A community group opposing the renaming of three streets in south Fresno to Cesar Chavez Boulevard is taking to the airwaves to lobby the city to reconsider.
1 Community Compact announced Wednesday that it is rolling out radio advertisements to oppose the renaming.
The backstory: Last year, the Fresno City Council voted to rename Kings Canyon Road, Ventura Street and California Avenue after the late UFW co-founder.
- That move came despite significant community opposition from residents and business owners along the corridor.
- 1 Community compact formed shortly after and filed a lawsuit against the city in July 2023, arguing that the city’s renaming is for ideological and political reasons.
The big picture: Councilmembers Miguel Arias, Luis Chavez and Nelson Esparza, who originally proposed the renaming, are holding an event on Friday to celebrate the change.
- In response, 1 Community Compact is pushing out a radio advertisement titled “Cloak and Dagger.”
What we’re watching: 1 Community Compact will appear in court on Aug. 1 for an injunction hearing to stop the renaming.
What they’re saying: “City Councilmembers need to end their waste of public funds on events that celebrate street renaming that only costs citizens more of their hard-earned dollars and violates their civil rights,” 1 Community Compact said in a statement.
Listen: Listen to the advertisement here:
