Caught on camera: Highland protesters' Black Lives Matter banner vandalized

HIGHLAND, Calif. (KABC) -- A group of Black Lives Matters protesters in Highland say their signs were vandalized by two men who drove up to their protest and tore up their signs before leaving.

It happened on Wednesday, a few hours before a planned protest along Greenspot Road. The encounter, which lasted about one minute, was posted to social media by Koty Everson, who said he and a group of friends had placed several signs around the city throughout the day. When he was informed by one of his friends that a group of men was removing some of the signs, he returned to the intersection of Greenspot Road and Boulder Avenue where the original banner was posted.

Everson said when he pulled out his phone and started shooting video, the men left. But when they returned a few minutes later and got out of their vehicles, he started shooting video again.

"They had a dog, like a big German Shephard, and they ran up over to us," said Everson. "And I was like, I'm going to stand in front of my sign, because I'm going to stand for why I'm here. I want everybody to let this to be known."

Everson said as the men approached, it was his intention to remove the sign and then repost it when they left the area. But they climbed up onto one of the planters in front of the private community where the banner was posted and started tearing them down.

"I was trying to tell him I'll take it down, just leave. And he was like, no, it's too late."

Another group of protesters returned to the scene on Thursday morning, and placed a new banner on the wall. The location is where the banner was posted is on private property, and none of the protesters had explicit permission to place the banner on the wall. But a man who claimed to be with the homeowners' association told Eyewitness News that he told the group they could keep the banner on the wall, but requested they remove it when they finished their protest.

One of the protesters is a resident inside the community.

"They said they were going to post the sign again," said Eva Baschoff. "I wanted to support them, this is not right. I'm supporting them, and we're not going to let that happen again."

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