Hundreds Marched Against Police Brutality

Protestors gathered in Anaheim

On Sunday, hundreds of civilians marched through Anaheim, marking the one year anniversary of a police shooting that killed Manuel Diaz, 25, who was unarmed. The demonstration also focused on the police brutality that has taken place in Anaheim recently. The day after police shot Manuel Diaz, another police shooting took place that took the life of 21 year old Joel Acevedo, this led to several days of protesting last year. Protestors formed a rally at Anaheim City Hall and after marched to the police headquarters. Family members of the victims of police brutality took turns speaking, the march also paid tribute to Trayvon Martin. The mother of Manuel Diaz, as well as the mother of Joel Acevedo have organized many rallies since last year attempting to create a citizen’s commission that will have the power to review allegations of police brutality. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office have found that the shootings of both Joel Acevedo and Manuel Diaz were justified after an investigation took place. “So far everything has been as indicated by the organizers, lawful and peaceful,” Sergeant Bob Dunn, of the Anaheim Police Department said. The crowd, who was estimated to be about 300 protestors by police department, contained 30 women who have lost loved ones during police shootings in Southern California. Last year Anaheim police were involved in nine shootings, five of them led to deaths. This year, Anaheim police have only been involved in one shooting and no one has been injured. Michael Prysner of Answer LA, the group that organized Sunday’s demonstration had this to say in regards to police brutality “There is an inextricable link between the death of Trayvon Martin and the daily killing of people by law enforcement. That is racial profiling.” Many protestors have claimed that they are not against the police department, but wish for racial profiling to stop.