Typically, Los Angeles’s Fashion District would be buzzing on a Saturday, with Santee Alley being the center of activity. The place is a hotspot for bargain hunters sourcing discounted electronics, traditional quinceañera gowns, affordable, yet stylish suits, and knockoff Labubu dolls. The alley is popular for its year-round operation and street vendors who sell bottled water to help pull the crowd through the year-round California heat. However, on June 14, an unusual quietness blanketed the area, leaving an eerie emptiness that had never been felt before.
That day wasn’t your ordinary Saturday. It marked the day of downtown L.A.’s No Kings protests, rallying against the policies of President Trump, just a mile from the Fashion District. Nervousness and anticipation filled the air. By late afternoon, the owners of stores on the adjacent Broadway sealed off their storefronts, fearing a repeat of the havoc wreaked the previous weekend, when a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ended in vandalism and disorder.
The proprietors in Santee Alley, instead of dreading looters, were anxious about the exact opposite – potential customers not showing up due to the chaos. The hit to the businesses was severe, with sales down almost 95% compared to a typical day. This pattern was common across all stores in the vicinity. Where numerous transactions would usually take place, only one sale was recorded on this particular day.
This unprecedented situation may have been due to the immigration raids on a local clothes warehouse seven days prior. In this operation – suspected to be premised on a crackdown on undocumented workers, over a dozen employees were apprehended. One of these landmarks of downtown LA trade belonged to a Punjab native, his store that remained shut this day specialized in backpacks among other items and saw no customer footfall.
The repercussions of possible additional busts and arrests was a subject many Santee Alley vendors felt uneasy discussing. However, one decided to break the silence. He was a man known for his detailed face tattoos and a rider of an electric bicycle. His decision to speak out stemmed from his disillusionment over the Trump administration’s deployment of federal agents on their ongoing operation.
He expressed his deep-seated antagonism for Trump, revealing personal betrayal in response to the enforcement of these federal forces. He shed light on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s declaration of extending the federal troops’ stay in the city for two months.
A looming danger of the troops’ continued presence resulting in potential raids for an extended timeframe posed a serious threat to smaller businesses such as his, and more broadly the vibrant Santee Alley itself. In his eyes, such threat would not only suffocate the businesses but potentially obliterate them.
Moreover, he commented on the city’s immigrant population, acknowledging how they benefit significantly more here in Los Angeles than they could in Mexico. He mentioned the food aid scheme, EBT, and the possibility of leading a life distanced from the terrifying cartels, notorious for ruthless acts such as beheadings.
With dusk setting in around 5 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department began clearing whatever resilient protesters had remained in the streets post the protests, strengthening their bonds of solidarity even in the face of adversity.
Undeterred by the imminent threat the riots and protests posed for his business, another vendor maintained his grit and determination. He had recently relocated his store to Santee Alley just a fortnight prior and had no plans of stepping away. He had been a resident of the United States for many years, and was not about to let the threat of police or ICE disrupt his resolve.
In a tone filled with unshaken resolve, he assured that nothing would drive him from his chosen spot in the bustling heart of the city. His firm ‘No, no, no,’ underscored his stubborn yet brave stance. ‘I’m staying right here,’ he proclaimed, standing his ground, ready to face the challenges that lay ahead.