On Aug. 25, hundreds of people gathered at the San Luis Obispo County Courthouse for a press conference and rally in support of Black youth activist Tianna Arata, who was arrested on July 21 following a local Black Lives Matter protest.
Organized by the #FreeTianna Coalition made up of local and national organizations, speakers urged SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow to not file charges against Arata and called for SLO Police Chief Deanna Cantrell’s termination.
A large group of counter-protesters waved American flags on the corner of Osos and Monterey Streets, holding signs that read “Support Dan Dow” and wearing “Make America Great Again” memorabilia. Others waved anti-California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs and Blue Lives Matter flags and handed out anti-abortion flyers.
One of Arata’s attorneys, civil rights lawyer Curtis Briggs, called Cantrell’s actions—having Arata arrested and recommending that the district attorney file five felony and three misdemeanor charges against her—”vile” and “reckless.” He blamed Cantrell for “amplifying demonstrations and protests” and “jeopardizing the peace and safety of the community.”
“The reason we are here today is because she retaliated against Tianna Arata. Chief Cantrell’s blunder drew national attention and put San Luis Obispo in the spotlight in a national controversy,” Briggs said. “Instead of having San Luis Obispo devote money for its training, time off, better equipment, learning how to deescalate, or pay raises, she’s going to have the city spend millions of dollars litigating this case.”
The lineup of 13 speakers attested to Arata’s longtime advocacy, their own experiences of racism in San Luis Obispo, and they tied this event to the national conversation about systemic racism.
Arata’s mother, SLO native Michelle Arata, gave an emotional speech, saying the family has experienced trauma, fear, and terror, which has amplified since her daughter’s arrest.
“My daughter’s life is at stake here, her future is at stake,” Michelle said. “We need her, and we need all of you.”
Arata also addressed the crowd, stating that at 20 years old she still has a lot to accomplish with the Black Lives Matter movement.
“My passion, my goal, and my energy is directed toward enacting change. This is not something that can come from divisiveness in the ideology of separateness,” she said.
Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors equated Arata to activist leaders—Martin Luther King Jr., Ella Baker, Diane Nash, and John Lewis—and Black communities before her who fought for the rights, freedoms, and self-determination of Black people.
“Tianna Arata, she is part of a legacy, a legacy of young Black people who have taken to the streets to make sure that this place we call the United States of America sees us, believes, us, and ensures our freedom,” Cullors said. “Dan Dow, we are calling you to reject those charges, we are calling on you to show up for Black lives. We are calling you to leave those counter-protesters in the dust.”
“Lock her up,” counter-protesters chanted during the press conference, calling Arata a liar. “Support Dan Dow.”
Counter-protester Tami Olson said the group was there because it felt Arata needed to be prosecuted, because the July 21 protest was not peaceful.
“You don’t close down a highway for a protest, you don’t take a skateboard and knock in the back window of a car and spill glass all over a 4-year-old boy. You don’t take our American flag and spit on it and burn it. We’re also here to support Dan Dow, and we don’t want our police department defunded because we need the police,” Olson said.
Olson said she’s lived in San Luis Obispo County since 1992 and she’s never seen systemic racism or any type of racism occur.
“We don’t look at anybody’s color, we love them for who they are. This right here,” she said pointing to the event, “this right here is causing division in this country.”
A small group of counter-protesters and #FreeTianna supporters including Cal Poly football player D.J. Stuckey, huddled together, talking about the Black Lives Matter movement, why they support or don’t support Arata, and the events leading up Arata’s arrest.
Stuckey, who’s been a part of the local BLM movement, told New Times he doesn’t mind having conversations with the opposition because it’s a way for both sides to understand each other. However, he said he doesn’t understand some of their arguments.
“I talked to this one man who said what’s going on isn’t patriotic. That was his argument. And I said, ‘Sir, what are we doing that’s not patriotic?’ And he couldn’t give me an answer,” Stuckey said.
Hours later, SLO City Manager Derek Johnson and Police Chief Cantrell held a virtual press conference.
Cantrell said that while she appreciates Briggs’ quest for her termination, it’s off-base.
“I’m a relatively progressive police chief when it comes to change and reform, when it comes to community and relationships and particularly relationships with our marginalized communities. I am also responsible for public safety, of all of the people that are in San Luis Obispo and upholding the right of all of the people, those that are protesting and those that are not. I think I’ve done that,” she said.
Cantrell said that Arata was arrested for her “own actions, her own behavior, her own decisions.”
Johnson said that the city has no intention “to prevent Miss Arata or anyone else’s efforts to fight racism and increase understanding amongst all our community members. We support free speech, period. We also have to be unwavering in our insistance that gatherings are peaceful and safe for everyone in the community.”
“We look forward to the day when we can have a community that San Luis Obispo can be recognized for our work for improving the sense of belonging for everyone,” he said. Δ
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 6, 2020.
Sorry, but it’s not “racist” to arrest people who endanger others by leading people out onto a freeway. And that she’s “upset” is not an excuse to commit a crime. I’m “upset” about fearing street violence, but it doesn’t appear to give me license to injure others.
If you want to live in a free society, you have to live by the rules; otherwise you’ll invite tyranny. Prosecute her for the crimes. The allegation of “racism” isn’t a magic free get out of jail card.
And just to be clear, neither I, nor several hundred folks I’ve known over my life, who are all colors, are “racist,” or “systemically racist.” That’s a preposterous allegation in a society in which many people of all colors have died to outlaw slavery, have stopped “Jim Crow,” and have provided special advantages to help minority students succeed. If anything, we have impaired the rights of the Asian minority in our allocations of positions in our universities; a truly disgusting application of “racism” by our most “progressive” institutions
I’ve been told that the actions leading to her arrest were not her or her supporters actions. They were actions by some individuals not a part of the organized protest. According to my informant, the video clearly shows she and the protesters were behind the individuals who did the damage to the car and refused to allow cars to pass by them.
If this is true, law enforcement has a lot to explain.
I support BLM but Ms. Arata did endanger people by leading the protesters onto the highway. I think the tactics used are making more enemies for the cause and alienating people. Stunts like this, andl burning and stomping the flag, are counterproductive. And the mayor marching in an unpermitted protest is irresponsible. Learn from the NAACP and the Women’s March organizers. If you want to be a leader, you need to be responsible and set an example of safety and respect. However, the charges are way overblown.
Those photos make me sick to my stomach, just like every time I see people wearing the Satanic ritual humiliation face muzzles. There is no pandemic and there is no established law underpinning any of the so-called “mandates.” Please, PLEASE read the CA state constitution and Civil Right Law to understand that your civil and constitutional rights are being violated.
“Drop the masks” and at least pretend to be upstanding sovereign humans, not cowardly pets for the “authorities” to use and abuse.
I was all for her peaceful protest but when I saw her burning the US flag and edging people on that was the end of the line for me. Sorry but there are consequences in life a lesson you will learn as an adult. You ain’t 17 no more you are your own woman and your actions facilitated actions that resulted in whatever escalated on that freeway. Live and learn from this Ms. Arata. Like the rest of us do when we make choices in life.
New Times Staff, Thank you for promoting free speech. This is my YouTube response to the Tianna Arata Affair: https://youtu.be/hBxUyErz59U
This is my personal experience with racism in SLO County. https://youtu.be/kraEBPnVSa4
Arata wasn’t the only leader/organizer for that march. Why was she the only one charged? She wasn’t even near the person with the skate board who broke a car window after the car had tried to run marchers over. Why isn’t that person being charged?
This reminds me of the 60’ies and 70’ies in the Deep South when Black leaders fighting for Civil Rights by riding buses or eating at lunch counters were routinely arrested!
There were a few hundred of people (many white) who freely chose to walk on to the freeway. Why weren’t any of them arrested and charged? This just stinks of the Jim Crow South and Bull Connor, George Wallace.
Cantrell is leaving at the end of the month and Dan Dow is now fanning the flames of division in SLO by filing all these charges only against her. Yesterday someone on a motorcycle tried to run down a BLM supporters in a crosswalk by running a red light! That’s outright RACISM and HATE. Isn’t SLO better than this?
When is Dan Dow filing charges against that motorcycle rider? It’s claimed he filed a Police Report so they know who it was? I’m waiting.