> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Local police arrest 11 in civil demonstration - URL: https://www.smdp.com/local-police-arrest-11-in-civil-demonstration/ - Published: 2004-02-20T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T03:50:59.000Z - Author: Carolyn Sackariason - Tags: Crime, Downtown, #archive-import *Strikers, supporters ‘let it shine’ at sit-in* DOWNTOWN — Eleven people were arrested in front of a Santa Monica grocery store on Thursday after taking part in a civil disobedience protest to support union strikers. Among those arrested were Santa Monica residents and local activists fighting for a living wage ordinance to benefit low-wage workers. The group of both activists and union workers sat down in front of the entrance to Vons on Lincoln Boulevard and sang “This Little Light of Mine,” before being arrested by Santa Monica Police. The arrests were pre-planned between the United Food Commercial Workers Union and the SMPD to ensure that no one was harmed in the incident. The arrests also were part of demonstrations held simultaneously at three other grocery stores across Southern California. “These are people who are well known in the community and felt the fight was important enough to stick their neck out for us,” said UFCW secretary and treasurer Richard Cowan, who works at the union’s Santa Monica office. Described as “heroes” by Cowan, Santa Monica activists Denny Zane, Maria Loya, Vivian Rothstein, Abby Arnold, Ann Hiller, Jim Smith and Dolores Press were among those taken into custody. They were cited with misdemeanors for obstructing the free movement of a person in a public place or sidewalk and failure to disperse. They were released shortly after. “The middle class was built by the unions and people like yourselves,” said Zane, who thanked the SMPD for its cooperation shortly before his arrest. “This is more than your struggle. It’s a struggle for people fighting throughout the country for health care.” The demonstration began at 10 a.m. with about 250 grocery store strikers marching through the streets of downtown, led by actress and Santa Monica resident Jamie Lee Curtis. “I’m here as a mother who tried to explain to her little boy why we didn’t go into certain markets,” Curtis said. “I’m here because I think these people have sacrificed tremendously for the union. She also wondered why she was the only SAG member who was visibly supporting the UFCW. She told union organizers she plans to call SAG President Melissa Gilbert and find out why more members aren’t marching with her. “This is a first step for someone who is in show business to show support and not just be apathetic,” Curtis said. “I’m not here to be the front of the line, I’m here to be the back of the line.” The procession of marchers went from Second Street east on Santa Monica Boulevard, down the Third Street Promenade, east again on Santa Monica Boulevard and back to the Promenade. The group finally headed east on Broadway to Vons, where a rally was staged at noon. The arrests occurred at about 12:45 p.m. Union supporters and strikers spoke about their rights to adequate health care, retirement plans and wages that company executives have been unwilling to budge on for the nearly five months since the strike began. “We want them to get it over with — all the strikes we attend we hope will be effective,” said Roylan Brown, 49, who worked at Albertsons in El Segundo as a lobby supervisor for seven years. “We’ve been out here so long. We never thought it would go on this long and we’re hoping it doesn’t go on any longer than this. This is very important to us, especially here in California, where (prices) are so high. “(The union shouldn’t back down), especially not now because we’re working class,” he added. “We need health benefits, we need them to survive. We pay taxes. We work for those benefits.” Brown made $600 a week full-time and now makes $240 a week on the picket line. During the demonstration in the Vons parking lot, shoppers brave enough to walk into the store were swarmed by angry strikers who yelled at them while following them to the store’s entrance. One striker said he was kicked in the leg by a woman. And while Thursday’s demonstration served as a reminder to company executives that the union isn’t backing down, as well as to shoppers who are asked to shop elsewhere, the effectiveness of it remains to be seen. Past negotiations haven’t produced much hope for the workers. “We want to get back to work,” said Mary Rosales, 35, who worked at Ralphs on National Boulevard and Sawtelle as a cashier for the past 12 years. “We’re going down right now because the money they pay us is just for rent and for food. I’m getting behind on my bills. We’re getting really depressed. The (union) pays me $25 a day and it’s not enough.” Rosales is a single mother of two who was making $17.90 an hour part-time, plus health insurance. When her 7-month-old daughter got sick last week, she had to pay $95 for the doctor visit and prescriptions — with no health care. Union supporters say the local grocery store strike has implications nationwide and Thursday’s protest just helps reinforce the message. “Every little bit helps,” said Mike Calderella, who has been a UFCW local 1442 representative for 24 years. “No one thing is going to win the strike... “We’re going to salvage the health care for the supermarket industry. (In a worst case scenario, if the supermarkets all became like Wal-Mart), the supermarket industry could be left without a viable health care program, for current workers and future workers. More people will end up on public assistance. It’s going to be paid for by somebody through higher taxes.” As the strikers marched along the sidewalks and chanted slogans, merchants and bystanders watched them go by and offered support by clapping and honking their horns. An Albertsons truck passed the parking lot on Lincoln Boulevard and sounded the horn for nearly a minute while strikers cheered on. Not everyone marching were union workers, however. Jeri Deitrick was carrying a sign even though he’s not a grocery store worker. “I just felt that not shopping at those stores wasn’t enough, I had to do more,” said Deitrick, who works at UCLA. “The corporate greed is taking over. They want to bust the unions … It’s starting with the grocery workers.” Westlake resident Alicia Taylor watched the strikers gather at the Vons parking lot while she ate lunch at Boar’s Deli across the street. “They should get what they want, they work hard,” she said. “I hope they get somewhere with this because this has been going on too long.” Taylor said she tries to honor the picket lines when she can. “It really sucks when you break the line, but sometimes we have no choice,” she said. “Gelson’s is very expensive. I hope this is over soon so we can shop again. Besides, if you go to Vons in Westlake, there is nothing there, nothing but water.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/022004-01_01.jpg) (Top) Actress Jamie Lee Curtis (center) marches downtown on Thursday with Rev. (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/022004-01_02.jpg) (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/022004-01_03.jpg) (Photo: Carolyn Sackariason/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 20, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/022004.pdf?ref=smdp.com)