Thread: MCC 'locked down' during immigration rally

MCC 'locked down' during immigration rally
By Kerry Lester | Daily Herald Staff
Published: 10/27/2007 12:02 AM
On Friday, two armies converged upon McHenry County College.

A group of Hispanic students offended by the presence of the anti-illegal immigration group on campus attempted to protest an Illinois Minuteman Project seminar at the college's conference center Friday evening.

The students gathered at 5 p.m. in the college's common area in campus Building A, to collect their thoughts and tape "immigrant" signs to the backs of their shirts.

At 6 p.m., they attempted to walk through the campus corridors to Building C, where the seminar was held, but were blocked by campus and Minuteman security.

"MCC is basically on lockdown," said Carlos Accosta, executive director of the Latino Coalition, who attended the event. All doors in Building C were locked except that of the room where the seminar was held.

Guadalupe Ortiz, a 19-year-old business student, agreed. "Normally, classes would be finished by now, but the building doors would be open and you could walk through the campus and use the computers," she said. "I've never seen it like this."

MCC officials were not available for comment.

Many of the students who planned to protest are members of Latinos Unidos, the college's Hispanic student organization.

Latinos Unidos presented college President Walter Packard with more than 400 signatures Wednesday of students who opposed the Minuteman group's use of college facilities.

Packard told the students that the campus is open to the public, and the college's conference center facilities can be rented by any organization that completes an application and pays a set fee.

"If we start picking and choosing which groups can speak and which can't, you're going down a slippery path," Packard said Thursday. "Particularly in our college environment, you have to be prepared to listen to a wide range of ideas in order to learn."

First Amendment rights, Packard said, apply to everyone. "I encouraged the students to attend the event, to listen, and to be advocates for their cause," he said.

But some who listened to Packard's words are crying foul.

Tom Kendzie, an 18-year-old student and student senate officer, attempted to buy a ticket, and was turned down.

"I wanted to see what they had to say, and (the Minuteman Project) basically consciously denied me," he said.

Emmanuel Martinez, co-president of Latinos Unidos, said "any group who divides families … I have to speak out against." To be blocked from expressing his opinion "is unfair."

The Minuteman Project's program began at 6:30 p.m., featuring Rosanna Pulido, former Illinois Minuteman Director and representative for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, and David Gorak from Numbers USA.

Ohio sheriff Daniel Beck, renowned for personally rounding up illegal immigrants, as many as 80 in the past year, was the keynote speaker.

Approximately 150 people attended the three-hour event.

The Minuteman group had planned an August seminar at the Crystal Lake Holiday Inn, but that was canceled after city police informed the hotel that it would have to spend up to $3,500 for security during a planned counter-protest. The Minuteman group announced the MCC venue in late September.

"This could have been such a teaching opportunity for the students," Accosta said.

Latinos Unidos plans to make a statement following their meeting next week.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=65219&src=4

Quote from article-
Emmanuel Martinez, co-president of Latinos Unidos, said "any group who divides families … I have to speak out against." To be blocked from expressing his opinion "is unfair."

Then apparently he is against ANY type of law enforcement.

I am very concerned for this country's future because of all the stories that I have been reading where people are picking race over nationality and over law enforcement,also all the young people in the media who don't seem to comprehend how to preserve our country.

Rawhide!

Hello, I am Tom Kendzie and my name appears in that article with information that was incorrectly stated by the reporter.

I never approached the Minute Men seeking to purchase or "buy" a ticket as indicated in that article. I will be taking action to have that statement retracted by the Daily Herald.

However, I did approach the Minute Men project asking for a complimentary ticket. I am a Student Senator at MCC (McHenry County College) and I do also write for the Tartan (our school newspaper), although I told Rosanna Pulido that I would not write in the Tartan about the conference if requested by the Minute Men project (she had no comment).

I was denied a complimentary ticket, and I never indented on purchasing a ticket.

I do believe that it would have been advantageous for the Minute Men project to have allowed me to observe, write, and share the ideas presented in this conference. There is a great deal of negativity, and possible misconceptions, surrounding the Minute Men project at MCC (and from what I can see, throughout the younger generations). The more than 400 signatures, of which I was not one, support my view.

If the Minute Men were interested in allowing the future generation, the ones who will be facing the brunt of illegal immigration, to know what their project is all about then they should have allowed me a seat in their conference. I will have nothing to present to the Tartan, the Student Senate, or the MCC student body at large, and therefor the negative views on the Minute Men will not sway. If the Minute Men's intentions are good, then they should have had no problem allowing me into their conference. It could have helped their cause. Did they deny me because they needed the money or because of policy, I don't know. In any case, it would have been wise for me to bring their ideas out into the student body of MCC.

Emmanuel Martinez, co-president of Latinos Unidos, said "any group who divides families … I have to speak out against."

Then speak out against those who use subterfuge, lawlessness, and theft to abandon their women and children while they illegally enter another country to illegally work.

To be blocked from expressing his opinion "is unfair."

Yet this is what was attempted against another group, in fact the very one the protest was set against, up until the time of the seminar. Hypocrisy much?

"Emmanuel Martinez, co-president of Latinos Unidos, said "any group who divides families … I have to speak out against."

This crap is getting sooooooooo old.......families do not have to be 'BROKEN........"

Just obey the laws of the U.S. and come in LEGALLY and you don't have to worry about being deported. AND IF DEPORTED, take your "FAMILY' with you. THE ILLEGALS ARE THE ONES "BREAKING UP" families. It's their choice!!!!!

i was at mcc last night and attended the conference. security was very tight, but i had absolutely NO problems. everyone was very polite and orderly. the conference itself was well put together. Dave Gorak was excellent!! a very articulate, intelligent man. also sheriff Beck was also very informative, (he brought his own security all volunteer Allen County officers) and of cource Rosanna Pulito was very capable and a very approachable person.

i wasn't sure what building the conference was in and the paper has been reporting that protesters would be there. so i just drove around until i saw alot of police i knew i had found the place. i never did see any protesters just a very well put together conference. also there was a ton of media people there. but not much in the paper this morning.

I would like someone to tell me what makes the minutemen a vigilante group? One or two people harrassing day workers does not make a whole group vigilantes. The only reason they have been given this unjust name is they do not agree with the Latino's or LA RAZA's of this country.

Mr, Kendzie, If anyone is racist it is most of these kids and groups who stand up for just the Latino's or La RAZA'a (THE RACE) "everything for the race and nothing for anyone else" how much more racist or vigilante can you get.

Now they are doing their best to take away our freedom of speech, have you ever seen a group of people in this country so worried about someones elses opinon, or wanting to shut them up, why? because the minutemen have truth and the rule of law on their side, the others have no argument except RACISM.

If you really wanted to cover this meeting you should have bought a ticket, evidentally you were biased to begin with, one of the problems with our MSM today!

The minutemen/woman are mostly made up of veterans who have fought for this country, most our in their 50's or 60's and are nothing more than middle class Americans who are Protecting their country and have all the right to do so, can anyone give me one incident on the border involving the minutemen, in anything contraverseal, big deal they roam the border and REPORT illegals to the BPA,This makes a vigilante? I think not!!

And by the way do you see American citizens out there trying to shut up the pro illegal immigrants, even though probably most of them should not even be in this country!

We will not be shut up and we will not give up our first amendment!

Originally Posted by Tom_Kendzie

However, I did approach the Minute Men project asking for a complimentary ticket. I am a Student Senator at MCC (McHenry County College) and I do also write for the Tartan (our school newspaper), although I told Rosanna Pulido that I would not write in the Tartan about the conference if requested by the Minute Men project (she had no comment).

I was denied a complimentary ticket, and I never intended on purchasing a ticket.

I do believe that it would have been advantageous for the Minute Men project to have allowed me to observe, write, and share the ideas presented in this conference.

Mr. Kendzie, I apologize for you not receiving a press pass to report on this conference. If you had presented an authoritative written directive to report on the conference for your school newspaper, I'm sure that would have influenced Ms. Pulido's decision.

Was there anything in your speech, behavior, or demeanor, Mr. Kendzie, that might have indicated to the conference staff that if you were admitted to the conference, you might be a protester or be disruptive? We have LOTS of trouble with La Raza, MEChA, and their comrades disrupting debates on college campuses. We are not asking for trouble, but it comes uninvited.

Originally Posted by Populist

Latinos Unidos, the college's Hispanic student organization.

How are they any different than a group named "Whites United"?

I don't see any difference.

Originally Posted by Populist

Latinos Unidos, the college's Hispanic student organization.

How are they any different than a group named "Whites United"?

I don't see any difference.