A protester at a Los Angeles campaign event hosted by California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer pulled a knife on his staff, while angry agitators blocked his SUV while yelling at the progressive billionaire.
Steyer was attending a rally last Saturday at the ORA Cafe in Leimert Park, where he told a crowd of black voters that they owe a “huge debt” and that the black community is “the moral leader of the United States.” Journalist Maeve Reston reported.
The event took a different turn when a group of demonstrators arrived and things got worse.
“Tom attended an event in Leimert Park last Saturday to meet with voters,” a spokesperson for Steyer told the California Post.
“After the event ended, staff escorted him to a car in the alley due to the presence of protesters, including one who pulled a knife on campaign staff. The campaign did not contact the CHP or request a security escort.”
A video of the confrontation between the agitators and the Steyr team in the alley showed several individuals fighting as protesters shouted at the billionaire as he apparently took shelter in his SUV.
“What’s your position on reparations, Tom Steyer? How are you going to cut the check?” one shouted, referring to Steyer’s support for payments to descendants of enslaved Black Americans during his failed 2020 presidential bid.
“Never go back to Africatown,” another shouted at the car as it tried to stop.
A third walked up to the driver’s side of the SUV and appeared to directly condemn Stetter.
“Hey Tom Steyer,” he said, “I better not catch you here with those devilish blue eyes. I better not catch you here, Tom Steyer.”
Reston reported that Steyer was unable to leave until a California Highway Patrol officer arrived.
Protester Dina Wright, a 44-year-old social worker, told the reporter she was not surprised by the protest.
“Black people are really tired of the Democratic Party always showing up during election season to get our votes,” Wright said. “It’s a whole new day. You can’t come here and give us symbolism and dancing and singing and pats on the back and think we’ll vote for you.”
Democratic state Sen. Lola Smallwood Cuevas, who co-hosted the event with Steyer, praised the candidate for his appearance but showed little surprise at the protest.
“This is Leimert Park, and this is where Africatown protests, so we knew that, but I appreciate that Tom is brave and meets the community they’re in,” Smallwood-Cuevas told Reston. “He was always on the front line and I think that’s what people were packed into the house today to see.”
Steyer is considered the front-runner for governor of California.
that Emerson College Survey The poll conducted earlier this month showed that the billionaire tied for second place with Republican Steve Hilton with a support rate of 17%. Xavier Becerra led the poll with 19% support.
It’s unclear whether Steyer can make it into the top two when voters arrive at the polls in the June 2 primary. Becerra and Hilton have consistently polled better than progressives.