Hundreds of demonstrators from the Laguna Woods Democratic Club gathered Friday outside a Republican Club of Laguna Woods meeting that featured remarks by a convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionist who was pardoned by President Donald Trump.
The protesters carried signs that read “Hate has no home here” and “Democracy yes, violence no,” while members of the Republican Club walked into one of the clubhouses in the Laguna Woods Village community to hear Jeffrey Scott Brown speak.
At one point, members of the Republican Club walked out singing “God Bless America” while the protesters lined the entrance to the front of the clubhouse.
Mickey Nozaki, the secretary of the Laguna Woods Democratic Club, said, “The Republicans have lost their way.”
“We’re the ones that are patriots, not the Republicans. The Republicans have lost their morals. They have no values,” she said.
The protest was peaceful and spilled into the parking lot of the clubhouse. Orange County sheriff’s deputies patrolled the area outside the clubhouse and Laguna Woods Village security guards made sure the crowd outside remained orderly and did not disrupt the meeting inside. Members of the Democratic Club wore black and did not engage with the Republican Club members who attended the meeting.
Some of the Republican Club members wore jackets and shirts with American flags and red, white and blue colors.
Pat Micone, the president of the Republican Club of Laguna Woods, said she did not want to talk to the media. The meeting was private and not open to the public or the media.
Janice Burstin, activist and chair for the Laguna Woods Democratic Club, said Micone “should exercise better sense and judgment.”
“They should have better sense. This is an affront to the rule of law,” Burstin said.
She added that the Republican Club should not host an insurrectionist.
“They should have better sense than to invite him to speak,” she said. “If they had not invited him, we would not be out in force. We don’t protest other clubs.”
Nancy Hensel, the first vice president of the Democratic Club of Laguna Woods, compared the protest Friday to ones during the Vietnam War and Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. The country was divided among those supporting the war effort and those opposed to it. There was a divide in civil rights as well during a time when Black Americans were fighting for equality and inclusion.
“That was a scary time,” she said. “There were a lot of people who were opposed to the anti-war and also civil rights. We recovered from that. We’re a resilient country. I think we are. We’ve had times when there’s been great divides and we’ve come back together. I think we’ll do it again. I don’t know what it’s going to take to do that. I’m hopeful that we will.”
With protesters outside the clubhouse and on the street on El Toro Road across from the Laguna Woods Village, Brown, who was billed by the Laguna Woods Republican Club as a “victim of the Jan. 6 tragedy” addressed the Republican Club.
Brown was convicted by a jury and sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for participating in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He was among those pardoned by Trump after he was sworn into office.
Brown, 58, of Santa Ana, was found guilty in federal court of seven felonies, among them assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers, using a dangerous weapon, and interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder.
Prosecutors said he took pepper spray from a police officer and then used it on Capitol Police during the Jan. 6 melee. After his conviction in December 2022, Brown started his prison sentence in April 2023 and was released from a federal correctional facility in Lompoc after serving time in 11 prisons.
During his trial, Brown called himself a political prisoner. The Republican Club highlighted Brown’s achievements as an Eagle Scout with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an FAA commercial pilot license.
Groups from Irvine, Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach attended the vigil outside the Laguna Woods Village and the clubhouse on El Toro Road. Burstin said she was impressed by the turnout.
Nozaki added she was glad there was a big showing to send a strong message.
“They say on every single website, on every single talk (show), how important they are to support the police and yet they’re supporting a convicted felon, who abused and criminally assaulted police officers at the Capitol,” Nozaki said. “How hypocritical can you get?”