By Julietta Bisharyan
SAN DIEGO – Videos clearly show the San Diego Police Department interrupting peaceful protests in the downtown area with the use of lethal force, including tear gas, concussion grenades, rubber bullets and pepper spray.
According to crowd estimates, more than 1,000 people marched the streets of San Diego in protest against police brutality in the U.S.
One video shows protestors gathered in front of Tower 180, cheering, clapping and playing musical instruments while they march down the streets. The caption describes the peaceful ordeal as a “downright festival.”
1️⃣9️⃣7️⃣ San Diego, CA: peaceful protest – downright festive really – interrupted by tear gas and bullets
— T. Greg Doucette (@greg_doucette) June 3, 2020
Suddenly, the video pans to people beginning to turn around and scatter in the opposite direction. Blue smoke explodes in the background and popping noises sound. The sound of music gets replaced with hurried shouts of, “Go, go, go!”
Another video in San Diego shows police officers kettling protestors – boxing them in one area – toward another set of officers.
1️⃣6️⃣6️⃣ San Diego, CA: One set of cops kettle protestors toward another set of cops, so the second set of cops can shoot them
— T. Greg Doucette (@greg_doucette) June 3, 2020
“Don’t shoot! Stop shooting, we don’t have anywhere to go! This was a peaceful protest!” shouts one woman at a line of police officers bordering the center streets.
As the streets begin to clear of people, officers are seen still shooting at protestors, who are otherwise just trying to leave the area.
“My mom was shot in the face with a flash bang by San Diego PD today around noon,” tweeted one user about his mother, who is an employee of Child Protective Services. “She works for the city of San Diego and was told to leave her work due to the protest. Police in riot gear shot my mom and at her coworkers as they left their office building outside.
“My mom is gonna be okay, her eyes are a bruised up but she can still see. And for the folks that wanna assume I’m lying, I’m not I’m just as shocked and outraged to hear about what happened to my mother,” the user continued.
Another disturbing video shows police officers, who don’t identify themselves, arresting a female protestor by taking her away in an unmarked van. As bystanders yell at them to explain why they are arresting her, an officer responds, “If you follow us, you will get shot. Do you understand me?”
welcome to peaceful protesting. pic.twitter.com/cJREfNujaN
— jaycers (@jaycieelynnn) June 5, 2020
In response to the video, San Diego City Council President Georgette Gómez issued a statement.
“I am calling for an immediate and thorough investigation into this incident, and for the officer who threatened to kill unarmed protesters to be placed on leave. It is incredibly disturbing to hear police officers threaten people’s lives,” read the statement from Gómez.
The bystanders in the video repeatedly ask the officers where they are taking the woman, before officers quickly drive off.
“This reinforces why I won’t ever trust the police again,” said one witness. “I would never think that here in America, the people that are here to protect you could just take people away without telling you where, or why, or who they are.”
San Diego Police Lt. Shawn Takeuchi said that the woman was arrested on suspicion of assault on a peace officer, after undercover officers saw her swing a cardboard sign at a passing officer riding a motorcycle. They arrested her and quickly loaded her into the van for safety reasons from the surrounding crowd.
“The detective felt that was dangerous because the officer had the potential of being knocked off,” Takeuchi said.
Many users raised concern over the arrest, pointing out that no Miranda Rights were read to the woman and that the vehicle was suspiciously unmarked. Others called it “illegal kidnapping.”
The 45-second video has over 1.3 million views on Twitter with the caption “welcome to peaceful protesting.”
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