Thread: Maria Shriver leaves a visit, threatend by Brown Berets

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archiv ... 1local.htm

July 22, 2006


Protest meets Shriver's visit to Watsonville
By Emily Saarman
Sentinel Correspondent
WATSONVILLE — Hundreds of people welcomed first lady Maria Shriver during a visit to the City Plaza on Friday before a rowdy group of protesters drove her out.

Shriver came to encourage low-income families to use food stamps to buy healthy fruits and vegetables. But about a dozen Watsonville Brown Berets shouted "You're not welcome here" and "racist."
After touring the City Plaza and farmers market, Shriver slipped away from the crowd more than an hour earlier than planned.

Some in the crowd shook their heads as the protesters changed the tenor of the visit from celebratory to angry.

"I'm embarrassed for Watsonville," said Lourdes Chuta, a 67-year-old Watsonville resident.

Her friend, Pat Hargadon, 69, was more circumspect.

"She brought the community out here, both the good and the bad," Hargadon said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Mayor Antonio Rivas tried unsuccessfully to quiet the protesters.

"I fully support free speech and the right to protest, but I do not condone the rude and offensive behavior I witnessed at the plaza this afternoon," Rivas said. The Brown Berets, he said, "deliberately interfered with Shriver's ability to talk with the public."

Rivas followed Shriver to the airport to apologize. A few hours later he sent out a statement apologizing for the Brown Berets' behavior and expressing disappointment that many of Shriver's supporters were unable to thank her for her efforts.

Despite the upset, Tiffany Moffatt, a communications director from the Governor's Office, said she considered the visit a success.

"The goal of the day was to focus on education," Moffatt said. "We accomplished our objective today."

At least new 25 families signed up for food stamps at the market, Lee Mercer of Second Harvest Food Bank said, adding, "We usually do that many in a month, so that's incredible."

Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, who said he attended the event to encourage eligible families to sign up for food stamps, supports a bill that will simplify the application process and eliminate an office visit that he says is "a real barrier" to those who can't take time off work.

"I think the visit was a success," Laird said.

"By Santa Cruz standards, the protest was nothing."

Shriver began with a tour of more than 80 educational booths set up in the City Plaza. The booths displayed pamphlets about nutrition, health care and services for the elderly and disabled. She shook hands with booth workers and asked about their programs.

"She was really easy to talk to, and she seemed interested in senior services," said Lois Nieuwstad of Senior Network Services.

Shriver signed autographs and posed for pictures with people.

Thomas Avila, 5, had wanted to meet the first lady but his visit with her was cut short by protesters' yells.

"They were so rude, he started crying," said his mother, Virginia Avila, 42.

Shriver left a few minutes later as tensions escalated in the face of an increasingly angry protest.
Event organizer Shebreh Kalantari of United Way said Shriver wanted to return to talk further, but security warned her away.

"We were trying to make Maria Shriver feel unwelcome in Watsonville," said protester Ramiro Medrano, a 27-year-old member of the Brown Berets. "What we need is not the promotion of food stamps. We don't want a welfare state, we want better wages and jobs."
But others welcomed the opportunity to use food stamps to buy farmers market produce.

Carmelita Carranto of Second Harvest Food Bank helped hand out more than $200 worth of food stamp tokens Friday — twice the usual number.

Organizer Kalantari estimated as many as 3,000 people were drawn the plaza during the afternoon. People jammed the market, and vendors, who brought extra produce expecting a larger than normal crowd, said they weren't disappointed.

"I think the protesters alienated a lot of people, which is really unfortunate," said Nancy Gammons, the market's director. "Otherwise it's been a great day, lots of people here, lots of new faces, and a very festive atmosphere."

Contact Emily Saarman at esaarman@santacruzsentinel.com.

"I think the protesters alienated a lot of people, which is really unfortunate

Ya there's quite a number of those people that are totally ruining the reputation of their people. The sterotype isn't there for no reason....so instead of screaming at us they ought to take a look at how their actions don't foster any good will. I'd say I might meet 1 nice out of 1000. Kind of hard to send the welcome wagon to inhospitible people. After enough run ins ,it makes it pretty darn hard to bother again.

Shriver came to encourage low-income families to use food stamps to buy healthy fruits and vegetables. But about a dozen Watsonville Brown Berets shouted "You're not welcome here" and "racist."
After touring the City Plaza and farmers market, Shriver slipped away from the crowd more than an hour earlier than planned.

Wouldn't you call this "biting the hand that feeds you?"

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

Wouldn't you call this "biting the hand that feeds you?"

Yea!

I hope she goes home and calls her Uncle Ted and tells him what he is supporting. What he really wants for this country. Teddy, it's more was what Maria got and middle class Americans don't have a security detail. Thanks a lot Ted.

Dixie

First she should be telling that ass of a husband of hers!

Ya know, the liar and coward.

2ndamendsis, Quote,

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First she should be telling that ass of a husband of hers!

Ya know, the liar and coward.
Hey have you forgotten? He is also a PREDATOR fighter, maybe she can win him over to our side!

Originally Posted by Dixie

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

Wouldn't you call this "biting the hand that feeds you?"

Yea!

I hope she goes home and calls her Uncle Ted and tells him what he is supporting. What he really wants for this country. Teddy, it's more was what Maria got and middle class Americans don't have a security detail. Thanks a lot Ted.

Dixie

I got a couple of unsolicited e-newsletters from Mr K, full of misspellings, and a 'broken' unsubscribe link. I forced myself to read it, just to see if at some point he sounds reasonable about something. Thing is, even if he were to have, I wouldn't have cared. Which makes me sad for me. That's how bad it's gotten. The dirty tricks and lying that his side uses-- the false arguments that he uses shamelessly on the Senate floor-- have so inured me against him, that I wouldn't risk taking him seriously for one moment.

He's selling us out, trying to make himself seem the hero to cover it up. Anyway, as I told the webmaster, telling him to unsubscribe me, don't expect my command of my nation's language, my love for my language, to help Mr K make his case for him.

It reminded me of an exchange I had with someone parked in my neighbor's assigned parking space at my condo. I didn't recognize her or her van. She was sitting in my neighbor's covered space, applying makeup. I looked at her suspiciously. Who are you, my look said. She smiled sheepishly at me. I spoke up. She smiled some more and tried to 'explain' -- in Spanglish. She actually had the nerve to ask me "Do you speak Spanish?" Only Hispanics ask me that, because I'm Mexican. Incidentally, most non-Hispanics are usually not quite sure that I am Mexican and never, ever, ask.

It infuriated me. I shot back "No, I don't! You want me to help you talk to me?!" I do speak Spanish. I'm the only one of my siblings who does, but I wasn't going to let her know, because she would have persisted in talking to me in Spanish while I spoke to her in English. No. We are in America and she was not a tourist.

GGGRRRRRRRRRRR!

Mayor Antonio Rivas tried unsuccessfully to quiet the protesters.

"I fully support free speech and the right to protest, but I do not condone the rude and offensive behavior I witnessed at the plaza this afternoon," Rivas said. The Brown Berets, he said, "deliberately interfered with Shriver's ability to talk with the public."

Okay, entering the U.S. illegally, this little tantrum, plus marching in the streets, looks to me like GWB is escorting in a pretty rowdy crowd who does not hesitate to take it to the streets and become rather aggressive at that.

Maybe our quiet American ways are boring the POTUS.

How come these Brown Berets get away with this, when honest American citizens, who disagree with the shrub are arrested.

For those of you who haven't seen this thread. Check it out.

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=35505

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

Mayor Antonio Rivas tried unsuccessfully to quiet the protesters.

"I fully support free speech and the right to protest, but I do not condone the rude and offensive behavior I witnessed at the plaza this afternoon," Rivas said. The Brown Berets, he said, "deliberately interfered with Shriver's ability to talk with the public."

Okay, entering the U.S. illegally, this little tantrum, plus marching in the streets, looks to me like GWB is escorting in a pretty rowdy crowd who does not hesitate to take it to the streets and become rather aggressive at that.

Maybe our quiet American ways are boring the POTUS.

You gotta' witness. But La Razistas are so good at demonstrationtainment which confabutizes El Presidente with numerosity, which legitimize-inizes their truthlessness.

Someone needs to tell them that real terrorist groups are polite in public, so they are not detected sooner. You know, like the Senate.