceanside sent nine.
They came from as far away as Coronado and La Mesa, which each sent three officers, while El Cajon sent five, National City six and Chula Vista 11.
Many officers came with patrol dogs, forming lines in the street. Some officers reported no scenes of violence as the evening wore on, but that disturbances popped up in different parts of town.
Mayor Morris Vance said the Wildwood Park cultural event featured a lot of music and speakers, but was breaking up in the late afternoon. Vance knew of no one with permits to march afterward.
Law enforcement agencies from around the county were called to a disturbance at the corner of California and N. Santa Fe Road in Vista Monday night.
They should have shot first and then asked questions.
A crowd is told to to disperse at the corner of Los Angeles and Benito Juareza in Vista on Monday night.
More pics here..
http://photos.signonsandiego.com/gallery1.5/album112
Just a peaceful gathering,, didn't want to let all those rocks&bottles go to waste.
That's uncalled for....and I would hope that you realize that.
“It's not supposed to be a riot, it's supposed to be peaceful,” said Adrian Olivos, 21, of Vista.
Eees not a gang. Eees a club.
Ping
I'll bet a lot of pictures of this make it into the old media.........
What is uncalled for is throwing bottles at deputies.
I agree! Not nice at all...German shepherds would work much better...;)
Yeah, I remember a "spontaneous" riot in the mexican neighborhood of "East Los Angeles" during the summer of 1969.
The mexicans had packed their empty soda bottles with wet beach sand (20 miles from the beach) and launched at least one home made missile at a sheriff's helicopter. One of the guys I went through the Sheriff's academy with was hit in the face with one of the bottles packed with sand. Almost bled to death before reaching the hospital. His wife a very liberal schoolteacher who ranted about the shooting at Kent State was always saying the students were ONLY throwing bottles. She changed her attitude after that.
Gives a whole new meaning to EAT ME .
FRom last night and in FR Breaking News
Another FReeper Scoops the MSM again!
Kudos to mfccinsd and al who tracked this "minor disturbance"/non-news event last night. Good job!
Reports of Immigration Related Unrest in Vista, California (northern SD county) Breaking News ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1625094/posts
They should have shot first and then asked questions.
And THAT is uncalled for....and I think you know it.
I don't agree. If the police are attacked by any weapon that can cause injury, they should respond with force.
They're American law enforcement officers, not Waffen-SS.
Thread chain time!
Vista (CA) Immigration Protest Turns Unruly
NBC-San Diego ^ | May 2, 2006 | NBC-San Diego
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1625344/posts
FR doesn't advocate violence.
"They're American law enforcement officers, not Waffen-SS."
That is one of the current problems with America, too many people in this country think that it is OK to take out their aggression on the Police. And whenever the police respond, they are judged guilty until proven innocent.
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