Two primarily Latinx communities in Los Angeles County cancelled their event around their July 4th holiday.
Cudahy, which 97% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, announced on social media on Wednesday that it has postponed its July 3rd Independence Day celebration. The event was scheduled to run from 3pm to 9pm and was to feature live music, food trucks and Fireworks shows.
“The city of Cudahy has decided to postpone the Independence Day celebration, due to recent events and concerns about the safety of our residents. We appreciate your cooperation,” the city said in a statement. Authorities said City Parks remained open.
In addition to the immigrant raids, Cadahee recently made headlines for a controversial comment by Deputy Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez. In a video posted on social media, Gonzalez called on “Choros” or gang members to stand up to federal immigration agents.
“You guys tag everything and insist on hoods, and now your hood is being invaded by the biggest gang out there, so there’s no peep from you,” Gonzalez said in the video. She looked at “18th Avenue” and “Florence”, two infamous street gangs, and seemed to be talking directly to the members. She said US immigration and customs enforcement agents are “running everything in your city.”
The Los Angeles Police Protection League, which represents around 9,000 officers, is seeking Gonzalez’s resignation and potential prosecution.
Cudahy and adjacent Bell Gardens announced on Wednesday that they had cancelled the concert and two outdoor movie nights.
The event was scheduled for June 26th, July 3rd and July 10th.
Huntington Park, which is primarily Latinos, also announced on Tuesday that it had postponed its July 3rd Independence Day celebration but had not determined why.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
