Thread: Protests In Sacramento Over Border Security

http://fox40.trb.com/news/ktxl-10290...ll=ktxl-news-1

Nearly One Thousand People At Capitol Rally


The Associated Press

October 29, 2005

SACRAMENTO -- California's growing divide over how best to secure its border with Mexico was on display Saturday at a noisy, but mostly peaceful confrontation between supporters and opponents of a measure to create state border police.

Nearly one thousand people participated in the two-hour standoff on the west side of the Capitol while more than two dozen police, many of them on horseback, stood between the rival gatherings. Authorities reported three arrests.

While the proposed ballot initiative to create a state immigration police force was the theme of the day, the underlining issue was the role that volunteer citizen patrols - so called Minutemen - are playing along the U.S.-Mexican border.

A San Diego-based group announced last month that it had taken border patrols into its own hands to stop illegal immigrants and drug smugglers form entering California.

"We have a major problem on the border with the illegals," said Robin Gable, 50 of Sacramento. "I'm here to support the Minutemen and our border patrols. You have terrorists, there's drugs coming across. Something has to be done about it."

Gable was one of about 200 people who stood on the Capitol steps to hear speeches delivered by politicians and talk radio personalities in favor of securing California's border and urging voters to sign ballot petitions.

Not far away on the sidewalk stood Tomas Alejo, 30, of Watsonville, Calif., who was part of a counter-protest of about 700 people that marched and rallied in opposition to the border police measure and the Minutemen.

"Our people should be treated with dignity and respect," he said. "We don't believe that people should be dogged if they are from one side of the border or the other. We denounce what the Minutemen are all about."

The proposed ballot measure is in circulation and its sponsor, Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta, said he hopes it would qualify for the June 2006 ballot. Haynes said Saturday that his measure would create a state police force charged specifically with enforcing federal immigration laws.

According to Haynes, illegal immigration costs California $9 billion to $10 billion a year in areas such as education, health care and prisons. Creating a state border patrol would cost far less - $250 million annually, he said.

Peter Camejo, an independent vice presidential candidate in 2004, led the counter-protest. He agreed the current system is not working, but said the other side's effort to seal off the borders is wrong.

"The American people need to know that only a tiny number of people are entering illegally," he said. "And these people are desperately needed by our economy. The Minutemen are saying that these people are criminal, but what they are refugees of poverty."

Participants in both events waved flags and chanted back and forth as horns blared and drums pounded. Signs read: "No bosses, no borders," and "Who's illegal Minutemen?" while the other side countered "Secure the border Mr. Bush, you're letting terrorists in."

Dave Kimball, 62 of Sacramento, was drawn into the counter-protest event, but said he was torn over the issue.

"There's got to be a better way of handling all of this," he said. "Both sides have points that maybe the other side would agree with."

Sigh. Counter-protesters are supporting anarchy. 'Border crossers' are illegal.

As long as the law is the law...what platform for argument can there be??

I think just one of the many things that tick off AMERICANS is that there is one law for THEM and another law for US. We're supposed to obey ALL laws..including the ones we don't LIKE.

RR

Alipac was represented here.

I gave out the ALIPAC web address to several people. The rally was moving. We had country music and many good speakers. A great deal of info was exchanged and we laid claim to the state capitol; Something that has previously been done only by our opposition. We had at least 200 pro border control people. the opposition brought in considerably more, however it is my belief these protesters would do this for any cause, and may not pick this one exclusively should there be another more pressing one such as an anti-war rally. I took videos and pictures I will download tonight and post, as did one SOS member who came from Los Angeles, along with 3 other members. Unfortunately, we did not stir anyone from inside the capitol save for the few that had signed on to the event previously.
The CHP and the Sac PD kept order very well under the circumstances, and are to be commended. There was around 400 counter protestors, with about 150 or so of them being of the goonage persuasion(mask wearing, anarchist flag waving, America hating, free speech inhibiting, will protest anything for personal recognition city dwellers)
there was the usual mexican flag wavers and baby wavers.
I'l write some real recap with the photos later

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ ... 2246c.html

Immigration clash at Capitol
Three arrested as demonstrators counter Minuteman Corps rally
By Matt Weiser -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, October 30, 2005
Story appeared on Page A3 of The Bee
One group wants to end illegal immigration. The other rejects what it calls the armed uprising that the first group has begun.
They clashed Saturday in the shadow of the Capitol, and three people were arrested. Still, it turns out, they agree on one thing: The system is broken.

"This isn't about hatred. This isn't about racism. We stand against a broken system that has failed all of us," said Tim Donnelly, leader of the Minuteman Corps of California, one branch of a group that organizes armed citizen patrols of America's border with Mexico.


Donnelly's group held a rally on the Capitol steps that drew about 200 people. The group supports a ballot initiative to create a new state police force to patrol the border.
"They are attacking the immigrants. The problem isn't the immigrants. The problem is the system," said Gerardo Murillo of Daly City, who joined a counterdemonstration by immigrant-rights groups that drew about 600 people.

Murillo's son Carlos, 22, was arrested and released on charges of failing to obey a police officer and resisting arrest. He allegedly stepped into the street and did not follow orders to return to the sidewalk where police were trying to contain a throng of demonstrators that used bullhorns, drums, horns and chanting to drown out the Minutemen.

"We demand to be treated with justice and dignity," said Tomas Alejo of Watsonville. "We believe in no borders. A lot of humans are migrating not because they want to, but because they need to. We deny what the Minutemen are about."

The Minutemen and their supporters blame illegal immigration for economic woes in America, from lost jobs to the growing financial burden of government social services. They attacked President Bush and Republicans and Democrats alike for failing to confront the problem.

Their leader is Jim Gilchrist of Aliso Viejo, founder of the Minuteman Project and now campaigning to represent Orange County in Congress.

"Their intent is to trample our Constitution," said Gilchrist. "Their goal is not our domestic tranquility, it is our destruction. If it's a war the anarchists want, then damn it, it will start here."

Take away each side's banners and slogans and T-shirts, and they would be hard to tell apart. In its own way, each represents the colorless melting pot that America has become.

Speakers at the Minuteman rally included Lupe Moreno, co-chair of Latinos for Immigration Reform; and Frank George, a naturalized Cuban immigrant and spokesman for the Texas Minutemen.

The counterprotesters included Peter Camejo, former Green Party candidate for governor, and Nativo Lopez, president of the Mexican American Political Association.

Fringe groups attached themselves to each of the larger demonstrations, like pilot fish waiting for a morsel to break off.

Swimming with the Minutemen were two members of the National Alliance, passing out fliers in hopes of recruiting more members to their cause of establishing an all-white state inside America.

The counterprotesters included a collection of self-described anarchists - a mostly white collection of 20-something rebels who support Gilchrest's election on the belief that it will cause a national upheaval.

All three arrests on Saturday came from the group of counterprotesters.

In addition to Carlos Murillo, Robert Levin, 21, of San Francisco also was arrested for allegedly disobeying a police officer and resisting arrest. Joshua Ramirez, 19, of Santa Cruz was arrested on a more serious charge of assaulting a police officer.

Sacramento Police Lt. Neil Schneider said Ramirez kicked a California Highway Patrol officer in the stomach, then attacked a city officer with pepper spray.

The counterprotesters did not have a permit to demonstrate in front of the Minutemen. But police allowed them to parade along the sidewalk in front of the Capitol's west steps where the Minutemen were assembled.

Tension climbed as the groups flung words back and forth.

"We gave them the sidewalk. We wanted them to exercise their rights," Schneider said. "I'm disappointed we had to arrest people."

Though both sides seemed to concur that the system is broken, they disagree on most everything else. They don't agree on what "the system" is, which part of it is broken, or how to fix it.

The Minutemen want the border sealed. They want corporations to stop shipping jobs overseas and hiring illegal immigrants for the work that remains.

Immigrants and their supporters want a simpler path to citizenship and an equal chance at life-sustaining work.

Navigating the empty space between the two groups were Asha Ellman and Michael Kassing of Land Park. They brought their daughters, Erika Kassing, 9, and Bryce Ellman, 7, to witness the unfolding drama for themselves, to walk among both groups and hear both sides.

"Being exposed just to one side, like a lot of families do, they would grow up either Democrat or Republican without really knowing what each represents," said Asha Ellman. "We kind of let them make up their own minds. It's an education about our society. It's an education about people."


About the writer:
The Bee's Matt Weiser can be reached at (916) 321-1264 or mweiser@sacbee.com.



Sacramento police officers arrest Carlos Murillo, 22, of Daly City for allegedly failing to obey an officer and resisting arrest as he and others protested a rally Saturday by a civilian border patrol group. Police said Murillo stepped into the street and did not follow orders to return to the sidewalk. He was later released.

A CHP officer tries to get up after being pushed at the protest. One person allegedly kicked a CHP officer and attacked a city officer with pepper spray.
Sacramento Bee/Anne Chadwick Williams


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Capitol border-control rallies draw hundreds
SACRAMENTO: 200 call for stricter enforcement, new police force; 300 demostrate against Minutemen
Sunday, October 30, 2005

By MARTIN ESPINOZA
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT


STEVE YEATER / AP
Wearing American-flag contact lens, Roberta Allen from San Jose watches pro border-police initiative supporters rally at the Capitol on Saturday.
Zoom Photo

About 200 advocates for stricter border enforcement rallied Saturday on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento, calling for the creation of a state police agency that would go after illegal immigrants and businesses that hire them.

The event sought to promote a state initiative and constitutional amendment that would establish a "California Border Police" to help enforce federal immigration laws. Supporters of the initiative said 600,000 signatures would be required by Dec. 12 to qualify the measure for the June ballot.

"I want to show the federal government that if they will not act on border security, then the state government will," said Sacramento resident Davi Rodrigues, who signed the petition.

Sonny Sardo, a La Cañada Flintridge businessman who is a Republican candidate in next June's primary battle for the 26th Congressional District, said the new police agency would do more than patrol California's border with Mexico. It also would conduct periodic reviews of employee records, California school rolls and hospital records, in search of illegal immigrants, he said.

Leaders of civilian border-patrol groups, including the Minuteman Civil Defense Corp of Arizona and the Chicago Minutemen, also attended the rally.

"California, you're not alone. When you get your borders secure maybe we can get things secure in Illinois," said Rosanne Pulido, co-founder of Chicago Minutemen.

The proposed ballot measure is in circulation and its sponsor, Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta, said he hopes it would qualify for the June 2006 ballot. Haynes said Saturday that his measure would create a state police force charged specifically with enforcing federal immigration laws.

According to Haynes, illegal immigration costs California $9 billion to $10 billion a year in areas such as education, health care and prisons. Creating a state border patrol would cost far less - $250 million annually, he said.

The rally was met by a counterprotest several blocks away that drew about 300 members of activist groups from the Bay Area and Sacramento.

"We're here to support the right of people to move across the border and earn a decent living," said Mario Galvan of the Zapatista Solidarity Coalition in Sacramento.

Participants in both events waved flags and chanted back and forth as horns blared and drums pounded. Signs read: "No bosses, no borders," and "Who's illegal Minutemen?" while the other side countered "Secure the border Mr. Bush, you're letting terrorists in."

Members of the opposing rally periodically approached the rally at the steps of the Capitol, but about 40 officers from the Sacramento Police Department and California Highway Patrol prevented any physical confrontations. Three of its participants were arrested during scuffles with the police.

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Santa Rosa Press democrat story

I live in Sacramento. I was at the minuteman rally!

The Media: Don't believe the hype!! The count was actually about 200+ minutemen supporters vs. 300+ open border supporters.

I think more minutemen would have arrived had the media not said earlier in the week that the rally would be canceled because of "the controversey".

Hell! Most were just a bunch of college kids (usefull idiots) who probably just joined Mecha and La Raza.

I feel sorry for the Veterans participants who located on another side of the capital got caught in the crossfire because they were having thier own rallly which had nothing to do with the minutemen.

Funny how they don't talk about all the anarchists carrying sticks (how long till they start to use them?). IT wasn't all over the news about the anarchists assaulting the older gentlemen at the rally in San Diego a month or so back.

Another point is that these opponents cover their faces. Just proves that they don't have the strength of their convictions.