Thread: Protest Over Art Forces Police to Draw the Line BALDWIN PARK

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... california

May 15, 2005 L.A. Times

Protest Over Art Forces Police to Draw the Line

Groups clash over what some consider 'anti- American' inscriptions on a Baldwin Park arch.
By David Pierson and Patricia Ward Biederman, Times Staff Writers


For 12 years, public artwork near the Baldwin Park Metrolink station never caused a stir.

But when a Ventura-based group that opposes illegal immigration got wind of what was inscribed on the artwork this month, they organized a protest that garnered attention when it was announced on the "John & Ken Show" on KFI-AM (640).

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By Saturday, activists on both sides of the immigration issue mobilized, resulting in a sometimes chaotic confrontation in the San Gabriel Valley community.

Members of Save Our State, a 7-month-old organization, say they are offended by "anti-American" inscriptions that read, "It was better before they came" and "This land was Mexican once, was Indian always and is, and will be again" on the 20-foot-high arch.

"I find it incredibly offensive," said Joseph Turner, the group's executive director. The quotation "is seditious in nature. It essentially talks about returning this land to Mexico."

Turner said he wants the offending quotations removed before the Fourth of July.

The artwork, "Danza Indigenas," was commissioned by the city and created by artist Judy Baca, who was asked by residents for a structure that evoked the historic San Gabriel Mission and reflected the community's heritage. Baca said the structure is a "layered history piece" that honors the Native Americans, immigrants and others who have lived over the centuries in what is now Baldwin Park.

Other inscriptions on the artwork include, "Use your brain before you make up your mind" and "The kind of community that people dream of rich and poor, brown, yellow, red, white living together."

The irony, Baca said, is that Save Our State's complaint about the quote being a Latino lament over the coming of Anglos is wrong.

"It was better before they came" was uttered by someone Baca described as "a white man from Arkansas, a civic leader" who was lamenting the influx of Mexican immigrants after World War II.

As a Chicana, she said, the remark offended her, but she was also intrigued by it.

"When it went on the arch, its ambiguity became profound," she said. "The 'they' could be any 'they.' "

Most of this nuance was absent at the rally, which quickly descended into a heated face-off for over two hours at Pacific and Downing avenues. Protesters on both sides hurled obscenities and taunts, and at times argued face-to-face before police arrived.

Opponents of Save Our State consisted mainly of young adults who said they sent e-mails to Latino and immigrant worker advocacy groups. Many were politically active teenagers and college students who skateboarded to the scene.

"People from Ventura are coming to our town demanding we take down artwork? That's just ridiculous," said Joe Lozano, 23, a Baldwin Park resident.

By 1:20 p.m., police in riot helmets formed a line in front of the Save Our State group, whose 40 supporters seemed outnumbered 10-to-1 from all sides. Streets were closed off and an officer informed Turner at one point that they could not guarantee the safety of him and his supporters.

"They're calling reinforcements," said Turner, 28, who grinned at the counterprotesters with his arms folded.

Randy Selenak, 56, of Orange, was carrying the Stars and Stripes and wearing a T-shirt with red, white and blue that read, "These Colors Will Not Run." The Save Our State supporter said that going to Baldwin Park â€â€

OLIVAS thinks freedom of speech is now a HATE CRIME!!

That's just TOO FUNNY.....especially considering that Hispanics are Caucasian.....as a matter of FACT and LAW.

In addition, it looks to me like the ONLY CRIMES that took place at Baldwin Park were by......MECHAS.....so I sure hope he sends all that information to the District Attorney's Office.

Olivas = Lu Lu in La La Land!!

GO SAVE OUR STATE!!!

http://www.saveourstate.org/forums/inde ... topic=1772

Some informaton from the Baldwin Park Protest. One of the Activists protesting the monument was hit in the head with a full water bottle and had to go to the hospital with bleeding in the brain.

So....I sure hope that "HATE CRIME" is reported by Mr. Olivas to the District Attorney. This woman is in a life-threatening situation because of this type of hatred towards Americans simply exercising their right to protest an anti-American art expression and exercise their Constitutional Right to FREE SPEECH!!

WHERE IS THE ACLU????

Oh....silly me....we don't have one. Only the OBL-ACLU that defends foreign agents of foreign governments willing to assault and murder Americans and pedophiles ensuring they have their Right of Free Speech....to kill Little Americans after sexually violating them.

According to the SOS site the member who was hit ended up in intensive care with bleeding in the brain. I hope they get the criminals who did it.

This lady was also a minutewoman and was on the border with the minutemen project!

an officer informed Turner at one point that they could not guarantee the safety of him and his supporters.

Thats disturbing. I sure hope they catch whoever threw the bottle.

Exactly how many people opposed the Save Our State group at this protest? Im assuming hundreds?

I read on Save our State that the water bottle was full, did not have a label on it was thrown right after the big red Socialist banner showed up. SOS were grossly outnumbered. Most of them college age students and not one of them had an American flag, it was disgusting.