Many Latinos are offended by what they believe were Hillary Clinton's unsubtle attempts to win them over in East Los Angeles on Thursday, when the former secretary of state visited the historically Mexican-American neighborhood to host a Cinco de Mayo rally — and brought an eight-piece mariachi band with her.
Clinton's 13-minute speech on immigration was interrupted by six different protesters inside the building, Fusion reports; outside, more than 1,000 protesters tensely eyed dozens of police in riot gear and on horses. "We only matter when it's Cinco de Mayo," one protester's sign read.
Herbert Siguenza said he was at the protest because he "couldn't believe Clinton was in East L.A. on Cinco de Mayo. The Hispanic pandering is obvious." Another protester started yelling during Clinton's speech, holding up a sign with a quote from 2014, when Clinton said unaccompanied minors should not be allowed to stay in the States. Clinton has since reversed her stance to say minors would need legal representation to stay in the country.
"I was nervous, but then I saw the mariachis and it made me angrier. She was pandering," the protester, Jasmin Pacheco, told Fusion.