Thread: Tense moments at Pa. illegal immigration rally

Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008
Tense moments at Pa. illegal immigration rally
- The Associated Press

SHENANDOAH, Pa. — State police stepped in to defuse tensions at an anti-illegal immigration rally Saturday in the northeastern Pennsylvania town where an immigrant was beaten to death last month.


The rally attended by hundreds had been going on for about an hour in Shenandoah, about 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia, when five people arrived hoisting a Mexican flag and shouted at the crowd.

The handful of counter-demonstrators included Crystal Dillman, whose fiance, Luis Ramirez, was beaten to death July 12 after he crossed paths with a group of current and former high school football players. Three teenagers have been charged in the case.

About a dozen state troopers stepped in between the groups, and as a police helicopter buzzed overhead, Sgt. Dave Holt told everyone to back up and take a deep breath. Holt said there were no injuries or arrests at the event.

The rally was sponsored by Voice of the People USA, which opposes rights for illegal immigrants. Founder Daniel Smeriglio condemned illegal immigration but decried violence and prefaced his remarks with a moment of silence for Ramirez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico.

"We are in no way applauding what happened in Shenandoah," Smeriglio said. "We condemn racism in every way."

Many people held signs accusing local and national politicians of failing to enforce illegal immigration laws, which they said had strained communities like Shenandoah.

Meanwhile, about 75 people gathered at a unity rally across town at Kehillat Israel Nondenominational Church. Participants listened to speakers and musical performances and chanted "Unity, Hope and Justice" in Spanish during the program, which was presented in Spanish and English.

All members of Shenandoah Borough Council were present along with Mayor Thomas ONeill.

"We need to move on, let the healing process begin, and let the legal system do its job," borough council president Andrew Szczyglak said. "Reuniting with each other will not happen as long as the rallies continue and the protests continue."

http://www.centredaily.com/news/state/story/808617.html

What is that council trying to unite? Illegal aliens and Americans????

Dixie

The rally attended by hundreds had been going on for about an hour in Shenandoah, about 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia, when five people arrived hoisting a Mexican flag and shouted at the crowd.

Yep that's showing us, show up hoisting the mexican flag.

Wait until the videos come out!! Crystal Dillman came with a Mexican flag and a few friends, and they stood behind the crowd for most of the speeches. Just before the final speaker was about to come on, this traitor and her posse came into the crowd with middle fingers held high.
The CROWD started going towards her, all 600 of them, and the staties came down off the hill to prevent anything bad from happening. This town HATES this girl with a passion. She was just so stupid to pull this stunt. She should have been with the borough council and the mayor at the Spanish unity rally across town.

600+ at VOPUSA's event, and 50 or so at the church kitchen Spanish event.

I wonder if the borough will listen NOW.

PS The crowd was cheering for Wendi to run for mayor, and she reminded them that she doesn't live there. She asked if she should move in, and they went NUTS! It was a good time. Diggers Realm and Illegal Protest should have the vids up in a day or so, and other videos will be posted on the net soon.

Please click on the source link to view pictures.
~~~

Tensions escalate at anti-illegal immigrant rally in Shenadoah
By Erin Negley
Reading Eagle

State police stood between anti-illegal immigration demonstrators in Shenandoah and women carrying a Mexican flag as the groups argued Saturday.

Tension escalated after Crystal A. Dillman, the fiancee of an illegal Mexican immigrant slain the borough in July, and the women walked into the rally carrying a Mexican flag.

The two sides argued, troopers standing between them until the women left.

The demonstration was one of two staged by groups gathered a few blocks apart Saturday night. Organizers of both groups said they trying to bring Shenandoah together.

While one gathering centered on ending illegal immigration, the other celebrated diversity.

Both were organized in the aftermath of the death of Luis E. Ramirez.

Three teenagers have been charged with fatally beating Ramirez on July 12. The Schuylkill County case has drawn attention nationwide after prosecutors and witnesses said the beating was racially motivated and because Ramirez was in the country illegally.

Dan Smeriglio called for a "pro-America, pro-immigration and pro-immigration enforcement rally" at Shenandoah's Babe Ruth Field.

Last year, he founded Voice of the People, a group based in Hazleton, Luzerne County, that opposes illegal immigration.

Discussion about the Ramirez case has been too one-sided, Smeriglio said.

Groups come from around the country to stage events there and to put their message across, he said before the rally began.

"I don't think it's right," he said. "It's opportunistic and very wrong and I think it's very vain of them to use this one tragedy as their token flag to wave because of this fight in this country about illegal immigration. We're confronting that. We're here peacefully."

He asked a few speakers to talk about illegal immigration and show the people of Shenandoah they live in a great place. The speakers asked the crowd to sign up for a volunteer crime watch and join a political action group.

The rally wasn't called to support the teens involved in Ramirez's death, Smeriglio said.

"The crime was unfortunate, unnecessary and wrong, and obviously, we're against that," he said.

State police from five barracks watched the rally sites, and a state police helicopter flew over Smeriglio's rally, which attracted about 200 people.

No arrests were made, Cpl. George E. Peach said.

Across town, the pastors at Kahillat Israel Non-Denominational Christian Church and two borough residents organized a unity event. About 80 people gathered at the church to pray, sing, eat and sign a "Shenandoah United We Stand" banner.

"This is to celebrate the different cultures and backgrounds and to truly celebrate that," resident LouAnn Pleva said.

Before the first bilingual prayer began, Wendell P. Smith, of Carlisle, Cumberland County, said he traveled to Shenandoah to do something positive about his frustration with the anti-illegal immigration movement.

"I've been reading my e-mail about ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids and hate crimes against Hispanics all across the country," said Smith, a Spanish-language professor at Dickinson College. "And this is in my backyard."

http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=104240

State police from five barracks watched the rally sites, and a state police helicopter flew over Smeriglio's rally, which attracted about 200 people.

LOL 200 people my arse!!

Wait until the pics all come out .. try counting the crowd ... even the cops said 580 ...

Typical media bias. We had three dozen for a short notice rally here in NC and they called it a dozen.

They have six hundred in PA and they call it 200. At least now we know the biased press has a formula they use right?

And Dillman showing up in a pickup with Mexican flag, I gotta see the video of that. That was a very stupid move on her part.

W

I wanna see pictures and video posted on here of this "rally" and that stinkin' Mexican buzzard rag being flown. I will then email the URL to these pics and ohotos to everyone I know. These illegals and their supporters are ruining this country!

Those 5 showing up in that crowd sure had a lot of nerve, guts, or whatever to do that. But, of course, they feel free to jump trample across this country anyway. What's the difference. Maybe it's really arrogance on their part.

There is a lesson to b learned here. Five people brave enough to visibly hold a contrary position
to the hundreds at a rally can draw equal coverage level from the mainstream press. Under those circumstances instead of trying to get hundreds of people to a rally it makes to find a handful brave enough to confront amnesty supporters at their rallies.