18 Labor Union Protesters Arrested

Garden Grove police arrested 18 labor union protesters Friday after the group allegedly sat down at a busy intersection and refused to disperse, authorities said.

The arrests were made at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and Chapman Avenue during an afternoon demonstration by the local Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, police said.

The 18 protesters broke away from a larger crowd picketing on the sidewalk and sat at a crosswalk around a union banner, police said. They were cited for holding an illegal assembly, a misdemeanor, and released without any injuries or damages, police said.

Union officials could not be reached for comment. But demonstrators said they were protesting poor working conditions and low pay for hotel workers in the area.

Police officials said they had been aware of the demonstration since early November and had been in talks with union leaders to assure a peaceful protest.