UPDATE: This morning, People's City Council broke the news that the City Attorney has rejected filing charges on journalist Anthony Orendorff, who is expected to be released today.
On a dreary Saturday morning, a crowd assembled outside the Van Nuys Police Station, nestled in the vibrant heart of the San Fernando Valley. Friends, family, colleagues, and supporters gathered with homemade signs to demand the release of photojournalist Anthony Orendorff, who is being held under questionable conditions.
On the morning of June 19th, Orendorff hurried to the Plaza Pacoima shopping complex at San Fernando Road and Paxton Street after being notified of an active ICE incident. As an independent journalist and local photographer who documents Los Angeles and its people, Anthony was one of the first documentarians to arrive.
The scene quickly turned contentious as ICE agents rounded up and abducted civilians while LAPD officers stood by conducting crowd control operations. Based on social media videos circulating on various platforms, LAPD can be seen pushing and scuffling with local activists and the general population. In the midst of the chaos that unfolded that morning, Anthony was arrested and taken into custody for allegedly assaulting a police officer.
His lawyer, Ricci Sergienko, a noted abolitionist lawyer and activist himself, took to the makeshift podium and relayed information about his client and put the blame on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the LAPD for cooperating with ICE and federal agents.
Sergienko also told of physical wounds visible on Orendorff's face and upper body. It is his and Orendorff’s family's belief that Anthony is being held in order to hide his wounds and as a political show of force to any potential journalists covering the current events around the city.
Anthony's sister also spoke to the crowd of media and supporters, stating the emotional toll her brother's arrest has had on the family.
Despite their low spirits, they have continued their buyout organization to help street vendors in the community who are afraid of federal agents. In keeping with her brother's work, she implores the news media and independent journalists to keep fighting and documenting the alleged improprieties being committed by ICE agents and the LAPD. While speaking to supporters, she also took the time to call out local politicians Monica Rodriguez and Imelda Padilla for avoiding accountability but using her brother's plight as political theater.
Orendorff is scheduled to see a judge on Monday morning with the hope of being released and having all charges dropped.
