Chanting “love, united,” thousands of people marched through Los Gatos on Sunday afternoon in a rally aimed at denouncing hate speech.
“Today we are standing united against hate,” said Los Gatos Mayor Marico Sayoc, who has held the office since 2020. “This is about our community standing not only against hate, but we are standing for love, for peace, for empathy.”
Joining the massive Los Gatos Stands United Against Hate group in the march to the rally site were members of local community, business and arts groups, students and politicians. Longtime residents said it was the largest rally in town in decades, and perhaps ever.
The crowd, which a Los Gatos police sergeant estimated at 2,000 to 2,500 people, gathered at the Los Gatos Civic Center after marching from Fisher Middle School. At one point, the crowd stretched nearly a mile, said Los Gatos police Sgt. Bill Hoyt.
Planning for the event began after swastika graffiti was found last month on the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. It also comes amid turmoil at Town Council meetings, with protesters have disrupted by railing against critical race theory, Black Lives Matter and members of the LGBTQ community.
“We’re here to do what’s right,” said state Sen. Dave Cortese, who represents Los Gatos. “We’re not going to ignore the targeted bullying of our mayor here in Los Gatos.”
The disruptions at Town Council meetings have prompted council members to hold meetings over Zoom until further notice.
One meeting in early October devolved into chaos when members of a far right-group took verbal aim at the mayor’s son. A confrontation with the mayor’s husband ensued, and one of the group’s members later obtained a temporary restraining order against him, alleging he made a death threat.
The group has since protested outside of the mayor’s house, denouncing the council’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Rally organizers and many attendees pushed back against the far-right group’s speech and tactics, and said Sunday’s rally aimed to send a message that those tactics aren’t welcome in Los Gatos.
“We’re not here to escalate — we’re here to de-escalate,” Cortese said.
On Sunday, Maya Segev, 16, implored the crowd to make a stand against hate speech, and that “it is time to fight for the future of this town.”
A junior at Los Gatos High School, she denounced incidents of swastikas being found on school property. She said she has personally found them on bathroom stalls.
“It is time to put an end to the hate that has hurt so many members of our community,” she told the crowd.
The event offered a chance to show solidarity with Los Gatos residents, said Karen Schuler, 58. She lives a few blocks outside of the town’s limits, but decided to join the rally after a friend received a threatening letter at her Los Gatos veterinary clinic that took aim at the business’ coronavirus safety measures.
The sizeable turnout “makes a statement,” Schuler said.
“There are a lot of us who care. And we are saying we’re not going to tolerate it. We’re not going to allow the bullying and harassment.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com