With Mexican flags and music, Cinco de Mayo was celebrated in San José on May 3rd with the usual pride and enthusiasm. People were just trying to have some safe fun driving slowly down Santa Clara Street, the main thoroughfare from Mexican Heritage Plaza and the east side of the city into downtown. Some were showing off their lowriders and colors of Mexico. Others came by foot, bicycle, bus, and lightrail. The crowds were smaller than previous years, but that did not stop San José police from targeting Latinos.

Indybay contributor Sharat G. Lin walked along Santa Clara Street from Fourth Street to Market Street for a half hour from approximately 6:10pm to 6:40pm and again from about 7:10pm to 7:40pm. Standing well out of the way of police and the stopped vehicles, Sharat photographed each incident to document the police stop and also to let police know that they were being monitored.

During those two half-hour intervals on four blocks of Santa Clara Street, there were no fewer than 14 separate cars stopped by San José police in what appeared to be deliberate fishing expeditions. This amounts to nearly one stop every four minutes. Read more and view photos