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Protesters march, block traffic in San Luis Obispo

September 26, 2020

Photo by Richard Bastian

By RICHARD BASTIAN

Protesters marched through the streets of San Luis Obispo on Friday night, at times sitting in intersections and shouting “police get away with murder,” days after an officer was not charged with murder following the death of Breonna Taylor.

Approximately 170 protesters gathered at Mission Plaza to voice concerns, not only about black men, but also over woman of color who have fallen victim to unjustified killings by police. An officer shot and killed Breonna Taylor on March 13, while serving a no-knock warrant.

Photo by Richard Bastian

Protesters blocked the intersections in front of the same restaurants they generally target: Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant, Woodstock Pizza and Firestone Grill. While some locals were supporting restaurants targeted by protesters, other diners said they support the right to protest as long as the law is obeyed.

Photo by Richard Bastian

“It’s their right as Americans to protest as long as they’re following the law, that’s fine,” said Greg Libengood, who was having dinner at Woodstock Pizza. “But the moment they start causing trouble and infringing on our rights, that’s what I have an issue with.”

Photo by Richard Bastian

Several counter-protesters held signs and voiced disagreement with the organizers of Friday’s event. While they attempted to tell a reporter their reasons for supporting law enforcement, a group of BLM protesters surrounded them and tried to drown them out.

Photo by Richard Bastian

“This has been going on for several weeks, but I didn’t come down until June 21 when they began blocking traffic and becoming disruptive,” said Mike, a man concerned about giving his last name. “People want to come out and enjoy a meal on Friday evening and are given no choice but to sit outside, then have their evening disrupted with all the yelling by the protesters.”

Photo by Richard Bastian

Friday’s march was mostly peaceful, aside from blocking traffic and the shouting at diners that was encouraged by protest organizers with bullhorns. The organizers declined to comment.

After leaving the downtown area, the protesters marched to the San Luis Obispo Police Station where they shouted obscenities such as “f**k the police,” for approximately a half hour before dispersing.


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These folks are doing way more damage than good. If theyre so serious about their convictions, get on a bus an protest where the killings have occurred, rather than disrupt tourist or locals trying to enjoy a meal. It’s counterproductive and recreates resentment.


120

It’s sad to think having a meal disrupted is a bigger cost to you than the value behind raising awareness about, and showing support for justice in a wrongful death.


-96

We don’t get our way by infringing on others in America…keep it up…BLM has a minus approval number….since the high right after the Floyd death they have lost support not gained it….so just what is it all about?…a cause or a political temper tantrum?….


64

Omly a couple of the SLO protest were BLM. Most protests WERE not BLM. NONE OF THE VIOLENCE WAS BLM. Actually, BLM never did a “hard right”. Reporters used the BLM notoriety to “sell” stories. Lppters(like Tianna) used the BLM name to hide their true purpose and These people realized that you wanted a convenient scapegoat.. A” faniliar” enemy. And they fed it to you hook, linpe, and sinker. That is why the BLM organization was not charged in the “humdreds” of violent events. Some reporters engaged your worst fears to get you to read their stories.They needlessly ignited your anger. Lesson. check where your information is coming from. Tianna was never a BLM leader she can’t touch the intelligence of he the real BLM approach.Lesson: do your own real research.Especially when someone cab profit from your ignorance.


ttps://calcoastnews.com/2020/09/protesThese peopleters-march-block-traffic-in-san-luis-obispo/comment-page-1/#comment-231873 .


0

Which wrongful death?


George Floyd’s suicide or Breonna Taylor, bookkeeper for her boyfriend’s illegal drug business, getting herself in the middle of a gunfight that said boyfriend initiated with the police?


Or some other wrongful death?


4

Zero tolerance for blocking traffic. This “My sign waiving and virtue signalling is more important than your rights” is beyond hypocritical. Go to a real authoritarian country and try to pull this crap and see how long you last


128

Exercising freedom of assembly in the face of state violence is exactly how we stop this country from becoming authoritarian.


-12

The ironic thing about these “defund police” marches is that they produce the opposite of the marcher’s goal. Last I read was that the overtime paid to the SLO Police was $800,000 and climbing. By now it is probably approaching $1 million. I would imagine those officers are enjoying a lucrative year! All those funds are going directly into their bank accounts. Laughing all the way to the bank, as the saying goes.


95

The ironic thing is that you probably helped vote the police overtime policy in.


-36

The title for this story should be “White privileged Cal Poly kids didn’t get their juice box today and had a tantrum”.


163

How horrible for the family walking with one baby in a stroller, two other kids around age 5 and 8, to hear such foul, language disrespect for the Law and the American Flag, two of the outsiders from Fresno later said they were paid $ 25.00, a room at Motel 6, and a round trip bus ticket for leaving in the morning.


Good news is again the Police from other agencies had embedded agents in the group taking video’s, pictures, tape recording there hate to all of us who live and work here.


Thank YOU to the FBI’s JTTF for being here………….


81

My opinion is that pushing for reform is a great act of patriotism. I respect and support our officers, but the reality we need to understand is that not all officer’s are good enough to be in the places of authority that they are. Additionally, we have policies that started as a way to protect and enable officer’s to enforce Jim Crowe laws and we’re still seeing the effects of these policies.


Bottom line, it’s patriotic to strive to be the best nation we can be.


-39

Actually, here in the west we didn’t have police – why do you think it was called the Wild West, anyway? The goal was to stop horse and cattle thieves and murderous outlaw gangs, not to harass ex-slaves.

The best police reform in SLO will happen on September 30 at 5 PM, when Cantrell’s employment here ends. We have some bad apples here and hopefully we can get a new chief who will do something about them – although with this city council and their woke management, where competency is less important than race, creed, sexual orientation, ad nauseum, I’m not holding my breath!


23

Was Mayor Heidi with them, new rose pin and all?


The moral of the Breonna Taylor story is, don’t serve as bookkkeeper for your boyfriend’s illegal drug business, and don’t stand in the hallway when said boyfriend starts a gunfight with the police.


165

You are disgusting.


-136

Do you have an issue with the facts? If so, please elaborate. It was not “no knock”, the police were investigating drug dealing, and Taylor’s place was in the middle of it, and she was a part of it.


89

I recommend looking into the FBI civil right’s division investigation and report. It’s the clearest I’ve seen the details outlined.


I think it was 5 or 7 properties that warrants were obtained for. The properties were mostly all in the “bad part of town” so to speak, except Breonna Taylor’s. I mean her neighbor was a police detective, who knew nothing about the raid until hearing shots fired. The primary target was Breonna’s ex boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, who was taken into custody right around midnight – Breonna’s house was hit at almost 1AM.


Listening to Kenneth Walker’s 911 call – yes the boyfriend is who called an ambulance for Breonna – It’s pretty clear he did not know the police were who was knocking, whether or not they announced themselves. Kenneth fired his gun low, hit one officer in the knee, and then over 10 rounds were fired back into the house – Brett Hankinson fired his gun blindly through the side window curtains. He was indicted for wanton endangerment, and actually had a history of sexual assault and firing his gun when not necessary.


In summary, the facts are this:

1) Breonna was innocent, no dope or money was ever found

2) The police made several bad decisions leading up to the incident

3) The officer’s killed Breonna in her home

4) She didn’t deserve to die – even if dope and money were found.


The questions remain:

1) Are the officer’s to be held accountable for their killing? Well, the grand jury decided no.

2) Were Breonna’s civil rights violated? The FBI is still investigating, a lot of evidence points to yes but it’s not completely clear.

3) Should police departments be reformed to prevent wrongful deaths? YES!!


-37

Per recordings of Glover in prison, Taylor had held money for him and others. She is on police surveillance with Glover parked out front of drug houses. A murdered man was found in her rental car. What happened to her was tragic, but it doesn’t appear she was “innocent.”


45

Your facts 1.) and 2.) are opinions (with exception to there were no drugs or money). ` If you or I blindly shoot someone that intrudes into our home will we be held accountable and liable, yes. It wasn’t even Walker’a home, but assuming he was protecting his home, he should have been certain that he was facing a lethal threat before firing his gun…and no, armed police serving a legal warrant are not a lethal threat, at least not until they are faced with a lethal threat of their own…which unfortunately was the case. The argument about police reform to prevent wrongful deaths is rather weak…doctors kill more people through medical malpractice (89k-250k/yr), drunk drivers kill more too (10k+/yr) is anyone marching the streets demanding reform over these deaths? Very few people are wrongfully killed by police, and when they are, the officers should be subject to the same consequences as every other citizen, which they are. Police kill approximately 1000 people per year in the US…assuming 5% of these are unjustified (probably a greatly exaggerated %), we are at 50 (equal to the number of homicides in Chicago every 3 weeks). Look at the real hard facts and let’s collectively put our efforts together to reform the areas that really need it!


23

Good call. This following is really trashy.


-3

This pretty much applies to this, Michael Brown, and other incidents. While the black-on-black slaughter in Chicago and other cities is ignored,


82

Protest in Louisville, Kentucky. Say the F bomb at the police department that did the deed in Kentucky. It is a quite doable three day drive, rent buses and go.


18

Winning hearts and minds daily.


83

I’m disapointed that CalCoastNews is helping to spread the fake narrative that the warrant was exercised as a “No Knock”. While the police had the power on the warrant for a “No Knock” the investigators have verified and witnesses confirmed that the officers DID knock and announce themselves and made several attempts BEFORE knocking in the door. Once inside the police were fired upon (and one officer hit) FIRST. Only then did the officers open fire and tragically kill the innocent woman. By not being truthful and honest about what happend, it allows a fake narrative to be spread about police. This tragic event had nothing to do with the Color of the Innocent Woman or the legal gun owner who fired and hit a police officer.


153

Yes. CCN please correct the story to reflect the truth. It was NOT a no-knock warrant. That fact is not debatable.


83

I believe it was authorized as a no-knock warrant, but not executed as such.


41

You need to read the actual warrant it was in fact issued as a Judicial signed NO KNOCK Warrant, it was up to the Officers serving the warrant if they wanted to knock and announce or Knock and bust in. Facts are in the Police Officers favor it could have gone either way.


36

One could argue that the woman was not exactly innocent in this incident…should she have been shot and killed, no. It is a tragedy. However, she died as a result of her and her boyfriend’s poor decisions and not as a result of racism and/or police brutality. The truth does not support the narrative, and if the narrative is not supported, the end goal can not be obtained.


62

Even Shaq and Barkley referenced this.


26

No matter your color, taking any part in something you know is illegal, you no longer can be called innocent.


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