By Nicole Santa Cruz, Richard Winton and Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times –
ANAHEIM, Calif.—Protesters were marching through the streets of Anaheim on Tuesday evening after clashing with police outside City Hall as officials discussed two deadly police shootings that have rocked the city.
The marchers, including one wielding a stick and another who may have a rock in his hand, were moving south along Anaheim Boulevard toward Disneyland, according to live footage on the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles.
(PHOTO: Protesters gather outside of Anaheim City Hall to protest police killings and the death of Manuel Angel Diaz on Tuesday, July 24, 2012, in Anaheim, California. The City Council meeting was closed by the fire marshal, and police in riot gear were called to push back the crowd from the city hall doors.)
Earlier, chaos broke out as bottles were thrown and police chased people on the streets and sidewalks near City Hall. Anaheim Boulevard between Broadway and Lincoln Avenue was closed off, and people shouted obscenities and threw objects such as orange traffic cones at police.
Sirens wailed as officers formed a skirmish line along Anaheim Boulevard. Officers from Tustin, Brea and Orange responded to a request for aid from the Anaheim Police Department. At least one person was arrested, police said.
The violence broke out as city officials met to discuss the slaying of Joel Mathew Acevedo, who was shot after he fired at an officer Sunday night. A day earlier, Manuel Angel Diaz was killed after running from police on Anaheim’s east side.
As the protesters continued their march, Oscar Velazquez said the dialogue should focus on basic civil rights rather than race.
He said he has friends in Manuel Angel Diaz’s neighborhood.
“It makes me feel like it could be any of us,” said Velazquez, 25.
In Velazquez’s view, the only crime Diaz committed was running from authorities.
“He got capital punishment for evading a police officer,” he said.
The Anaheim police officers union called Diaz a “documented gang member” who was holding a “concealed object in his front waist band with both hands” when he threatened the officer.
