Thread: Police shield no more than 2 dozen as marchers toss bottles

Few counterprotesters rally
Police shield no more than 2 dozen as marchers toss bottles



10:11 PM CDT on Sunday, April 9, 2006
By KAREN AYRES / The Dallas Morning News


Few counterprotesters turned out for Sunday's pro-immigration march, but their message drew a lot of attention.

No more than two dozen clustered behind a phalanx of police in riot gear and on horseback, as thousands of marchers glowered and yelled at them from just a few yards away, sparking some testy moments that left some people fearing for their safety.

Emotions were high, but the only violence came when several people threw plastic bottles at the counterprotesters. The bottles also hit police and journalists, but no one was injured or arrested during the three-hour exchange.

Some counterprotesters expressed concern over their safety and accepted a police offer to be escorted out of the area.

"I don't like the numbers," Jennifer Palmer, 34, of Dallas said as she prepared to leave, shielded by a police officer. "I've almost been hit in the head three times."

Most of the counterprotesters said they were determined to stay, despite being vastly outnumbered. And they were angry that marchers tossed bottles at them.

"We're out here peacefully protesting, and we're being attacked," said Joe Youngblood, 25, of Dallas.

He was part of a group that ranged from bikers wearing black leather to suburban teenagers. About 50 police officers shielded them for most of the afternoon as the counterprotesters traded barbs with marchers yelling in Spanish and English.

Many marchers called them racists and told them to go home. One man yelled that they were all immigrants as well.

Most of the counterprotesters repeatedly said they were not racists and came to the march because they see immigration as an economic and a political issue.

"We want to stand up as Americans for our flag," said Mike Joffrion, 50, of Garland, who described himself as a biker. "I don't have any magic answers, but we have laws on the books, and they're not being enforced."

Mr. Joffrion and about a dozen counterprotesters assembled outside City Hall before the march began. Police pushed them to the side of the building and later across the street.

Shortly after many thousands of marchers engulfed City Hall, a few hundred turned away from the main stage and marched toward the counterprotesters, pushing them back.

Police quickly surrounded the besieged counterprotesters and later donned shin pads, riot helmets and shields as they created a human barricade between the two groups. March organizers, wearing orange T-shirts, also formed a protective barrier.

"It was tense there for a while," said Deputy Chief Jesse Reyes, head of the Dallas Police Department's tactical team.

Dallas police Lt. William Humphrey told the counterprotesters shortly before 3 p.m. that the police could protect them only up to a point.

"They're obviously outnumbered here," Lt. Humphrey said. "If they choose to leave, we can arrange that."

Miles Walters, 16, a sophomore at Richardson High School who took a DART train to the rally, said he considered accepting the offer, but then decided to duck under a building overhang to dodge the flying bottles.

"I wasn't expecting it to be this bad," he said. "Because we take pride in our country, they hate us and call us racists."

From time to time, the counterprotesters edged toward the marchers, waving their anti-immigration signs.

"If they hurt me, they're the ones who will get in trouble," said Keri Denson, 19, of Rowlett. "We're just standing here expressing our beliefs."

Most of the counterprotesters said they were happy with the level of police protection, but some complained that marchers were given preferential treatment.

"I feel like I'm in a Third World country," said counterprotester Preston Wisinton, 41, of Victoria, Texas. "They should have had more police out here. They should be pushing them back."

By the time the crowd dispersed about 4:30 p.m., seven counterprotesters still stood across from City Hall. Some of the older marchers told the more aggressive youths to leave the counterprotesters alone.

"What they want is for Hispanics to get arrested," said Esther Quiñones, an American citizen who lives in Dallas. "I think this is a miraculous act that so many Hispanics came together ... and no violence. They were exemplary in their actions."

But the anti-immigration sentiment continued about 5 p.m. Sunday when a plane flew over Dallas skies towing a sign that read "U.S.A. Love It or Leave It."

Staff writers Jason Trahan, Marissa Alanis and Margarita Martín-Hidalgo contributed to this report

E-mail kayres@dallasnews.com

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... b6ae5.html

holy crap that guys sign did fly sweet!

he said he had pilots backing out left and right and had to have someone fly in from out of state.

We did our job and helped diffuse attention away from the main stage.. that was my purpose.

If we expect to save our country, Americans need to forget about being worried at being called "racists" and realize that screeches of racism are constantly being used by these illegal aliens and their supporters to get their own way.

>>>>>>The bottles also hit police and journalists, but no one was injured or arrested during the three-hour exchange

I bet if one of the American counter-protestors threw a bottle at a police officer and hit them, they would have definitely been arrested.

Please, can someone tell me at what point illegal aliens became "untouchables" or "sacred cows" where they can literally do whatever they want and NEVER have to obey any laws that Americans do?

I understand your frustrations but most of the bottles came from deep within the crowd so the officers probably did not get a good view. They only made 1 or 2 arrest but they did detain and search quite a few people. The media is being very upbeat and biased about this.