Thread: CA: Fallbrook church protest ends in confrontation

Fallbrook church protest ends in confrontation

By: EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer

FALLBROOK ---- An anti-illegal immigration protest at St. Peter's Catholic Church that began peacefully early Saturday morning ended with a violent confrontation between two men.

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Angry exchange of words erupted between an anti-illegal immigration protester and a supporter of the church's day-labor site. Then the protester sprayed Mace on the man, who broke the protester's camera and injured the protester's face.

For nearly a month, the anti-illegal immigration group San Diego Minutemen and other groups have been staging weekly rallies against a day-labor site run by the Fallbrook church. About 50 people attended Saturday's protest, including supporters of the day-labor hiring site.


The Rev. Edward "Bud" Kaicher, the church's pastor, said he lamented the event.

"It's sad to me, because it's a waste of energy," Kaicher said. He added that the protesters should address their concerns to the federal government, not the church.

The protest, which began at about 7 a.m., drew dozens of Palomar College students and immigrant rights activists in support of the church's day-labor site. About 20 anti-illegal immigration protesters were also present waiving American flags and picket signs.

Both sides mingled on the sidewalk in front of the church pointing video cameras at each other, but largely without incident.

Shortly before 10 a.m., a member of the San Diego Minutemen, Kiani Garcia of Vista, approached a sport utility vehicle at a driveway in front of the church. An unidentified man on the passenger's side left the vehicle, confronted Garcia and exchanged words with him.

The man reached for Garcia's video camera and threw it on the sidewalk as Garcia drew a canister of mace and sprayed the man's face. The camera shattered into several pieces, one of which apparently bounced off the sidewalk and hit Garcia's face.

Several sheriff's deputies arrived shortly after the incident to investigate. No one was arrested or cited during the protest. The couple in the sport utility vehicle left the scene.

Garcia said he was acquainted with the woman and approached the vehicle to tell her to fix the car's cracked windshield. He said he did not know the name of the man, but said he believed it was her husband.

"He came out, hotheaded, and grabbed my camera and took it away from me, and smashed it in the ground, and I maced him," Garcia said.

Garcia told sheriff's deputies he wanted to press charges against the man for breaking his camera.

Mike Spencer, an anti-illegal immigration activist who attended the protest, said Garcia acted in self-defense.

Garcia "tried to defend himself with Mace, but was injured in the attack and had to go to the hospital," he said in a written statement after the protest.

Anti-illegal immigration activists began protesting St. Peter's Catholic Church last month, saying that most of the workers were illegal immigrants and that the church was breaking federal laws by helping them find jobs.

Kaicher said the church, which has run the day-labor site for more than 15 years, is simply following its religious duty to help those in need, and plans to continue to do so.

"We are responding to a need in our community," Kaicher said.

A worker at the day-labor site said he is thankful that the church offers workers a safe place to meet employers, but added that work has dried up since the protests begun last month.

Those who oppose the day-labor site say they plan to continue to protest until the church decides to shut it down.

Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/07 ... _14_07.txt

If the church wants to help people in need, the church can give them food and shelter and help them be transported back to their countries of origin with respect for their human rights. There is a way to help people and comply with the law.

We have our recalcitrant federal government to thank for these escalating confrontations. If they exercised the authority and responsibility the offices require we would not see neighbors pitted against one another expressing their own divergent views of the law.

To encourage illegal aliens to reside in the U.S. is a CRIME under 8 USC ¶12 §1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)(b)(iii) or under INA 274A(a)(1)(A). This church is thereby committing crimes punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment, and a $10,000 (or $2,000) fine for each incident. A RICO prosecution CAN INCLUDE NONPROFIT ASSOCIATIONS, in which case this church is liable for treble damages.