A viewing party in a Watsonville restaurant Tuesday night for President Donald Trump’s public address drew public attention, with more than 100 Trump supporters gathering inside for the private event, and dozens gathering outside for a counter-protest.
The event in Ella’s at the Airport was organized by Santa Cruz County Patriots.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a group member said that she wanted to hear what Trump was going to say about transgender issues and immigration, both issues on which the President has taken a hardline stance, and with which she said many supporters agree.
The group member said that she supported the protestors rights to assemble, as long as they stayed within the bounds of the law.
She added that Trump supporters have been subjected to bullying, intimidation and vandalism for their beliefs, and pointed to an incident on Feb. 15, in which someone used spray paint to vandalize a pickup bearing a “Trump 2024” sticker.
“We all have the right to hold those signs and hold those flags and let our voices be heard,” she said. “But when you cross the line and you’re not doing it legally or hurting someone or their property, that’s not okay.”
The front door of the restaurant was locked due to safety concerns, and attendees checked in at a table in the rear, with a security guard standing at the door.
“Trumpers have had to stay in and be very alone,” she said. “So to be somewhere that you’re allowed to be okay for the politician you vote for is a very big deal.”
The group will “absolutely” hold similar events, she added.
Ella’s at the Airport appeared to be suffering blowback from the community, with several people leaving negative online reviews before the website Yelp paused all commenting.
The Pajaronian has reached out to the restaurant owner for comment.
While there were five Watsonville Police officers stationed nearby to keep the peace, there were no reported incidents of violence, spokeswoman Michelle Pulido said.
One man in a large white pickup drove by several times shouting pro-Trump slogans, which elicited some back-and-forth shouting.
In front of the business, Santa Cruz Diversity Center member Maurice Carrillo expressed disappointment that Ella’s allowed the event.
He has attended several events there, and the restaurant catered his 80th birthday party. But he said he will no longer patronize the business.
He explained that many of the people attending the watch party likely held stances in opposition to LGBTQ people.
“We think there is so much hate on that side against who we are that we have to show up and speak up, because if we don’t, who’s going to speak for us?” he said.
Watsonville Charter School of the Arts student Julian Conaccio, 8, said he is worried that Trump’s anti-immigration policies will mean his friends will be deported.
“I am here today so I can continue the legacy of my ancestors to protect our USA from Trump,” he said. “I am very scared that he is going to do some terrible things to my town.”
Eileen Cark-Nagaoka of Watsonville said is concerned about the U.S. aligning with Russia instead of the Western Alliance and the United Nations.
“I am here because I feel like so many horrible things are happening to our country and I just want the people who are supporting Trump to be confronted with the pain they are causing and of the things that are being turned on their head in our country,” she said. “It just astounds me that our alliances have shifted and we didn’t vote for that. And add to that all of the gutting of federal programs.”
Nora Yerena, founder and director of Raíces y Cariño in Watsonville, said her organization received a letter from the Trump administration to stop using the words “equity” and “gender,” not to mention environmental justice and to eliminate entirely the word “justice.” The nonprofit also cannot mention immigration support and cannot work with anyone that was undocumented.
The directive from the federal office that funds the group was what drew Yerena to the protest.
“These guys don’t belong here,” he said. “This being proud to support this hatred is really disgusting, and it doesn’t belong here.”
Fact- 100 Pro Trump supporters have the power, to bring down a business that is because this town has little tolerance for what the orange man stands for. So the owner really needs to think long and hard about his/her next decision. No bueno.
Yea, and they will get support from people that arent with their heads up their ass like you are! #LATINOSFORTRUMP #TRUMPWON #NOTWOKE
The Latinos for Trump is the stupidest take ever
#TROMPWON #IMPROUDLATINO #TRUMPSUPPORTER #VIVAELTROMPAS
When Omei in Santa Cruz publicly supported Trump a few years ago it ended a very long and successful restaurants’ career. I hope the same for Ella’s because supporting Trump is just plain wrong. Wrong headed, mean spirited and full of hate hate hate. Hate for womem, LGBTQ, Muslims, Mexicans, Asians, Ukrainians, etc. etc. I will personally never go there again. It was a fun location but terrible food anyhow.
It was the same case with Alderwood’s in Santa Cruz. Their true colors were exposed when the restaurant allowed a client to be the victim of a racist attack by one of the patrons. When one of the waitresses came to defend victim of racist incident, the restaurant fired the employee. This is one of the many reasons why they lost business and had to close.
I think I will be having lunch at Ella’s on a weekly basis starting today. God bless America and Donald Trump!
Me too
Cool. You two MAGAts have fun. Enjoy the Castroville Chicken
And I will not be a customer anymore although I have been a regular there for a few years. So sorry these owners are choosing to support lawlessness and bigotry.
They’ll be out of business soon.
You will likely have your choice of seats, Sergio, especially after your savior deports half the Watsonville workforce.
Glad there will be plenty of seating as I hope to get a good size group to have lunch with weekly. I don’t really like hanging with far-left liberals anyway.
“especially after your savior deports half the Watsonville workforce” Are you assuming half of Watsonville’s population are illegal aliens?
God bless America and Donald Trump!
TIL being against Nazis is far left
Also, unlike Ella’s, whose food is barely mediocre, Omei had the best Chinese food in town and a reputation for excellence. But that did not matter to locals. The boycott killed the restaurant. Not sure why Ella’s would take such a stand in Watsonville of all places.
The owner of Omei donated to Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke’s campaign. Ella’s renting the restaurant for a private event for a conservative group is not the same thing. Oh wait, that’s right Trump supporters are racist. Would it be okay if a liberal group had such event at Ella’s? I would have no problem with it.
Not all Trump supporters are racist but all Trump supporters are OK with racism
It seems that what you deem racism is simply people wanting our laws to be implemented and morality to be brought back to a nation that has gone off the rails in both cases. If that’s racism then I’m a racist as well as the vast majority of Trump supporters.
From the Sentinel: “Grigsby, who also made several donations adding up to $500 to the “Trump Make America Great Again Committee,” according to public campaign disclosure listings on the U.S. Federal Election Commission website fec.gov, defended his support of Duke’s campaign.”
in any case, I do not consider Donald Trump and his MAGA crowd a conservative group. More a crime syndicate with Nazi undertones.
Report Crimes: Email or Call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE
Keep that number handy when in Watsonville
Would Mr. Grigsby donating to St. Jude Children’s Hospital make St. Jude a “crime syndicate with Nazi undertones”?
Many liberals are intimidated by Donald Trump and the GOP. The POTUS and GOP made our country strong and respected again in a matter of weeks. Liberals are weak and this was very obvious in the last administration and this week at the State of the Union.
It’s hard to feel bad for someone whose morality is aligned with Trump, hates like Trump, and bullies like Trump. Patriots don’t support someone who’s desecrating the rule of law and our Constitution with it.
They insist on “No unelected bureaucrats!” What’s Elon’s position again? How about the threatening armed security approaching the African Aid office today? Under what law?
Can’t wait for a decent restaurant to take over Ella’s space.
It’s also hard to feel bad for someone breaking the law and getting deported. Go wave your F’ America flag some more, I’m sure it will gain you a lot of sympathy.
If you had any idea what the Constitution says you wouldn’t be against free speech, and the right to assemble. You would accept a democratically elected president instead of being a threat to democracy.
Elon’s Position is Head of the Department Of Government Efficiency, D.O.G.E. an existing agency created by Obama. Do you know how many people in our government are elected by the entire nation? President Trump is the commander and chief, he can hire and fire any federal workers he would like. Why do you support waste and fraud and hate efficiency? You may want the government to grift billions of taxpayer dollars but I don’t. Oh, I forgot you don’t pay taxes you only steal all my money, then turn around and tell me to F’ off. That’s the thanks I get for paying your bills?
Here is the bottom line
Donald J Trump is the President of the United States for the next four years
Trump will defund sanctuary cities one by one.
The party is over for another four years he is only getting started
Words on this forum mean nothing
Nobody is stealing all your money, ‘America First’. But still, F’ off anyway.
Elon proved our money is being stolen. Who is full of hate? Sounds like you are.
Is this a joke? Santa Cruz Diversity Center member Maurice Carrillo expressed disappointment that Ella’s allowed the event. It’s not very diverse if you don’t even tolerate differing opinions.
Then the protesters are talking about President Trump supporters being so full of hate as these same people call for the destruction of a business for having a private event. We have seen the hate and it is from the Democrats. Did you watch as the socialist democrats couldn’t cheer for anything great for America? Not even a young child who survived brain cancer who had his dream come true. Evil People.
Even Watsonville is starting to wake up and see the greatest most popular leader in the world. God Bless Donald J. Trump and God Bless America.
I watched as Trump defunded cancer research for children who have brain cancer along with the rest of us with cancer. Did you?
All research is 1/2 of the $44 billion of the defense budget. Only 8% is for research on existing diseases. Bringing down the amount spent is eliminating the ability of bureaucrats funneling the money to their pet projects without any oversight of the taxpayers. Cancer was the trigger word used to mask the fraud and cause an outcry, and it appears to be working.
I personally think that Trump is a cancer on our country and the laughing stock of the world. Everything he is and stands for is repugnant and disgusting (I am being really polite here). At the same time, I agree that the restaurant has the right to hold private events. However, like the rest of us in life, Ella’s had to be willing to live (or die) with the consequence of their choices. In this case, loss of customers. We stopped patronizing Ella’s over 2 years ago for a different reason. My wife’s band performed there for many years when Ella was the new owner, as well as under the most current owners. Ella always treated the band with integrity and respect. The current owner lacked integrity and treated the band unprofessionally. It was based on that experience that the band discontinued performing there or patronizing the restaurant. Seems to me that this is a classic case of reaping what you sow.
Well if you think about it. Didn’t crooked Joe Biden land in watsonville a few years ago. I’m sure he got something from Ella’s to snack on.
Did you see any Trump supporters protesting ?
Tell that lady in the picture to put some shoes on too,
Look presentable. You really leave your house looking like that.
Ella’s has awesome wood fired pizzas 🍕 too.