ICE raid protesters march from Manhattan to Hermosa pier

by Laura Garber 

“I can’t believe I had to skip a boozy brunch to say ‘don’t kidnap people,’” a protester’s bright pink sign declared. It was the kind of sign one might expect to see at a protest in an affluent city.

The protester was among several hundred people who marched from the Manhattan Beach Pier to the Hermosa Beach Pier on Sunday, June 29, in support of immigrants and undocumented people targeted by federal ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids. 

South Bay Takes a Stand began organizing the march just five days before it took place.

Manhattan Beach resident Tanya Monaghan, an immigrant from South Africa, and one of the organizers, wanted a peaceful place to protest with her young daughter and elderly mother. “A lot of people are scared to go to these larger protests. You never know what’s going to happen,” she said.

During the ‘No Kings’ protest in Torrance on June 14, Monaghan saw how joyful and unified these protests could be and wanted to bring it closer to home. “What is more South Bay than a Strand walk,” she asked.

Co-organizers Luisa Faist and Meghan Judge used their social media platforms to get the word out and secured permits. “Although we lost a lot of followers, we wanted to use our platform for change and to give a voice to the voiceless,” Monaghan said. 

Local business owners, including Matthew McIvor, owner of Proudly Serving, a Hermosa Beach restaurant, posted videos asking residents to join them in the Sunday march. 

In the days following the protest, Monaghan received “aggressive” online comments, she said. But there were few counterprotestors at the march.

“The fact is there are immigrants in our community and they are an important part of the community’s fabric,” Monaghan said. “At the end of the day, it’s a human rights and constitutional issue. I want to be on the right side of things.” ER