Protest

Students organizing a Saturday demonstration to preserve the Fun Zone have disassociated themselves from the Occupy movement. Organizer Courtney Brown, a Corona del Mar High School sophomore, changed the name from Project: Occupy the Fun Zone to Project: Save the Fun Zone on Friday. While it's not clear exactly why the group changed names, comments on the event's Facebook page provide a hint. One poster suggested camping out at the Fun Zone like Occupy groups have done around the world, and another quickly pointed out that some Occupy groups were turning violent, and it could be a mistake to be even loosely affiliated with the movement.

The signs of protest clutched by regular demonstrators at Bristol Street and Anton Boulevard in Costa Mesa were replaced by candles Monday evening as about 40 community members gathered to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq. Sponsored by MoveOn.org, the vigil aimed to honor American troops and Iraqis who have been killed or wounded since the invasion, and demonstrate opposition to the conflict. "There has to be a common knowledge that there are a lot of people who are opposed to this war," said Natasha Hull-Richter, 15, whose family organized the demonstration.

NEWPORT COAST - A weekend of worldwide protest spilled over into Orange County on Monday morning as about 40 left-leaning activists protested House Speaker John Boehner's visit to the Pelican Hill Golf Club. "He knows he can't go anywhere without the people going with him," said Rick Jacobs, founder of the Courage Campaign, a progressive group. "I hope that even while he's up there, raking in millions in cash, he knows there's people here and everywhere. "We're going to make clear that this isn't a funny time anymore.

Marisa O'Neil Four environmental activists, arrested over the weekend with 12 others who police say were beating on doors and breaking windows of a local developer's home, remained in custody as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday while the district attorney's office decides whether to press charges. Police arrested 16 activists -- seven adults and nine minors -- on suspicion of felony conspiracy to commit vandalism during a protest that police said resulted in damage to the West Oceanfront home of David Eadie, president of Rutter Development Co. Melissa Rodriguez, arrested but released after posting bail, said they were protesting Rutter's proposed Saddle Creek and Saddle Crest developments in Trabuco Canyon, which would fell acres of oak trees.

Members of the Minuteman Project are expected to protest this morning against illegal immigration and health-care reform in front of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. “We call upon the citizens of Orange County, as well as across the nation, to take action — become proactive — by visiting their local hospitals and calling upon the medical staff of hospitals to petition [President Obama] to deny illegal [immigrants] hospital services and the medical services that is [sic]

Deirdre Newman A small protest of alleged discrimination by Cirque du Soleil took place Friday before the opening night of "Varekai." Seven people held signs and handed out fliers and stickers in protest of Cirque du Soleil firing a cast member from performing because he disclosed that he is HIV-positive. The protest stems from a federal discrimination complaint Lambda Legal filed in July against Cirque du Soleil on behalf of Matthew Cusick.

Deirdre Newman Matthew Cusick was fired from Cirque du Soleil last spring after disclosing that he had HIV. Thursday, Cusick attended a protest on his behalf outside the tents for Cirque du Soleil's latest show, "Varekai," accusing the company of discrimination. The protest came on the heels of a smaller protest held on opening night. About 30 protesters were on hand Thursday from groups like Lambda Legal and the Orange County Gay and Lesbian Center.

A group of protesters marched from Costa Mesa's Westside to Triangle Square on Saturday, rallying against the city's stance on illegal immigration and the closing of the job center. The march, advertised online, with leaflets and by word of mouth, drew a growing crowd of about 40 people and lasted less than two hours. "We feel that the closure of the job center, the intention of closure, was hateful," said Scott Sink, spokesman for Santa Ana-based Tonantzin Collective, the group that organized Saturday's protest.

One of the rights that Islam acknowledges and upholds for the citizens is the right of protest and opposition to the policies of government. This right has been acknowledged by Imam Ali, the successor to the prophet, and other successors: that people are free to voice their opposition and disagreement with the government and the government should respect this right. The value of the human being lies in having the right of disagreement and the diversity of opinions.

Environmental and anti-nuclear activists gathered at Southern California Edison headquarters in Irvine on Wednesday calling for the San Onofre nuclear plant to be decommissioned and for the utility to implement more extensive conservation programs. The plant has been shut down for nearly four months due to safety concerns over excessive wear on tubes in the plant's newly installed steam generators. Edison has yet to publicly say what missteps led to the wear -- which officials said was occurring because the flow of steam caused some tubes to vibrate excessively and rub against each other and support structures.

Chants of "Enough is enough" and "More classes, fewer managers" rose above the after-work traffic Wednesday night as protesters filled the sidewalks around Harbor Boulevard and Adams Avenue in Costa Mesa. Adults waved signs stating "Preserve classes, no executive raises" and "Do not kill our future, educate us," while one girl clutched a sign with "My future matters. " About 200 current and former faculty, staff and students, along with community members, rallied along the streets around and in front of the Coast Community College District's headquarters to express their concerns about budget cuts and reduced course offerings.

Dressed in festive pirate regalia, more than a dozen protesters rallied Saturday afternoon below the Ferris wheel at Balboa Fun Zone, supporting the side yard boat restoration project of Newport Beach shipwright Dennis Holland. Holding pirate flags and picket signs while chanting "Save The Shawnee," the protesters - some coming from hundreds of miles away - attracted the attention of the bustling Saturday crowd, just in front of the ferry to Balboa Island. Waving signage stating "Don't let mediocre minds destroy a great ship" and "Screwing someone legally is still wrong," the group collectively cited The Shawnee's historical significance as their reason for protesting the ordinance that requires Holland to move the boat off his property.

President Obama visited Corona del Mar for a meet-and-greet fundraiser Feb. 16, and the news media reported the event with pictures. Where was the fair and the balanced? Only one brave reporter, Brian Calle with the Orange County Register, reported what he witnessed. The other press members must have been given a lesson on how to distort the truth. Hmmm, who is paying their salaries? As a local patriotic resident of CdM, I began my walk on Coast Highway to meet my girl friends at 7:25 am carrying American flags and our protest signs.

Eight months after its opening drew thousands of protesters to Corona del Mar, I Heart Puppies is closing its retail shop at 2801 E. Coast Hwy., according to a sign in the shop's window. "I Heart Puppies would like to thank the community of CdM for their kindness, generosity and support. Sadly, we are closing our storefront," the sign states. "I Heart Puppies will continue to provide the same quality puppies for sale on our website, where we will be able to offer a larger variety of breeds.

GOLETA - For the second time this season, a Corona del Mar High girls' water polo game came down to a fraction of a second at the end of regulation. Dos Pueblos senior Kodi Hill, who had led the Chargers' stirring second-half rally, was a split-second away from ending it all Saturday. Not just the game, but the Sea Kings' season. She was a blink of the eye from shocking top-seeded CdM and keeping alive Dos Pueblos' quest for a fourth straight CIF Southern Section Division 1 title.

President Obama swept through Corona del Mar on Thursday morning, raking in at least hundreds of thousands of dollars from supporters while rattling the sleepy village. Obama protesters and fans crowded intersections along East Coast Highway, near the entrance to the tony Shore Cliffs neighborhood, the site of a private breakfast fundraiser. Police said the event went smoothly, thanks in part to their heavy presence controlling traffic and crowds. People, dogs and a horse named Sinatra started arriving about 6 a.m. at the intersections between Morning Canyon Road and Poppy Avenue.

Though President Obama's Thursday visit to a breakfast fundraiser in Corona del Mar will be closed to the public, there will be plenty of signs that the Democratic president is visiting a Republican stronghold. Conservative protesters plan to get their points across with demonstrations, though it was unknown Wednesday night whether the presidential motorcade would pass by them. "Our goal is to hopefully get enough coverage that other Americans in other communities across the nation will do the same thing when the president visits their community," said Laura Dietz, a Cameo Shores resident who is organizing a protest on Poppy Avenue and East Coast Highway.

Local Republican activists are planning a rally to greet President Obama when he visits Corona del Mar on Thursday morning for a breakfast fundraiser. "I'm hoping what we can make this one of the most significant political rallies in the history of Newport Beach," said organizer Laura Dietz. "Our goal is to leave him with the distinct impression that California is not going to sit here idly by, that he has California totally in the bag. This is a hard-core campaign. Chicago politics is coming to Corona del Mar. " Dietz held an organizational meeting in her home and plans a Sunday meeting, where Republican supporters will spend six hours making signs for the rally, which she hopes will attract hundreds of people.

A relative of Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad, who has been an outspoken critic of the regime's brutal crackdown on protesters, is scheduled to speak this weekend in Irvine. Majd Jadaan, the sister-in-law of al-Assad's brother, Maher al-Assad, left the country before the uprising began March 15, said Rashad Al-Dabbagh, communication director of the Syrian American Council (SAC). Jadaan will address participants during a fundraising event to support the victims of al-Assad's attacks.