http://www.10news.com/news/9317946/detail.html

SAN DIEGO -- A 26-year-old man protesting the planned deployment of National Guard troops at the Mexican border was arrested on Saturday at a rally near the San Ysidro Point of Entry, organizers said.

"They were arrested for what amounts to marching," said Justin Akers Chacon, a Chicano Studies professor at San Diego City College and author of the book "No One Is Illegal."

"We have it all on videotape," Chacon said.

Sgt. Joe Molinoski said the man, who had a torn red T-shirt and scratches on his back as he was being processed at the central police station, was arrested because he took a swing at officers.

He will be charged with assault, Molinoski said, adding that the punch did not connect.

"That's preposterous," Chacon said when told of the booking charge.

Later in the day, the professor organized another rally at police headquarters on 14th Avenue and Broadway to protest the man's arrest.

"We are asking for the immediate release of a fellow activist," said Zakiya Kabir, a college student with Si Se Puede (Yes We Can).

Earlier, about 200 protesters gathered at Larsen Park in the 400 block of Sycamore Road in San Ysidro and marched to the Mexican Border.

"Apparently (police) became agitated when (protesters) didn't move fast enough," Chacon said.

Another organizer, San Diego City College professor Elva Salinas, said a protester dressed up as a Ku Klux Klan member who went over to a group of about 20 Minutemen counter-protesters was sprayed with a water pistol by another protester as part of a stunt. He was held briefly by police but was released.

Organizers with the International Coalition for Liberty and Justice said placing National Guard troops at the border will exacerbate already tense relations between the countries.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has agreed to President George W. Bush's request to deploy up to 1,000 state National Guard troops along the border by July 15.

"Our troops won't play a direct role in law enforcement activities, including apprehension or maintaining custody of detained persons," Schwarzenegger said in his weekly radio address.

"They will assist in backup and support roles and the vast majority of our troops will not be armed," the governor said. "Only those in harm's way will carry a weapon."

Chacon said the deployment "doesn't actually address the root causes."
He said the National Guard was not trained to deal with migrants.
"They're trained to kill," said Chacon, calling the deployment a "political Band-Aid."

At the second protest at police headquarters, protesters waited to picket until television news crews arrived.

Protest organizer Jazmin Morelos, with Si Se Puede, wrote her statement to the media on large poster boards. She said she saw the scuffle broke out between the man, whom she called Josh, and police. Morelos said police pushed him but Josh did not not move and told them not to touch him. That is when police officers wrestled him to the ground, Morelos said.

Another protester, Diego Velasquez, claimed his 6-year-old son, Fernando Suarez, bled when he was hit by police as they wrestled with Josh.

Fernando did not want to be interviewed as he played among the trees outside police headquarters.