A handful of far-right protesters walked into Sherman Oaks Martin Pollard Department Library on Saturday afternoon and disrupted a drag queen studying.
Mother and father, teenagers and youngsters gathered round as Pickle, a Los Angeles organizer of Drag Queen Story Hour, learn from a e-book whereas wearing drag.
The occasion was billed as a chance to “have a good time individuals who defy inflexible gender restrictions and picture a world the place everybody will be their genuine selves,” based on a Los Angeles Public Library web site publish selling it.
About 10 minutes into the studying, three protesters all of the sudden stood up from their seats.
“That is an abomination,” one man stated in a video reviewed by The Instances. “That is nightclub materials.”
One other lady carrying a purple “Make Males Lions Once more” hat touched off heated exchanges by claiming the occasion was nothing in need of “perversion” and “youngster abuse.”
“They have been videotaping us and so a number of of us have been videotaping them,” stated an attendee, who wished to stay nameless for worry of reprisal. “They stored on yelling and screaming.”
A safety guard advised the protesters to go away the library to cheers of “bye” from the supportive crowd, however they refused to take action.
Police have been referred to as and requested a few potential trespassing arrest if the protesters didn’t depart the library, stated Officer Norma Eisenman, an LAPD spokesperson. Two of the protesters had already left by the point police arrived.
No arrests have been made.
The occasion concluded with out additional incident. Library employees requested these in attendance to exit out a again door.
Los Angeles Metropolis Councilmember Nithya Raman responded to the incident by releasing a press release Saturday night time by which she alleged that protesters tried to stop folks from getting into the library and engaged in hate speech in the course of the occasion.
“Our workplace strongly condemns this motion and the continuing nationwide marketing campaign to make youngsters and adults really feel afraid and unwelcome for being who they’re,” Raman stated within the assertion. “We should proceed to combat for the security of the complete spectrum of identities, gender, and expressions in Los Angeles and past.”
Protesters uploaded footage of their disruption to a right-wing Instagram account the place in addition they denied attempting to dam folks from getting into the library.
Throughout a drag queen studying on the West Hollywood Library final weekend, a counter-protester punched a person who tried to movie the occasion along with his telephone from exterior earlier than briefly getting into the premises.