Battle of the Political Pop-Ups Continues in Tustin

You have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat those BLM pop-ups.

A super early call with a client in India Wednesday morning had me on the road at 6:30 AM; a quick peak over to where I saw the BLM pop up on Jamboree at Irvine Blvd revealed a new development.  The Trump pop-up, which had been over on the Irvine Blvd side of the corner for weeks, was now where the BLM booth was the past few days.

Another quick U-Turn and a chance to engage the sales clerk, a woman, who had this booth completely set up probably as the sun came up.

“Good morning! Isn’t this where the BLM booth was yesterday,” I asked.

“Yes, but I’m here first and got my spot back,” she said.

“Your spot was over there (me pointing to the other side of the service station) for weeks.  This is the first time I’ve seen you here,” I replied.

No response.

“BLM can still set up right next to you,” I said.

“There’s no room,” she replied.

“There’s plenty of room (at least 20 feet of sidewalk by my estimation) and its a public sidewalk.  No one can block access.”

“There’s no room,” she answered.

“Do you support this guy (Trump) or is this just a job for you?” I asked.

“I support him,” she said.

“Well I hope no one is abusive to you, but he’s gotta go,” I answered and walked back to the car.

This is getting out of hand.  Threats were made to the BLM workers yesterday.  It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if it rises to a violent confrontation.

Greater Republicans of Irvine member Pete Warnock chimed in on my post on Facebook about the BLM booth yesterday with this, “are you suggesting the movement can’t stand on its own merit and is so positioned to “counter the Trump pop-ups”?  One key difference is that the BLM pop-ups won’t have obscenities and objects or liquids hurled at them. If they do, as you pointed out the Kens and Karens, those bad actors will get condemnation instead of justification.”

Branda Lin, an Irvine City Commissioner, was at that service station two days ago waiting on AAA to fix a flat tire, when she witnessed a white man in a white van threaten to burn the whole booth down.  She got a partial tag and reported it to police.

“SB 946 passed last year and allows for any street vendors to set up on public property as long as they are not blocking sidewalks or violating any ADA regulations,” said Tustin Mayor Pro Tem Letita Clark. “Trump, Biden or BLM, they all are allowed to operate under this state law. However what is not allowed is harassment of any kind. From the booth operators or the public.”

It’s high time cities got more involved and regulated these pop ups better; police acting as security guards is costing taxpayers more than these booths generating sales tax ever will.