"Beep, beeeep!" The loud, continued sound of horns disrupted the daily routine on Main Street in downtown Salinas on Sunday, Sept. 24, as a small caravan of about a dozen cars carrying colorful anti-Ron DeSantis signs stopped outside the Taylor Farms headquarters to protest the Republican presidential candidate's visit to the Salad Bowl of the World on Thursday, Sept. 28.
Several agricultural leaders—including Linda and Bruce Taylor (Taylor Farms); Sandy and John D’Arrigo (D’Arrigo Bros.); Shelly and Steve Barnard (Mission Produce); Susan and David Gill (Rio Farms); Steve Church (Church Brothers); Pam and Bardin Bengard (Bengard Ranch)—are hosting the event. The move caused shock and anger within the community.
Jessica Almanza,19, a Salinas resident and Cabrillo College student, says she thought it was fake news at first. “I thought there was no way these huge companies whose workforce is all made up of migrants and Hispanics are representing this man, and especially what this man stands for,” Almanza says.
“We don't know what Big Ag thinks. We don't know what they think about us, about our community. So if they're thinking about bringing someone like him here, that raises even more concerns,” says Luis Xago Juarez, one the protest's organizers.
DeSantis as the current governor of Florida has signed several controversial bills including a tough anti-immigration law that makes it harder for undocumented workers to live and work in Florida and increases penalties for employers who hire them.
The governor also signed bills restricting reproductive rights, transgender healthcare, as well as discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools. DeSantis also backed controversial school guidelines that teach enslaved people learned skills that brought them "personal benefit."
For several people who participated Sunday, including Jose Larios, the protest was personal. “It's like a spit in the face to us, because these are our parents,” Larios says, highlighting that those parents are farmworkers working in harsh environments like rain, extreme heat, wildfires and the pandemic. “They deserve more than to be thrown under the bus like this,” Larios says.
“He's not welcome in the city that stands for inclusivity and acceptance and welcoming...he has shown time and time again, that he does not believe we have the right to exist,” says Sam Gomez, a queer, non-binary Latine.
Several organizations participated in the protest including Building Healthy Communities, Reinvest831, the Salinas Coalition, Padres Unidos and United Farm Workers.
The cruising protest started at the Salinas Amtrack station, stopped on Main Street, then turned to Alisal Street, and stopped at Food Co. where about 25 people, including students, Monterey County residents and Councilmember Orlando Osornio rallied at the corner of East Alisal and Sanborn Road.
With pride and transgender flags and colorful signs, people rallied on the corner chanting slogans such as: "El pueblo si, DeSanting no;" “We feed you DeSantis;” “Shame Taylor Farms, shame D’Arrigo;” “Immigrant Lives Matter;" Let's unite against racism."
From 4-7pm on Tuesday, Sept. 26, the group is hosting a community activism event to create signs and prepare for a second protest at 5pm, on Wednesday, Sept. 27. Wednesday's protest will take the same route, starting with the caravan followed by a rally at Food Co.
Also on Tuesday the Salinas City Council will discuss a resolution to denounce DeSantis' visit. Councilmembers Anthony Rocha and Andrew Sandoval made the request.
The ag leaders' brunch with DeSantis takes place on Thursday, Sept. 28. The cost to attend is $3,300 per person or $5,000 per couple, as a donation to the campaign. The address is only provided upon RSVP.