PROTESTERS marched down Main Street in downtown Garden Grove on June 3, and along other city streets. A video commentary about the protest has been controversial (Orange County Tribune photo),
There have been protests all across West Orange County for more than a week over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Now there’s a protest over the way one man commented on a rally and march in Garden Grove.
Joshua Lindsay, who has been active in many civic groups in the community for years, is now facing calls to resign from his position on the city planning commission for his controversial narration of the protest on June 3 that began at the Village Green Park.
It proceeded down Main Street and from there did a circuit of many of the city’s major streets. Following the process was Lindsay, who did a live-stream broadcast from a smart phone.
Some viewers and listeners were angered by his comments, including Joshua Kramer, who has asked the council to strip Lindsay of his commission post.
“He made several disparaging and inappropriate comments about the protesters and the cause which they were protesting,” wrote Kramer in an e-mail to the council and The Tribune. He’s heading up a petition drive to oust Lindsay.
He listed several comments from the video, but the one that drew the most criticism appeared to be mocking Floyd, who died after a police officer kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes. Among his last words were “I can’t breathe.”
While the marchers were chanting, “I can’t breathe,” Lindsay quipped, “Maybe they should sit down if they’re having trouble breathing.”
Lindsay has since been contrite. He posted a lengthy apology on his Facebook account that concluded with “The world is changing and I need to do my part to be cognizant, learn and grow. That is my commitment to you. Please allow me to continue to serve the city I love dearly.
Commenting about the video, he said. “Once I realized what I had said I instantly regretted it. I didn’t realize it ‘till late that night when I rewatched it.”
He said, “It was insensitive” and promised to take “sensitivity training.” He will attend Tuesday’s meeting of the Garden Grove City Council to plead his case.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Categories: Garden Grove
I support you Josh!
Every time I wear this mask I feel like I can’t breathe.
These kids braved covid contagion to walk hand in hand in protest..
Why be such delicate flowers after the fact?
Like my Oma used to say, suck it up buttercup. Move on.
Funny how when the community wants to hold a white man accountable for his actions, people are told off to grow a thicker skin. YOU ARE APART OF THE PROBLEM.
Yikes, do let us know when the protest starts for the 18 people who were murdered in Chicago in 24 hours this past weekend. Or the 17 people who died as a result of George Floyd protests. Or the coronavirus upswing from the lack of social distancing, if the experts are telling it to us straight. In the meantime, let’s all do our part to not resist an arrest. Peace out.
beebeebeeleaves, please elaborate what you are exactly trying to argue? Systemic racism killed many more lives then the 19 you have stated. Did you know that black women are 3 to 4 times likely to die during child birth in hospitals because of nursery literally tend black women less and nurses are literally taught that black woman can deal with more pain! ( you can look this up it is in the Harvard Public Health Department and yes the Ivy League) We are in a global pandemic where health care workers are in trash bags for gowns and it took months for us to have efficient testing due to funds, while the police readily had military equipment. Please let that sink in, this is our country and you have to admit it’s faults. For your COVID claim symptoms, the research up spike of cases is due to adequate testing and states rushing to open their economies. Your social distancing argument valid but please remember that locally, residents have not been following CDC guidelines at beaches especially during the protest to open up the economy in HB. Please stop being so myopic and look at this from your ethics. Josh Lindsay compared CDC guidelines to the Holocaust and he made sure to get as many faces in his video to expose the safety of peaceful demonstrators. Please have some empathy, not every had the privilege to walk away from a police officer alive. Educate yourself on Breanna Taylor’s case and please learn to not be dismissive to opinions that you don’t agree with, that hinders your growth as a person
Please stop watching brainwashing videos/posts on Youtube anf Facebook and uninstall Tiktok for the sake of your mental health. You are mindlessly repeating things said in those posts. You have the right to say BS stuff and everyone else has the right to ignore it. Maybe if you were in school, you’d learn that plagiarism is wrong and how dumb it is to ask people to accept what you say even though it’s not logical.
These snowflakes need to stop acting like they are a part of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, seeking to destroy lives of people who disagree with them. Grow tf up, this is America and we value FREE SPEECH!!!
Demi, you value freedom of speech but you are against protest? The right to peacefully assemble is protected by the forefathers of this country. Maybe instead of suggesting I go to school try educate yourself first. Spewing factoids might be hard for you to digest but find some solace in the fact that there are 3rd grade level history text books for you to indulge it! If facts are too hard to swallow because I “mindlessly repeat fact” ( what you stated about me verbatim) you can keep watching Fox News.
It’s a shame that people can’t take a joke anymore. Sometimes things are said to lighten the mood or find humor in sad situations. It’s not intentionally made to hurt anyone, people need to grow up.
It’s almost like these people are a bunch of teenagers who have no job and nothing more helpful to do than pretending to be victims to get some social credits…