“He is not a police [officer], a police [officer] is supposed to protect and serve,” said Genevieve Huizar while speaking about the Anaheim cop who killed her son, 25-year-old Manuel Diaz, in July 2012. Diaz, considered a gang member by law enforcement officers, was unarmed at the time of the shooting. This incident and other altercations between the Anaheim Police Department and the community evolved into days of rioting and protesting, bringing worldwide attention to the city hosting the “happiest place on earth.”
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One year after the unrest in Anaheim, families of police brutality victims from Anaheim, Oakland, Sacramento, Ventura, Los Angeles and San Francisco came together to share stories and demand justice for their loved ones who were allegedly victims of police brutality.
“Finally the families of police brutality victims have a voice,” Elizabeth Adam said. She drove from Auburn, California to join the march. Her son Robert Henning was fatally shot by L.A. deputies in 2012.
The Anaheim Police, with support of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, monitored protesters' move. According to a source, undercover police blended in as part of the crowd to keep their peers informed of any plans of moving towards Disneyland, which never happened.
View our video from the demonstration here:
