San Luis Obispo County has seen nearly a week of anti-racism and police brutality protests — and members of motorcycle clubs have made their presence known at many demonstrations.
Motorcyclists wearing colors, jackets and vests indicating affiliations with Vagos, Moloch and Gold Coast Wheelers clubs could be spotted lining the streets of Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and Nipomo during recent marches.
While protesters marched by and chanted the name of George Floyd — a black man who died in Minneapolis on May 28 after a police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes — some motorcyclists sported large hunting knives on their belts, and some parked their bikes diagonally in front of local businesses.
The groups claimed they were on hand to protect shops and storefronts from community concerns about vandalism and looting.
“Our whole goal behind the whole thing is we don’t want people to destroy the shops in our town,” said Byron Posey, a Vagos member.
But police officials in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles say they don’t need assistance from civilians who haven’t received any law enforcement training.
“We don’t need untrained folks causing unintended consequences,” said Chief Ty Lewis of the Paso Robles Police Department.
UNFOUNDED FEARS OF VANDALISM
San Luis Obispo County has not experienced any vandalism connected to anti-racism protests.
On Monday night, a group of juveniles broke seven windows at three San Luis Obispo businesses, but the incident was not tied to demonstrations held earlier in the evening, police said.
Even so, unfounded fears of community destruction have run rampant on social media. Business owners in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and Grover Beach have boarded up their windows in anticipation of protests.
During an anti-racism march in Grover Beach on Friday, men stood on the roof of Pit Martial Arts and Fitness holding guns and wearing tactical vests. The gym owner claimed the men were serving as “a visual deterrent” to protect the business from vandalism and looting.
Posey said the Vagos members who’ve stood outside county businesses during demonstrations aren’t trying to cause trouble or make people feel uncomfortable.
He said they would try to prevent vandalism if they see it about to occur, but stopped short of saying they would resort to violence.
Posey said he hoped “us just being there,” would be enough to deter people from attacking businesses.
“Unfortunately, it’s the intimidation,” he said. “People see motorcycles and tattoos, and they’re intimidated.”
Even so, he hopes people realize that motorcycle club members “are regular people, too.”
“We have kids and families, but we’re also in a bike club,” Posey said.
WHIP-CRACKING IN DOWNTOWN PASO ROBLES
In spite of Posey’s message, the motorcyclists’ presence has upset people and made law enforcement feel uneasy.
One man — a Moloch member, according to Posey — was filmed on Tuesday cracking a whip on Park Street in downtown Paso Robles around the same time as the anti-racist protest.
As the video pans to show the motorcyclists and their bikes, someone can be heard saying, “Here’s all the real Americans.”
The video was posted on the Connect the Coast Instagram page, where viewers expressed their concern and outrage.
“This is the side of the coast that most black people see EVERYDAY!!” the post reads. “White people eager to regress to the days of slavery so they can revisit their weapons of oppression while the police anxiously wait in the wings to incite and assist them at every turn! This was at a peaceful protest in Paso Robles. … They say they were there to protect the businesses so why did they need a whip to do it?”
Posey said the man is known to carry a whip around, and people asked to see it.
When asked if he could understand why cracking a whip near an anti-racist protest is offensive, Posey said he understood the situation after the fact. However, the man didn’t mean to make that kind of statement, Posey said.
But Police Chief Lewis said the man was clearly sending a threatening message with the whip.
“It was disgusting,” Lewis said. “Had I seen that guy in person, I would’ve arrested him on the spot.”
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MOTORCYCLE CLUBS
Lewis said he understands some of the motorcycle club members guarding businesses are “well-intentioned,” but their presence is a “double-edged sword” because it creates unpredictability for police officers in an already tense situation.
“We have a purpose,” Lewis said of police. “It’s to build trust in the community and to keep the community safe.”
After the Paso Robles protest, county Sheriff Ian Parkinson wrote a post on his Facebook page with an update.
“All is good in Paso,” he wrote. “It ended peacefully. I had 30 deputies, command and supervisors assisting Paso PD. Chief Lewis, PD and our SLOSO did a great job! Thank you to the people in Paso that came out and had our back.”
Some commenters on Parkinson’s post seemed to think the reference to people “that came out and had our back” was alluding to motorcycle club members.
“The sheriff did not have contact with the motorcycle groups,” said Tony Cipolla, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman, when asked about the post. “He was referring to citizens that he saw that stated they supported us and said thank you.”
When asked about the sheriff’s stance on the motorcycle clubs, Cipolla said Parkinson “has already made known what his expectation is for a peaceful protest and hopes every citizen in the county abides by that expectation.”
San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell said she told motorcycle club members she saw at protests in the city that they have the right to be in public spaces with everyone else.
“That said, we have good relationships with our community,” Cantrell said. “We are professional and do not need any assistance policing our city or community.”
Make sure you have subscribed to our Facebook page or Twitter to stay tuned!
Source: The Tribune