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Los Angeles Times
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Galaxy fans protest team's silence in response to ICE raids
Gloria Jiménez and Bruce Martin, leaders of a Galaxy supporter group called the Angel City Brigade, are certain this is no time to be quiet. Since its founding in 2007, the Angel City Brigade, one of the Galaxy's largest fan groups, has made its voice heard in sections 121 and 122 of Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson. On Friday, during the typically festive Fourth of July fireworks game, Galaxy supporter groups decided to express their frustration and anger over seeing Southern California's Latino community targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in recent weeks. The fans say they are upset by the Galaxy management's silence amid ICE's presence in the Latino community. The majority of Galaxy fans are Latino, but the team has not issued any statements in support of fans, remaining as quiet as the Dodgers until the MLB team felt pressure and made a $1 million donation to benefit families impacted by the raids. The Galaxy and representatives of the teams' supporter groups have held closed-door talks, but it didn't lead to a public statements by the club. Before the match against the Whitecaps on Thursday outside Dignity Health Sports Park, Angel City Brigade displayed signs that read 'Stop the Raids,' 'Free Soil' and 'No One is Illegal. At the end of the national anthem, 'Victoria Block,' the section where most of the Galaxy's fan groups stand, unfurled a tifo with three images: a farm worker; Roy Benavidez, a U.S. Army Medal of Honor recipient; and Elena Rios, president of the National Hispanic Health Foundation. At the bottom, the banner read: 'Fight Ignorance, Not Immigrants.' During the 12th minute of the match, the Angel City Brigade left the stands in protest. Supporter groups the Galaxians and Galaxy Outlawz protested silently, carrying no drums or trumpets. They also did not sing or chant during the game. 'What's going on in Los Angeles has nothing to do with the players. They know that. What's going on in Los Angeles we don't like,' Manuel Martínez, leader of the Galaxy Outlawz, said before the match. 'I belong to a family of immigrants who became citizens. So we know the struggle that people go through. We know that there are hard working, innocent workers out there.' The Riot Squad, on the other side of the stadium, also remained silent during and displayed a message that read: 'We like our Whiskey Neat, and our Land and People Free.' This is not the first time Galaxy fan groups have taken action when they were unhappy team management. Angel City Brigade, along with other groups such as LA Riot Squad, Galaxy Outlawz and the Galaxians, led boycott while demanding the removal of then-team president Chris Klein following mismanagement and decisions they felt didn't make the team competitive enough to win. Their effort paid off: Klein stepped down and new management eventually led the club to its sixth MLS championship secured at the end of last season. On Friday, in addition to issuing a statement reaffirming their 'non-discriminatory principles, which oppose exclusion and prejudice based on race, origin, gender identity, sexuality or gender expression,' the fans decided to organize a fundraiser to support pro-immigrant organizations affected by the Trump administration's budget cuts: Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Border Kindness and Immigrant Defenders Law Center. To raise funds, they sold T-shirts with an image of a protester in Chinatown confronting an ICE agent. 'This is our way of showing that we want to help, and to fight what's going on,' said Martin, a Los Angeles native. The T-shirt sales raised $4,000 for the three organizations. Previously, Angel City Brigade, like other Galaxy supporter groups, decided not to travel to the June 28 road match against the Earthquakes in San José as a precaution against the raids. About 600 Galaxy fans typically attend the road match. 'We have members who have not been able to work. We have members who have not been able to, go out to games or attend events. San José would have been one of them,' Jiménez said. 'We decided that as a group, we couldn't travel without leaving our brothers and sisters here. So in solidarity with the people who can't attend because of fear of what's going on, we decided to cancel the event.' While the other two professional soccer teams in Los Angeles — LAFC and Angel City FC — have issued public statements in support of the Latino immigrant community, the Galaxy's ownership has not addressed the issue. Angel City took its support further, wearing 'Immigrant City Football Club' warm-up shirts, giving some shirts away to fans and selling more on its website as a fundraiser to support an organization that provides legal support for immigrants. So far, the only member of the Galaxy who has addressed the issue publicly is head coach Greg Vanney. 'I think we all know someone who is probably affected by what's going on, so it's hard from a human standpoint not to have compassion for the families and those who are affected by what's going on,' Vanney said prior to a game against St. Louis City SC in June. 'We have to really help each other, versus expecting others to do it,' Jiménez said. 'That the support didn't come from our team, as we expected, broke our hearts into a thousand pieces.' In the past, the Galaxy and supporter groups have collaborated while celebrating various Latin American countries, incorporating their cultural symbols into team merchandise. But amid the Galaxy's silence, fans are starting to doubt the sincerity of the cultural celebrations. 'It's sad and disappointing to me. This team that has been in Los Angeles since the mid-1990s, and they've leveraged the culture for publicity. When they signed [Mexican soccer star] Chicharito for example, they were strong on Mexican culture and things like that. So when this all started, you would think that they would be for their culture, that they would be there for the fans,' Jiménez said. 'And by not saying anything, it doesn't say that they really care about it. Families are being torn apart and they just stay silent.' Jiménez said there isn't a day that goes by that she doesn't cry or feel anger about the ICE raids. 'We already know what we are to them, we are not friends or family,' she said of the Galaxy. 'We are fans and franchise.' Martin said he has received messages on social media, including from Galaxy fans and supporters of other teams, criticizing his stance. However, Angel City Brigade said its members made a unanimous decision to protest. 'We have always had moments where we have a very clear vision about how we feel,' Jiménez said. 'And I think this is one of the times when everyone has made the same decision.' Galaxy fans plan to stage more protests during the team's next home match. This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.
Los Angeles Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
After ICE activity in Nashville, this Latino soccer supporter group canceled its match day activities
If you've ever been to a Major League Soccer match, chances are your eyes and ears were immediately drawn to the supporters' section, the part of the stadium where the home team's biggest diehards stand — there are seats there, but these are rarely used. In many cases, these supporter groups tend to be collectives made up of smaller factions, who come together Voltron-style to provide the match's heartbeat. People from all walks of life pound their drums, wave their flags and cheer nonstop for 90-plus minutes, all united by the love they feel for the crest on their jerseys. The L.A. Galaxy has Victoria Block; LAFC has the 3252. In my opinion, this is one of the better features of this country's interpretation of the beautiful game. Last Saturday, Nashville SC's section, the Backline Supporters Collective, was awfully quiet during the club's home match at Geodis Park against Charlotte FC. On Friday, la Brigada de Oro, the group's Latino faction, announced on social media that it would be canceling its pre-match tailgate due to ongoing immigration enforcement activity in the area. Many of the group's members skipped the game altogether. It was not an unfounded fear. The previous weekend, the Tennessee Highway Patrol conducted a joint operation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which resulted in 588 stops and 103 people taken into custody. 'During difficult times, family stands together— when one of us is affected, we all are,' the group said in their statement. 'And at this moment it doesn't feel prudent to celebrate, cheer and party while so many families within our community are being separated and destroyed.' In response, the other Backline sections ensured that la Brigada de Oro's absence was felt, instituting a 10-minute-long moment of silence between the 15th and 25th minute of the match, and holding banners in Spanish and English that read, 'We are not all here.' According to the Nashville Banner, stadium security tried to confiscate these signs, but were met with heavy resistance before eventually giving up. 'We were prepared to walk out,' Noah Klibonoff, a supporter who attended the match, told the local outlet. 'We would have pulled the capos off the stands. This is bigger than soccer. There's a whole group of us who couldn't be here because of outside agitators.' By Saturday night, word had spread throughout the U.S. soccer community. Supporter groups from across the league and the country posted messages of solidarity, letting la Brigada know that they were not alone. 'It's been so well appreciated, something that we never fathomed. It left us speechless and definitely grateful because of the understanding factor, more than anything,' said Abel Acosta, one of the co-founders of la Brigada de Oro. I had reached out to the group via Instagram requesting an interview. Acosta, 48, and fellow co-founder Coral Cook, 36, agreed to jump on a call with me. The group was founded in 2019, when Nashville SC was still playing in the USL Championship, and was born out of a desire to 'bring Latino flavor to the stands.' It's understandable — soccer is taken very seriously south of the border, and passion for the sport is a characteristic of many Latin American diasporas in the United States. 'I always say we wanted to build that bridge between the American and Latino culture, but more than anything we want to be a foundation for Latinos to come and feel welcome at games,' Acosta said. La Brigada de Oro has been a mainstay at Geodis Park ever since. Acosta and Cook said the choice to cancel their tailgate and skip the match was done out of a desire to protect la Brigada de Oro's members. It wasn't an easy decision, but one that felt necessary. 'I don't think people feel that security,' said Cook. 'I don't think that fear is going away overnight. Our members all feel the same way. The ones here with legal work visas, U.S. citizens, they don't feel safe.' In our conversation, Acosta revealed that the son of one member had been apprehended the previous weekend, and had already been transferred to a detention center in Louisiana. 'It's something that really hit close to us personally, not as a group, but on a friendship level,' he said. The two admitted that they didn't expect la Brigada de Oro's decision to cancel their tailgate and skip the match would make national news, but they're glad it did. 'We've been the first MLS city to be hit this way. This isn't just a Nashville thing. This is a countrywide thing,' said Acosta, pointing to the fact that the U.S. is poised to host two major soccer events, this summer's FIFA Club World Cup (some matches will take place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena) and next year's World Cup. 'We'll have visitors from close to 100 countries. We want them to come, we want them to celebrate, we want them to watch the game. But when the time is up, they'll have to go home, otherwise they'll have to talk to Secretary Noem,' Vice President JD Vance recently said at a White House news conference announcing that Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, would be in charge of a World Cup task force. Secretary Noem refers to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees federal immigration enforcement. 'It's not very welcoming, is it? Those statements have ripple effects,' Acosta said of Vance's comments. Not all of the feedback has been positive. Cook said that some of the discourse online about their decision had been negative. 'A lot of different things are being said about us. They're saying that we're boycotting Nashville SC, that all our members are undocumented. We're doing this because we're standing by our members,' Cook reiterated. When asked if club officials had reached out to la Brigada de Oro's leadership, Acosta confirmed that they had been in touch, but didn't divulge much about their exchange and surmised that the Nashville SC was likely hampered by an MLS policy that discourages taking any action that might be seen as political. 'This is not a political issue. This is a community issue that's happening in the community that you're such a big part of. This is a scenario in which the community is suffering and being attacked,' Acosta said. 'We have worked hard to make Geodis Park a safe, family-friendly environment where everyone feels welcome to come and enjoy a soccer match, concert or other event. While we can only control what happens inside our stadium, we are committed to keeping Geodis Park that way for all of our fans,' a Nashville SC spokesperson said in an emailed statement to The Times. 'It is unfortunate that some of our fans aren't there with us right now. Their presence is certainly missed and we look forward to having all members of La Brigada and our Supporter's Groups back very soon. On every match night, we are going to continue to create a fun, inclusive environment for all our fans within the guidelines set forth by Major League Soccer.' In the meantime, Acosta and Cook said that they're unsure exactly when la Brigada de Oro will be returning to Geodis Park. 'We don't know when it's going to feel right to go back and actually enjoy a game,' said Cook. 'I'd be a hypocrite to show up and do a tailgate, so we're going to stand by our members because ultimately they're the ones who make up our group. It has nothing to do with boycotting Nashville SC. It's purely because of their safety.' Acosta added that they are not discouraging their supporters from attending matches, but that the group won't be at Saturday's home stand against DC United. 'They'll be away for a couple of weeks,' Acosta said, referring to Nashville's upcoming road stint. 'We'll take it from there and see where we are at.' Earlier this week, my colleague Suzy Exposito profiled Colombian American singer Kali Uchis, who released her ninth studio album, 'Sincerely,' May 9 on Capitol Records. It's a great read. But what struck me the most about the feature is Uchis opening up about her reconciliation with her mother and the grief she carried after her passing. This part hit me in the gut and I haven't recovered since: 'I tried to go out and do stuff while not telling anyone [she died],' said Uchis. 'It just felt disrespectful to her life and her legacy … Because it's the first thing that's on [my] mind as soon as [I] wake up and as soon as [I] go to sleep. My mom was really proud, and dedicating the album to her felt like the right thing to do.' Longtime readers of this newsletter might know that I lost my father to cancer a little over a year ago. I'm coping a lot better now, but what Uchis said rang true for me. No matter how much one might heal, that absence never really goes away. I've stopped talking about it mostly because people don't want to be bummed out when I tell them about my dead dad, but his loss is something I've continued to carry and likely will for the rest of my life. Lord Buffalo cancels European tour after drummer was detained by U.S. border officials Texas band Lord Buffalo canceled its upcoming European concert after drummer Yamal Said, a Mexican national with a green card, was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on May 12 at Dallas Forth Worth International Airport. Las Mil Amores are proving the haters wrong with their continued online success If you've spent any time on Dodger TikTok, chances are you've come across Las Mil Amores, a sister duo that have gone viral for their videos in support of their hometown team. Their content, which has a public access TV vibe to it, has been polarizing — many of the comments ridicule the pair while others are made in their defense. Aventura and Don Omar's 'Ella y Yo' is still scorchin' hot 20 years later A clash between two Caribbean titans — Romeo Santos and Don Omar — 'Ella y Yo' was a betrayal song for the ages. For the De Los recurring series, 'Remember this banger,' staff writer Andrea Flores takes a look back at the fiery track. How Ambar Lucid harnessed her intuition to make a bold new indie EP Ambar Lucid's third EP, 'El Jardín de Lágrimas,' comprises seven spellbinding tracks that come nearly four years after her last EP, 'Get Lost in the Music' — which was preceded by her 2020 debut album, 'Garden of Lucid.' Award-winning doc 'Selena y Los Dinos' has been acquired by Netflix The 'Selena y Los Dinos' documentary that premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival has been acquired by Netflix and is set for winter 2025 release. NBC's 'Lopez vs. Lopez' cancellation underscores ongoing broadcast struggles NBC has canceled 'Lopez vs. Lopez' after three seasons. The multi-cam sitcom explored the dynamics within a working class family that learns to coexist after an old-school Latino dad (George Lopez) moves in with his mostly estranged Gen-Z daughter (Mayan Lopez), her boyfriend (Matt Shively) and their son (Brice Gonzalez). Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida make Latin music history on the Billboard 200 This week, Bad Bunny and Fuerza Regida became the first Spanish-language artists to simultaneously hold the top two spots in the Billboard 200 albums chart. A 'Scheme' hatched just for Benicio del Toro: 'It's a hell of a gift' Wes Anderson wrote 'The Phoenician Scheme' with the actor in mind. In advance of its Cannes debut, Times contributor Carlos Aguilar caught up with Del Toro on the biggest role of his career. Salvadoran cookbook makes history with Beard nomination Congratulations to L.A. author Karla Tatiana Vasquez, whose 'The SalviSoul Cookbook' earned a James Beard Foundation Book Award nomination in the international cookbook category. Riverside wants to become 'the new Detroit.' Can this self-driving electric bus get it there? In 2023, Riverside approved a two-year pilot program to have the Riverside Transit Agency operate, staff and maintain three automated, fully electric shuttle buses. The first bus began serving the Riverside Municipal Airport this week. Latin Music Festivals Scramble Amid Visa Uncertainty: 'It's Scary' [Rolling Stone] Last week, organizers for Chicago's Michelada Fest announced that they were canceling their event due to concerns over obtaining visas for its Latin American artists. Tomás Mier spoke to other festival organizers to see how they're dealing with this very issue. Sick Daze [Substack] Earlier this month, Alex Zaragoza, De Los contributing columnist and my very good friend, launched a Substack called 'Sick Daze' that chronicles her battle with cancer — she was diagnosed with Stage 3a breast cancer this past February. The subject matter is certainly heavy, but Alex writes with such wit, humor and vulnerability that the reader quickly moves past any discomfort they might be feeling.
