Community upset after LAPD erects 'no stopping' signs ahead of Highland Park lowrider event

HIGHLAND PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Community members in Highland Park are outraged with the Los Angeles Police Department after a popular lowrider event was interrupted.

The LAPD put up "no stopping" signs along York Boulevard 48 hours before the event was set to take place. For local residents and others, it felt personal.

"I'm angry... These lowriders are just here to cruise. It's a family affair. You can see children around here having a good time. No problems," said Whittier resident Nellie Gonzales.

Participants say the event celebrates the Chicano car culture.

Sergio Juarez, of Highland Park, said he believes the move was racial profiling.

"They don't do that with hot rods... they don't do that with other types of classic cars that are out there," he said.

Noelle Reyez, owner of the boutique Mi Vida in Highland Park, says the signs were put up by the LAPD on Thursday.

"Once we got confirmation that it in fact was LAPD trying to shut down a community gathering - that's when it became more of an injustice," she said. "...This is a place where people come because we celebrate our culture."

On Saturday, LAPD officers parked their cars in the middle of York Boulevard - right across from the Super A Foods grocery store, where the parking lot was packed with the classic cars.

Lowrider owners showed up with their families, excited to show off their cruisers to fellow car fans. The paint alone for one of them costs upwards of $16,000.

"It's a sense of pride. It's a sense of putting whatever amount of money that you make... you're putting it into your vehicle and you're passing it on through to... your son, your daughter," Juarez said.

The LAPD declined an on-camera interview but put out a statement in response to Saturday's event before it even started.

It reads: "The Los Angeles Police Department placed 'no parking' signs on York Boulevard in advance of this large scale event that is widely advertised and unpermitted. The Department welcomes meeting with the organizer to assist in completing the proper permits and finding a suitable location where the event can be held that serves the residents and business owners in the area as well as the group holding the event."

Despite the signs, small business owners said the event was a success and brought tons of foot traffic and customers.