Monterey Park : Protest Over Liquor Sales

Thirty protesters outside Ynez Elementary School last Saturday called on city officials to toughen restrictions on businesses that sell or serve alcohol.

“No booze by schools,” read one of the group’s placards. Phyllis Rabins, a protest organizer, complained that the City Council has been slow to prohibit liquor sales near parks, schools, churches, hospitals and drug and alcohol treatment centers.

New restrictions approved by the council last month require businesses that sell beer, wine and liquor for consumption elsewhere to get a city use permit. But Rabins said city officials have not gone far enough to protect school-age children who are vulnerable to the dangers posed by drinking.