BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Several protesters gathered outside of Congressman Vince Fong’s Office on Monday in solidarity with the protests happening in Los Angeles County.
- Protesters gathered outside Congressman Vince Fong's office in support of LA raids protests.
- Fong's tweet supporting Trump's response to LA rallies sparked backlash from the community.
- Protesters criticized Fong for not advocating for undocumented individuals.
- Chants and signs were used to express opposition to Fong's statements.
- Demonstrators emphasized the importance of peaceful protest and exercising First Amendment rights.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
And back here at home, several protesters gathered outside of Congressman Vince Fong's Office on Monday in solidarity with the protests happening in Los Angeles County. This comes following a tweet by Fong in which he essentially supports Trumps response to the rallies happening all over LA.
"We're not criminals," stated one of the protesters, Gladys Flores. "We're protesting and we have the right to protest. I think that's what makes the United States different."
With chants and signs, protesters took to Congressman Vince Fong's office to demonstrate their opposition to a tweet he posted Sunday morning.
Fong's tweet stating quote, "Governor Gavin Newsom is siding with violent mobs attacking ICE and federal agents. It's disgraceful. California democrats have let chaos fester—and now the whole country is watching. President Trump is stepping up to provide safety while LA leaders hide from reality."
Words that didn't sit well with these protesters, who say it is up to them to speak out for their undocumented brothers and sisters.
"We're here to stand in solidarity with our community members not just in Kern County, but in Los Angeles and our border counties all over our state that are affected by this," said another protester, Ashley Garcia Rios.
With Kern County having a large Hispanic population, protesters are asking Fong to rethink his decision to support the Trump Administration and focus on supporting his constituents.
"Instead of defending a president that's sending Marines and Marshals to attack citizens of the U.S., instead of him advocating for that, why doesn't he advocate for our own community, our own people that work here," said Hector, another protester.
I did reach out to Fong's office Monday evening, and am still waiting for comment over this protest.
Protesters remind the community to exercise their first amendment right, doing it peacefully so that the message doesn't get lost.
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