Ara Najarian: Eastsiders Angry Over Glendale Councilman's Comment That Sign Pollution Reminds Him of East L.A.

Ara Najarian: Damn, this photo looks suspiciously velvet.

Some Eastsiders are up in arms because Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian said he didn't want to see his city turn into another East L.A.

The comment came as Glendale is moving toward downsizing business signs or ordering them removed altogether. Here's what Najarian told the Glendale News-Press:

It's a matter of aesthetics. These signs are something you see in East L.A.

Ooh. Burn. Not a wise choice of words considering the history of street-level conflict between some Latinos (who populate the Eastside) and Armenian-Americans (Najarian and much of Glendale).

But ... there might be some truth to it. It certainly has been noted that the Eastside has suffered at the hands of billboards and oversized advertisements more than the county's Westside.

Why shouldn't it be an example of how not to do this?

According to a statement from L.A. County, students and business people from the Eastside will be at tonight's Glendale City Council meeting to explain to Najarian why:

The East L.A. group is seeking an apology from Najarian for a slur he made against East Los Angeles, in reference to his comments to the Glendale News-Press about oversized signs.

The students will remind him about the importance of "responsible and respectful" public officials. Also, business leaders will share copies of East L.A.'s signs Ordinance and Community Standards District plan.

All the magic happens at 6 p.m. here:

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[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]