First Arrest For Standing In Front of Renowned Chicano Mural in Orange

By Daffodil J. Altan Wed., Apr. 15 2009 at 2:28 PM

Categories: Breaking News, Main

Easter Sunday. A kid from the Cypress neighborhood in Orange lounges just outside his apartment building where a huge, sprawling mural by influential Chicano artist Emigdio Vasquez is painted on the exterior walls. Bring in the sirens and the Orange PD. Minutes later, you have an arrest. The crime? The teen was standing in front of artwork that the Orange PD and DA's office claim promotes, glamorizes and inspires gang violence. And because the teen was recently added to a preliminary gang injunction issued against alleged gang members of the Orange Varrio Cypress (OVC) gang, standing where he was standing outside his home and in front of a critically acclaimed piece of art, is now illegal, according to the terms of the injunction. (The friend he was with is not named in the injunction).

On Monday, his mother spent the entire day in juvenile court (although the injunction is a civil lawsuit, once someone is caught violating its terms, they are sent to criminal court), fighting to get her son -- who had never been arrested in his life -- out of juvenile hall. A judge finally heard her case and agreed to let her son go, urging that he just "stay away from the mural." A tricky thing given that the mural sits right outside the kid's home, and has nothing to do with gang violence, says Emigdio Vasquez.

Neighbors in the area have erupted in protest since the injunction was served in late February. Parents, community members and defendants have vowed to fight what they say are extreme terms (such as the mural ban, for example) of this latest effort by the DA's office to clamp down on a neighborhood they say is mired in gang violence.

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damm thats sucs for real
I understand the law enforcements reason behind injunctions. However it's clear that it over stepped it's intended enforcement in this case. During the early 1990's entire law abiding families lost there homes, there properties, on just these same laws all over Southern California. I am the son of Pacifist/Artist. My father studied under a great muralist Diego Rivera many decades ago. Thank you Mark Avery who says: "...It's amazing how many people don't understand the point of the 1st Amendment... " I am an educated HUMAN who can be given many labels. The crime of labels is that it seems to separate, not unite us in our common struggles to live a safe and dignified life free from division and oppression. I stop to help the youngsters I come across whether in my community or anywhere else I come across them change towards a positive future free of criminal activities. I pray that rather than get emotional behind this and choose divisive sides, STOP , REACH OUT and help the youngster near you in your neighborhood . The solution isn't to move out, rather to move into your area one person at a time. One on one when the opportunity arises. Unity in the community for positive changes. Educate your minds. Peace
Dumb Daffey, as I have stated before. Educate yourself to the situation. NOT ALL OF THESE PERSONS LISTED ON THIS GANG INJUNCTION ARE GANG MEMBERS... That is what the fight is about. Go to your local court house and pull the records of this case. The judge couldn't even place more the 15 of these on the injunction because the D.A did not have enough evidence, and MANY others were granted a continuance because they ALSO had NOR CRIMINAL RECORD. They were not listed as ACTIVE gang members in the injunction, but ASSOCIATES of gang members.. AND EVEN THE ONES LISTED AS ACTIVE HAD NOOOOOO CRIMINAL RECORD... As a parent, if my child had criminal history and incarcerations, and is out there doing wrong... THEN let him pay for his actions. BUT IF HE IS NOT, and has NO CRIMINAL RECORD, and out functioning fine in society, BUT SPEAKS TO SOMEONE WHO HE HAS GROWN UP WITH HIS WHOLE LIFE, AND HAS CONVERSATIONS WITH, mind you, maybe to change a life... WHY SHOULD THAT PERSON BE CONSIDERED A GANG MEMBER, OR AN ASSOCIATE???? Have you even seen that many are actually high school graduates, and full time employed??? Already have families, moved out of the area and leading productive lives????? Where do you get off saying that Mexicans are Low life? Are you racially profiling like the police department that started this whole process. This minor was doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong.. NO CRIME>. and that is what is being fought... THAT WITH THIS GANG INJUNCTION IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. IF they cannot arrest these persons they say are "gang members" to keep their budget and their "gang unit" for any REAL CRIME.. Now they can arrest them for standing in front of a mural, wearing black or beige clothing, an adult cannot be out after 10 pm.or drink alcohol?? (isn't that what we wait for? to be 21 and be able to do this... and NOW OUR RIGHTS ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY???) AND IF YOU LOOK US UP.. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A RECORD... SO WHY NOW CAUSE US TO HAVE ONE??? Because the police can "assume WE ARE ASSOCIATES OR GANG MEMBERS...SO THEY can keep a position????: Is this correct?? SO IF WE NEVER DID A WRONG... Now we can just be arrested for ANYTHING????? HOW JUST IS THIS??? and as for you that say you are Mexicans and better? I TRULY DOUBT your attempt at trying to make yourselves "better" to those you "want to make feel justified" and NOT VIEW YOU AS A MEXICAN..still do... Sorry. You are profiled in no matter what you say... and make us that are TRYING TO MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR OURSELVES look even worse, when put down by our own race... MANY hispanics come from broken homes, good homes,have bad lives and change, and others just have a good life, but WHY PUT THOSE DOWN THAT ARE TRYING TO SUCCEED IN LIFE, AND ARE ACTUALLY FIGHTING.. DO YOU THINK THAT IF WE WERE THAT DUMB, WE WOULD HAVE COME AS FAR AS WE HAVE???
I agree with Mike, just because my father has a Lowrider and wears Dickies does not make him a gangmember. Our Lowriders are classy and valuable antiques in our family. No we are not Mexican because we are not from Mexico, we are Chicanos. I could care less what you Mexicans think, you are not part of our culture and never will be. If you Mexicans hate us so much, then why did you use Cesar Chavez and his slogan "Si Su Puede" in your immigration marches? You say you are embarrased and ashamed of us, then you use one of our people and claim them to be one of you when you are getting deported. If you are all real Mexicans, then go back to Mexico and enjoy your life because Chicanos don't care what the world thinks of us!
I grew up loving Lowriders and baggy clothes (no shaved head though) and some of you people don't understand a thing about it. I am NOT a gang member or some violent killer, but a educated young man who has values and goals and attends Lowrider car show with my family. To some of you people who say that we are a disgrace to Mexicans or their culture, let me give you this. I am not Mexican, so I don't care what you Mexicans think! I was not born in Mexico and I did not jump a border like some of you scumbags. I am a Chicano and proud of it, so I could care less what Mexicans think because I am not one of you!
It's amazing how many people don't understand the point of the 1st Amendment.
there sure are some very ignorant and very blind dumbasses out there.thats exactly what i meant about people not allowing an individual to change!i guess that means any one single mistake these ignorant people make it is going to stick with them for the rest of their lives simply because these ignorant people wont change as well.so,whatever mistake you dumbasses made in your miserable life,by your words,you`ll do it again!!!nothing is sharper than that razor of a tongue!if the innocent kid got arrested for simply standing in front of the mural than why havent the police documented the artist for his painting?it really doesnt make sense does it?
Really Daffy, those are the facts eh? Ask yourself this, how do you know he has no record? It's juvenile, so no one at the court could confirm it to you. Got that from the parents. The judge just told him to stay away, eh? Got that from the parents too, since juvenile is a closed proceeding. Either those parents are OVC themselves or they haven't been keeping an eye on their kid. If THAT is the case, they should thank the police and DA for giving him and them a wake up call. Watch your kid and don't let him hang out with violent gang members. If they are truly NOT OVC or associates, they should move. Seriously, it is NOT SAFE for their child next to that mural! WAKE UP! The injunction doesn't apply to all Mexicans as you like to imply, it is to specific people with a history of ACTIVE GANG MEMBERSHIP!
you are sooo right Cholosrlame!!!!
PLEASE LETS GET RID OF ALL THESE CHOLOS -THEY GIVE ALL MEXICANS A BAD NAME. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT THE PURPOSE OF A GANG IS OTHER THAN TO KICK IT AND FIGHT WITH ANOTHER GANG OVER TURF (WHATS SAD IS THAT MOST OF THESE CHOLOS PROTECTING THEIR TURF DON'T EVEN OWN THE PROPERTY THEY ARE CLAIMING AS THEIR OWN)-AWAY WITH THE CHOLOS!!!
good. show a pic of the kid.. i bet he's bald with baggy clothes.. Let's get rid of these gangsters in our neighborhood. BTW i am mexican and I am tired of having our neighborhoods full of gangs drugs and graffiti. PS - i don't know about you but MY MEXICAN CULTURE doesnt have lowriders in it.. Thats gangster stuff .. dont try to pin it on my culture.
Wow. Hey, there's also an image of Che Guevara on the mural too. Someone alert the DHS. If you stand in front of it, you're a Communist!