San Diego Border Protest Leads To Arrest

[bearpaw]

http://www.10news.com/news/9317946/detail.html

SAN DIEGO -- A 26-year-old man protesting the planned deployment of National Guard troops at the Mexican border was arrested on Saturday at a rally near the San Ysidro Point of Entry, organizers said.

"They were arrested for what amounts to marching," said Justin Akers Chacon, a Chicano Studies professor at San Diego City College and author of the book "No One Is Illegal."

"We have it all on videotape," Chacon said.

Sgt. Joe Molinoski said the man, who had a torn red T-shirt and scratches on his back as he was being processed at the central police station, was arrested because he took a swing at officers.

He will be charged with assault, Molinoski said, adding that the punch did not connect.

"That's preposterous," Chacon said when told of the booking charge.

Later in the day, the professor organized another rally at police headquarters on 14th Avenue and Broadway to protest the man's arrest.

"We are asking for the immediate release of a fellow activist," said Zakiya Kabir, a college student with Si Se Puede (Yes We Can).

Earlier, about 200 protesters gathered at Larsen Park in the 400 block of Sycamore Road in San Ysidro and marched to the Mexican Border.

"Apparently (police) became agitated when (protesters) didn't move fast enough," Chacon said.

Another organizer, San Diego City College professor Elva Salinas, said a protester dressed up as a Ku Klux Klan member who went over to a group of about 20 Minutemen counter-protesters was sprayed with a water pistol by another protester as part of a stunt. He was held briefly by police but was released.

Organizers with the International Coalition for Liberty and Justice said placing National Guard troops at the border will exacerbate already tense relations between the countries.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has agreed to President George W. Bush's request to deploy up to 1,000 state National Guard troops along the border by July 15.

"Our troops won't play a direct role in law enforcement activities, including apprehension or maintaining custody of detained persons," Schwarzenegger said in his weekly radio address.

"They will assist in backup and support roles and the vast majority of our troops will not be armed," the governor said. "Only those in harm's way will carry a weapon."

Chacon said the deployment "doesn't actually address the root causes."
He said the National Guard was not trained to deal with migrants.
"They're trained to kill," said Chacon, calling the deployment a "political Band-Aid."

At the second protest at police headquarters, protesters waited to picket until television news crews arrived.

Protest organizer Jazmin Morelos, with Si Se Puede, wrote her statement to the media on large poster boards. She said she saw the scuffle broke out between the man, whom she called Josh, and police. Morelos said police pushed him but Josh did not not move and told them not to touch him. That is when police officers wrestled him to the ground, Morelos said.

Another protester, Diego Velasquez, claimed his 6-year-old son, Fernando Suarez, bled when he was hit by police as they wrestled with Josh.

Fernando did not want to be interviewed as he played among the trees outside police headquarters.

[crazybird]

Migrants are "special" criminals?

National Guard......trained to kill. Maybe they are trained to use a weapon but that statement made it sound like we deployed some robot that was trained to kill first, ask questions later. They just want us to hand it all over and I'm sorry.....but NO WAY Jose'. Don't like it LEAVE!

[mrmiata7]

Illegal aliens fabricate events
and make things far worse then they are as they are known for lying, cheating and stealing their way into and while in our country which is what they do best. Watching the interview on Fox news with the drug czar further shows this administration is up to its eyeballs in corruption involving drug cartels. He spouted the usual Vincente Bush party line b.s. when he said Mexico was providing much assistance in the drug interdiction effort despite the flow of drugs across our border from our largest supplier is the highest it has ever been. DHS agents who intercepted railcars transporting drugs from one of the largest area suppliers in Mexico were pulled off that duty and assigned elsewhere and the cars were released. When those agents suspected impropriety on the part of upper level managers the agents faced retaliation via disciplinary action and several resigned. And you will also be happy to know the border patrol has sent ads to Mexico advertising border patrol openings. This traitorous, treasonous and corrupt administration will do absolutely anything to destroy this country and it's citizens to advance Comrade Bush's Globalist Manifesto.

1. Iraq mess
2. Immigration mess
3. New Orleans still unprepared for 2006 hurricane season
4. "Loss" of my and other veterans and active duty personal data to drug cartels and illegal aliens
5. Being jackasses and a waste of taxpayer dollars

IMPEACH TREASONOUS BUSH NOW!!!!!!!

The Senate: The most corrupt institution money can buy!!!!!!!

[Dixie]

claimed his 6-year-old son, Fernando Suarez, bled when he was hit by police as they wrestled with Josh.

Why was your child standing close to someone being arrested. Why didn't you grab him and get him out of the way? Oh, you weren't supervising your child. Surprise - surprise! Did you mistake the protest for a grocery store?

[Brian503a]

http://www.signonsandiego.com

Border marchers, Minutemen swap verbal jabs

By Michael Stetz
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
June 4, 2006

The plan to use National Guard troops to bolster border security was protested yesterday in San Ysidro.

Calling the move “militaristic,” organizers staged a rally and a march, which went from the community's Larsen Field Park to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The rally also drew a counterprotest by members of the Minuteman Project, the controversial citizen border patrol, who clustered along Camino de la Plaza, an avenue bordering the park.

The two groups took verbal jabs at each other throughout the afternoon.

Police said it was largely a civil protest, with one arrest. A man was taken to jail after what police said was an assault on an officer.

At one point, when the march began and protesters neared the Minutemen, police had to stand between the two factions.

“Racists, go home!” the protesters chanted.

“Illegal aliens, go home!” the Minutemen responded.

San Diego police, which beefed up staffing for this rally, estimated the protesters numbered 200.

About two dozen Minutemen were present.

Elva Salinas, a protest organizer, did not give an estimate of the crowd size. She said to ask the police.

The crowd, while not as substantial as at past rallies, was vocal. Tuesday is election day and several events regarding that may have siphoned supporters, said Salinas, an English professor at San Diego City College

“You're always disappointed when you don't get a million people for a protest. But we had quality people,” she said.

The rally was in answer to President Bush's call for the National Guard to assist the U.S. Border Patrol.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – who initially expressed concerns about the plan, particularly its funding – agreed last week to use the troops. About 1,000 are expected to be on the border by mid-summer.

The concept rattles protesters. “You call the National Guard for a state of emergency, not this,” said Ajamu Edmonson, a community activist from San Diego. “It's a last resort.”

Protesters also called for amnesty for those who are here illegally.

The Minutemen said the protesters are out of touch with mainstream America and that border security, as it stands now, is a farce.

“They want open borders,” said Jeff Schwilk, the founder of San Diego Minutemen, who was taking part in the counterprotest. “They want it open to drug dealers, terrorists and criminals. That's how I read it.”

The protest had its bizarre moments. A man dressed in a Ku Klux Klan outfit showed up on the Minutemen side, drawing jeers from the protesters.

He was pulled away by police. The Minutemen people said he was not part of their effort.

The police presence was considerable. More than 50 officers were present, including 15 on motorcycles and six on horseback.

“We had a few little conflicts,” said Lt. Tony McElroy, who was in charge. “But it could have been worse.”



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Michael Stetz: (619) 293-1720; michael.stetz@uniontrib.com