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March 26, 2006

Police to file charges against organizer

WATSONVILLE — Police will seek charges against the lead organizer of Saturday's immigration-law protest march, which law enforcement officers said was unauthorized.

The organizer, a 26-year-old Watsonville man, refused to seek a city-required parade permit, and the organizers did not comply with police orders to remain on the sidewalk and out of the way of traffic, according to Capt. Manny Solano.

The police department was forced to dedicate 10 officers for the two-hour march, Solano said.

Organizers, some of whom were members of the local chapter of the youth organizations Brown Berets, led the group through busy city streets, hampering fire, metro transit and ambulance services, police said.

In addition to seeking charges against the lead organizer, the police department said it will bill the Watsonville Brown Berets for the cost of police services.