A significant altercation erupted on Tuesday between parents and individuals on the radical left during a school board meeting in Glendale, California. The meeting focused on a resolution to reintroduce seasonal LGBT-related educational content into the curriculum, leading to heightened tensions and the eventual brawl.
According to the police, a crowd of several hundred protesters assembled outside the Glendale Unified School District headquarters in Los Angeles. The gathering occurred after supporters and opponents of the district’s LGBTQ+ curriculum utilized social media to mobilize their respective followers.
On one side of the gathering, parents who were against the district’s policies proudly waved American flags, while on the other side, counter-protesters displayed their support by holding LGBTQ+ Pride flags.
Authorities confirmed that the Glendale Police Department deployed officers to the protest in order to maintain public safety and facilitate a peaceful environment for all participants.
The police department released a statement saying, “Most of the protest was peaceful, a small group of individuals engaged in behavior deemed unsafe and a risk to public safety.”
Video footage captured at the scene depicts punches being thrown while a man holding a bullhorn directs others, urging them not to engage in violence.
As individuals were being knocked to the ground and subjected to assault, the man wielding the bullhorn can be heard instructing, “Do not engage! Step away. Step away.”
According to KTLA-TV, in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, the police made efforts to establish a barricade between the two groups. However, these measures were unsuccessful in diffusing tensions and resolving the conflict.
VIDEO incoming from #Glendale, California by @AeonPhotoCo for @N2Sreports shows chaotic violence tonight as protesters opposing LGBTQ material in schools faced off with protesters supporting it outside the local School Board meeting.
At least one person is arrested. pic.twitter.com/TTZtKMVEjx
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) June 7, 2023
The protest reportedly surpassed the limits of peaceful assembly, leading the police to issue a dispersal order shortly after 6:00 p.m. Consequently, the remaining crowd was declared an unlawful assembly by the authorities.
According to the police, three individuals involved in the demonstration were arrested on various charges. These charges include the unlawful use of pepper spray and willfully obstructing officers in the performance of their duties.
Simultaneously, within the building, the Glendale Unified School Board listened to members of the public engage in debates.
During the proceedings, parents voiced their concerns, requesting the ability to have a say in their children’s exposure to graphic elements within the LGBTQ+ curriculum.
They appealed for the option to allow their children to opt out of such content while supporters of the district’s policies emphasized that the intention is not to “turn straight kids gay” and highlighted the elevated suicide risks faced by LGBTQ+ youth.
