Latest news with #JuneteenthFestival
Los Angeles Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
‘Shock and disbelief': U.S. citizen says ICE arrested her during Santa Ana park raid
Heidi Plummer, a U.S. citizen and Orange County attorney, strolled through Centennial Regional Park in Santa Ana on June 14 to clear her mind after a family funeral when she suddenly encountered an immigration raid. The park, with its vast grassy fields, playgrounds and artificial lake, usually bustles with families watching youth soccer games on weekends while push-cart vendors sell ice pops. 'There were families picnicking and spending time together,' Plummer said. 'But it was definitely a quiet day.' Out of view on the opposite end of the nearly 70-acre park, event organizers, city staffers and vendors welcomed guests to the city-sponsored Juneteenth Festival, which celebrated the end of chattel slavery. Plummer recounted seeing several vans pull into a big parking lot near where she walked, sometime between noon and 1 p.m. Masked federal agents poured out of the vans wearing tactical gear emblazoned with 'ICE' and made their way through the park. 'They were just grabbing people that were close to them and handcuffing them,' Plummer said. She stood only a few feet from the sweep, she said, when ICE agents approached and arrested her. Plummer said the federal agents didn't ask any questions before taking her personal belongings and leading her back to their vans. Plummer, who is half-Ecuadorian, began advising people of their rights after agents handcuffed her. In Spanish, she told those arrested by ICE not to answer any questions and to ask for a lawyer. Her advice continued after vans transported Plummer and other detainees to an ICE detention facility in Santa Ana. Agents had separated men from women in different vans. Plummer said that at the center she was held in a room without enough chairs for all the women detained. Agents called detainees up one by one. Plummer said she provided authorities with her identification. After about an hour-and-a-half, they returned her ID, cellphone and released her. A spokesperson for ICE did not respond to a TimesOC request for comment. After the raid, which the Daily Journal first reported, Plummer retained legal representation. 'It's pretty clear that it's racial profiling,' Jesse Rivera, an attorney representing Plummer, said of the raid. 'They're going in and just grabbing Latinos. It's a clear violation of these individuals' constitutional rights.' The raid appeared to have avoided drawing much attention in Santa Ana, Orange County's only sanctuary city. A spokesperson for the Santa Ana Police Department, which had personnel at the park during the Juneteenth Festival, was not aware of any raids that day. The Orange County Rapid Response Network, a coalition of ICE watching activists, did receive a tip about the Centennial Regional Park ICE raid, but did not have any photos or videos to put out a confirmed public alert. As a Santa Ana resident, Plummer reached out to Rep. Lou Correa, a Democrat representing the 46th congressional district, about her arrest. 'Being a U.S. citizen means something,' Correa said of Plummer. 'It means that under the U.S. Constitution, you have rights. Right now, it appears that none of those rights are being respected.' Correa recently introduced the No Secret Police Act that would require federal immigration agents, such as the ones Plummer said arrested her, to clearly display identification and be banned from wearing non-tactical face masks. 'Having masked individuals not identifying themselves, just jumping [out] at people, essentially racially profiling them, is creating a very dangerous situation here,' he said. Plummer's arrest is cited in a federal class action lawsuit filed Wednesday against the Trump administration by civil and immigrant rights groups alleging that the raids have, in part, 'led to numerous U.S. citizens who work, reside, or just happen to be in neighborhoods with large numbers of people of color also getting swept up.' Outside of the class action suit, Plummer, who is the vice president of the Orange County Women Lawyers Assn. and co-founder of the Newport Beach Bock & Plummer firm, is reviewing her legal options following the arrest. 'We're investigating this matter,' Rivera said. 'We're making the determination as to whether or not an action should be filed.' In the meantime, Plummer is still recovering from the harrowing ordeal. 'I've been going to Centennial Park my entire life,' she said. 'I was in utter shock and disbelief that this could happen to any U.S. citizen.'
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Anderson shooting: One killed, multiple injured in VFW Juneteenth incident
Jun 22, 2025 05:12 PM IST Tragedy struck Saturday night at a Juneteenth celebration when a shooting occurred at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post on Scarborough Road. The Anderson County Sheriff's Office confirmed that one person has died, and ten others were injured in the violent incident. A shooting at a Juneteenth celebration in Anderson County resulted in one death and ten injuries. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)(HT_PRINT) Also Read: Anderson, SC mass shooting reports: Multiple people shot at Veterans of Foreign Wars post, witnesses say According to WSPA, the sheriff's office has revealed that 10 people were injured in the shooting that took place Saturday night. While one person was flown to the Greenville memorial, at least eight were taken to the nearby hospitals in Anderson and Greenville. The officials also pronounced one victim dead at the scene and have identified him as Laporshia Janae Gray Cobb of Anderson. The 35-year-old died after failing to survive a gunshot to the abdomen. His death has been ruled a homicide. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, which took place during the community gathering marking Juneteenth, a day of historic significance. Also Read: Tulsa shooting: Gunfire erupts at Juneteenth Festival in Greenwood, multiple victims feared Anderson County Sheriff's Office releases statement In a statement, the Anderson County Sheriff's Office said, 'The chaotic scene brought in more than 50 law enforcement personnel, EMS, firefighters, troopers and SCDNR after hundreds of people scattered, leaving behind shoes and debris in the roadway. We know the crowd gathered for a Juneteenth celebration for the sixth year in a row," as reported by FoxCarolina.
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Tulsa shooting: Gunfire erupts at Juneteenth Festival in Greenwood, multiple victims feared
Jun 22, 2025 01:19 PM IST Social media posts have claimed that there was a mass shooting at Tulsa's Juneteenth Festival, which is believed to have left many wounded. Journalist Lauren Henry shared on X, citing @KTULNews, 'Reports of a shooting at Tulsa's Juneteenth Festival. This video was taken near Greenwood and Archer. We've heard there are multiple victims but we're waiting to confirm with police. We will keep you updated as more information is made available.' Tulsa shooting: Gunfire erupts at Juneteenth Festival in Greenwood, multiple victims feared (Unsplash - representational image) Meteorologist and Tulsa native Mike Collier wrote, 'Major shooting at Greenwood in downtown Tulsa. One reported fatality'.
Boston Globe
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
The Black Response asks ‘Where Do Black Men Live?'
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Inspired by Lee Mun Wah's Advertisement 'The stories are really rich and important,' Guirand said. 'And for me, one of my commitments in doing the project — and I was really held accountable by the participants — was that I would share the stories back with the community.' Film still from "Where Do Black Men Live?" Corinne Spencer As The Black Response prepares for its third screening of the film and first Juneteenth Festival in Cambridge Common, Guirand is keeping her promise. Advertisement At the past two screenings at She said she hopes the film continues to be a catalyst for people to share their experiences and dismantle the narrative that the Cambridge community is solely affluent people. 'I think telling these stories and making it real shows that there are marginalized people everywhere,' Guirand said. 'Especially in these times, it's really important to document those stories and sit in community together and share and listen, and that's what we're hoping that people do, especially on Juneteenth.' Recently, 'I think this film is going to help people to reflect,' Guirand said. 'Hearing these stories, seeing these men, it makes it more real. It reminds people that these things are happening in one of the most affluent cities in the world and it's really important, and I'm incredibly grateful that we get the opportunity to do it.' The film serves as the opening to The Black Response's Juneteenth Festival. That morning, parents can drop their children off at a childcare service provided by the organization in Cambridge Common and go watch the film at the Brattle Theatre. Advertisement Afterwards festival-goers can partake in conversations about the film's themes as they enjoy free food, live music, and spoken word performances, and explore the numerous community groups tabling throughout Cambridge Common. There will also be a 3-D printed mockup of a monument by Haitian artist Woodly Caymitte on display that The Black Response hopes to erect in the future. The monument is intended to symbolize the hope for true freedom from mass incarceration one day. Guirand said the monument will serve as a place for people to reflect on the toll mass incarceration takes and the people who have fought against it. Along with the sculpture, the installation will incorporate excerpts of interviews with formerly incarcerated people about their experiences. Guirand said she hopes the film, the celebration, and the monument stand as a call to action. Juneteenth is a day for reflecting on those who were enslaved and remembering there is still more work to be done, she said. 'Coming to our event, a free community event, is an opportunity to plug into that as a source for collective reflection and to refuel and then get to work with like community people to make change,' Guirand said. The Black Response's Juneteenth Festival, June 19, from 12:30 to 4 p.m. For more information, .
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
Round Rock Juneteenth Festival plans to honor victims from last year's shooting
ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — It's been nearly a year since the deadly shooting during a Juneteenth Festival in Round Rock. Safety is on the minds of many as the event will kick off Friday for the first time since the shooting. Organizer Cluren Williams told KXAN they plan to remember the victims who died at the celebration. 'We're going to actually start doing a memorial for the family,' Williams said The shooting at Old Settlers Park killed two women and injured 14 others. Law enforcement said a fight broke out between two groups, and shots were fired. According to an arrest affidavit, it was likely part of an ongoing violent feud between two gangs. Court documents said the shooting began as a confrontation over a 'rap diss.' Four more suspects arrested in connection to Round Rock Juneteenth celebration shooting The Round Rock Police Department said all of the victims were innocent bystanders. A total of seven people have been arrested. Suspects range from a juvenile to a 20-year-old. The City of Round Rock told KXAN leading up to this year's event, it held regular operational meetings about its safety plans. This year's event is in a different area of the park due to ongoing construction of bond projects. It's in a smaller area but is still an open park setup with a stage. Juneteenth shooting suspects targeted rival gang member after 'rap diss,' RRPD says Their plan includes the following: Law enforcement presence Crowd monitoring devices SkyWatch towers and drone surveillance On-site medical response teams Centralized command center While it is taking extensive safety measures, the city said no public event can be completely risk-free. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
