Thread: Minutemen Invited To March in Fourth of July Parade

Minutemen invited to march in Fourth of July parade
Matthew Artz
The Argus
Article Created: 06/30/2008 07:14:08 PM PDT

FREMONT — Organizers of this year's Fourth of July parade have reversed themselves and invited a local Minutemen group to march.

Not only can the Golden Gate Minutemen march, but they have been asked to walk with three giant red, white and blue star-shaped balloons.

"I think that would be a really good way to (mend fences)," parade Chairwoman Patty Hitchcock said. The Minutemen, she added, would be invited to future Fremont Independence Day parades as well.

Minutemen member Mike Jones, who spoke with Hitchcock on Monday, said he appreciated "the olive branch," but cautioned that the group would decide at a meeting tonight whether it will march.

It would be hard to fathom local Minutemen turning down the invitation after threatening a lawsuit and conducting a public campaign in recent days to pressure organizers to include them.

The group, known for its staunch opposition to illegal immigration, was invited to march in last year's parade only after the organizing committee accepted a $15,000 grant from the city.

With no public donations this year, organizers said they were free to exclude the group, which it feared could draw protesters who would disrupt the parade.

But the snub may have proved more troublesome for the organizing committee than letting the Minutemen march.

When organizers said they couldn't afford the cost of extra policing required to keep the peace if the Minutemen marched, police officials
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countered that they hadn't charged them extra last year and wouldn't do this year, either.

"It's not worth the fight," Hitchcock said. "It's not worth me making statements I know are correct with respect to the police department."

Hitchcock, who is chairing her sixth and final parade, said she extended the Minutemen an invitation after talking with her husband and other organizing-committee members. No city officials were consulted, she said.

The Minutemen had wanted to build a float for this year's parade, Jones said, explaining why the group may not march after fighting for the right to do so. Many members, he added, had made other plans after parade organizers refused to invite them.

"We appreciate the gesture, absolutely," he said. "We don't want to be a negative source in our town."

Fremont reporter Matthew Artz can be reached at 510-353-7002 or martz@bayareanewsgroup.com. Read his blog posts at www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_9747870

When organizers said they couldn't afford the cost of extra policing required to keep the peace if the Minutemen marched, police officials
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Problem is the Minutemen aren't the sorce of disrupting the peace. I don't believe they've been known to attack people or start a riot. Put the blame where it should be.

oops - wrong thread

Originally Posted by crazybird

When organizers said they couldn't afford the cost of extra policing required to keep the peace if the Minutemen marched, police officials
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Problem is the Minutemen aren't the sorce of disrupting the peace. I don't believe they've been known to attack people or start a riot. Put the blame where it should be.

That's right. It's always the college kids being disruptive or jumping on the stage and attacking the speaker. I've never seen a MM attack anyone. In fact, all of this talk about MM shooting people etc. is absolute bunk. Remember abu graib? We saw that on the news over and over and over again for months. Why? Because there was actually something there. You've never seen a case go against a MM for violence because there is nothing there.

You've never seen a case go against a MM for violence because there is nothing there.

Exactly......I remember that video from Chicago where I think 2 were just harrassed for being there. Got their cameras broken. Seen countless ones where the open borders people are the ones causing the violence and everyone else is doing their best to avoid it. I mean Jesse Jackson was down at the border waiting and watching and hoping and praying for something....so have other groups.....but there's been nothing. Saw the biker group get attacked and they weren't doing anything either.

I just get afraid that if they don't march....it will be seen like the other side has won in silencing them and will encourage more violence to silence any group who stands for something some don't agree with. Time they get arrested for their part in disrupting the peace instead of punishing the innocent ones because a wild group is violent.

The wonderful Minutewoman and Minutemen NEVER cause any trouble, it's the rabid OBL goons who go on the the attack due to their racism and ignorance.