{"article":{"id":114828,"heading":"EL Monte Protests","author":"soze","created":"2004-07-30 16:13:10","modified":"2004-07-30 23:48:24","last_modified":"Sat, 31 Jul 2004 06:48:24","article":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>Protesters show up at concert <br><br> By Jason Kosareff , Staff Writer <br><br> About 200 protesters crashed the weekly concert attended by 3,000 people in Tony Arceo Park on Wednesday to protest the officer-involved shooting of a young man last week. <br>  <br> Family, friends and activists protested the shooting of David Viera, 23, of El Monte on July 20 by two El Monte detectives. <br><br> Protesters carried signs demanding the officers, Lt. Santos Hernandez and Detective Ralph Batres, resign. <br><br> Police had a strong presence in the park and earlier in the day had assurances from protest leaders that the action would not become violent. <br><br> As the protesters entered the park, the thousands packed around the band shell suddenly hushed and the music stopped. <br><br> Mayor Ernie Gutierrez approached the family, microphone in hand, and told Viera's mother, Lydia Viera, \"I want to offer my deepest condolences for the death of your son and I publicly want to offer that right now.' <br><br> Some of the protesters demanded an apology.  <br><br> The Rev. Beto Villalobos, of Church of the Nativity in El Monte, said a prayer for Viera and his family. <br><br> \"If ever there was a time for prayer, it is now,' Villalobos said. <br><br> The protesters filed out of the park quietly and marched back to Valley Boulevard and Garvey Avenue in the heart of Five Points, where the shooting occurred. <br><br> \"It's not over,' said Jesus Ramirez, protest organizer. \"This is the beginning.' <br><br> <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"El Monte Protest Againt Killer Cops","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2004\/07\/114828.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}