Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department arrested two people on Saturday, at the WeHo Pride Festival on Santa Monica Boulevard. It was one of the biggest gatherings of this kind. Hunter Lee Darling is the first suspect, a 25-year-old prominent LGBTQ activist who goes by “Zodiac Rose”. Deputies arrested Darling on charges of robbery and vandalism stemming from a West Hollywood Library incident that occurred on April 19. The suspects shouted “This is why there shouldn’t be cops at Pride” and other phrases during their arrests, claiming that they had been targeted because of the alleged homophobia by law enforcement.

Darling’s close friend Abby Nicole Thomas faces charges of interfering with officers, according to a statement from the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station:

A robbery took place at the West Hollywood Library on Wednesday, April 19th, 2023. The suspect stole the victim’s phone. West Hollywood Station Detectives identified the suspect later as Hunter Lee Darling. A judge issued an arrest warrant on May 31, 2023, for Suspect Darling.

Deputies encountered Suspect Darling on Saturday, June 3rd, 2023 during an event called ‘Pride Weekend.’ West Hollywood deputies booked Suspect Darling at West Hollywood Station on charges of robbery and vandalism. Abby Nicole Thomas intervened during the Suspect’s arrest and prevented deputies from completing the arrest safely. Abby was arrested for obstructing and interfering with an arrest.

Video footage from the Drag Queen Story Hour held at the West Hollywood Library has been released. It shows Darling deliberately smashing a man’s cell phone with his foot.

A witness posted a TikTok about the arrest, stating that police had many opportunities to apprehend Darling. This included the protest at Saticoy elementary school, which became violent on Friday. The Glendale Unified District Parents’ Voices group organized the protest at Saticoy elementary school to oppose the school’s Friday Gay Pride Day and Rainbow Day. This included the reading of “The Great Big Book of Families”, by Mary Hoffman.

Darling, a member of the Parent’s group, was at the protest where violence broke loose.

The witness of Saturday’s two arrests created a TikTok clip that was widely circulated on social media. He claimed that Darling did not confront the police until Saturday when he confronted him about mocking their signs. The TikTok video witness believed erroneously that Darling had not been arrested at the school on Friday, and therefore the arrests and charges were a result of the encounters with law enforcement Saturday. Darling’s warrant of arrest was actually issued last week.

Antifa held a protest called “No Cops At Pride”. Thomas was released but Darling remains in jail with a $100,000 bail. Online activists are raising money to pay for it.

On June 6, both suspects will appear in court to be charged.