(264) Violence, Frank Valenzuela, Kern County Sheriff Department, 1973

Frank Valenzuela is sprayed with mace, beaten with a baton, and thrown to the ground by sheriff's deputies as the Kern County Sheriff Department breaks up a picket line at the Giumarra Ranch, 1973. Valenzuela, the former mayor of Hollister and an organizer with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) was attacked by authorities after he came forward in response to the cries of seventeen year old Marta Rodriguez, seen here restrained on the ground, to try and calm her after she was assaulted by police. Nearly 130 picketers were arrested in this incident, many sustaining injuries.