An El Salvadoran restaurant mobilized to help cops responding to the LA anti-ICE protests, including one with pepper spray in his eyes. The resulting viral video has been as divisive as it has been unifying.
The footage shows the restaurant workers fanning the sprayed cop while one attempts to flush out his eyes.
“I need to help when the people need me”
The viral video spreading across social media channels is from La Ceiba Restaurante in Compton, owned by El Salvadoran immigrant Elizabeth Mendoza. As protests erupted in the area, other restaurants closed their doors, but Mendoza refused to flee.
“No, I can’t [close],” she said, according to a local ABC News affiliate. “I need to help when the people need me.”
Mendoza opened her doors to both police and protesters in need, providing food, water, and napkins. As police began deploying tear gas and pepper spray, some came in suffering from their own chemical munitions. Workers took some of them into the walk-in freezer to cool down or fanned them.
One worker in the video reportedly applied milk to the officer’s eyes—a kind gesture and a common mistake. Experts recommend that eyes be flushed out with clean water only.
Mendoza suggested in an interview that she and her family immigrated legally, but she sympathizes with those who have been less fortunate than her.
“I know a lot of people came, they don’t have papers,” she said. “They don’t have anything. But they want to work.”
The viral video warms some hearts, angers others
Holding sympathy for both police and undocumented immigrants is a rare feat these days. Social media reactions varied widely depending on political stances, with only some finding the video to be heartwarming.
Those on the political right held up Mendoza and her workers as exceptions to their rule that immigrants are criminals and pushed the false narrative that all of LA is burning down. Those on the left disapproved of her helping the police who are brutalizing protesters and ICE agents terrorizing migrant communities.
Those in the middle still believe both sides can be unified.
“This is America. Despite those who try to divide us on race, class, or role—we help each other,” wrote Project Liberal founder Joshua Reed Eakle on X and Threads.
“We are better than the demagogues.”
“Bet they are legal Mexicans, yes they hate the illegal parasites too,” commented X user @13Fox20.
On Reddit, while some users did find hope in the viral footage, many pointed out that the tear gas and pepper spray came from the cops themselves. Others recounted what they saw the police doing in other videos.
“Meanwhile I saw a video of a cop taking great joy in someone else’s suffering,” wrote u/Key-Amoeba5902, “the cops victim asked for an ambulance and the cop said ‘not going to happen and that’s your fault’ or something functionally similar.”
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