A father of a young union member and socialist activist distributed face shields to protesters. He insists his son isn’t a criminal but expressed concerns about him being involved in anti-police protests, which he believes prompted federal authorities to invade their family home.
Francisco Orellana reacted in disbelief upon seeing his son, Alejandro “Alex” Orellana, driving a truck packed with supplies for demonstrators. “What is he doing?” he thought.
Having moved to the U.S. in the 1970s, Francisco chased after his son one morning, feeling compelled to confront the situation. He described how he struggled with officers at the family’s Los Angeles home and watched as they smashed the windows of Alex’s truck.
The younger Orellana has been arrested on suspicions of conspiring to facilitate civil disobedience, according to a U.S. attorney.
Pictures from the protests show numerous demonstrators rushing towards Alex’s truck to grab face shields, typically used for protective purposes at construction sites.
Francisco was perplexed about his son’s involvement, suggesting Alex might have just been helping a friend. “My son is a good boy; he’s not a criminal,” he asserted, noting that Alex has no prior offenses.
When Francisco saw a photo of his son in the truck, he confronted him, asking, “What are you doing?”
He revealed Alex had responded, “Daddy, I don’t think this is illegal,” which raised doubts for Francisco. “When you’re giving people things, it can be a big problem,” he cautioned. He expressed disapproval of violent actions during protests, including the destruction of police property.
According to social media posts, Alex is a Marine Corps veteran, a UPS worker, and active with unions focused on social justice. There’s even a video of him delivering a speech last year during a May Day event.
He had recently written for a socialist news outlet about protests against federal agents in Los Angeles.
Francisco disagrees with the protest methods, yet he acknowledges some support for the causes. “Some people think he’s helping. I tell them, don’t protest,” he said.
He recounted the moments when federal agents raided their home, emphasizing the chaos that ensued. “They broke my door, my truck window, my walls. I heard a loud bang at the door and yelled for my family to get dressed,” he shared. He questioned who would repair the damage.
During the raid, the FBI confiscated cell phones and laptops from everyone in the household and detained them for about an hour.
On immigration, Francisco believes in welcoming law-abiding workers but criticized those he feels exploit the system. He recounted a conversation with a neighbor who has seven children and relies on government aid, expressing frustration that hardworking individuals end up footing the bill for others.
Overall, he wasn’t shy about voicing his dissatisfaction with California’s political climate, feeling the Democrats have left the state in disarray.
