Campo Incident 7 16 05 Video Transcript
2 minute and 38 second video clip with audio, thanks to Indymedia. Quicktime file app 27 megs.
Undisputed:
At least two unrelated groups were in the desert, BLM land near Campo California, on July 16 2005, near midnight. One group was comprised of pro-illegal immigration and they were UPHILL from the other group; they can be seen and heard on the video and audio.. The other group was comprised of at least TWO small clusters of vehicles BEHIND the two individuals, and BEHIND them way UP ON a hill can be seen the headlights of TWO ADDITIONAL vehicles.
The group on audio/video with the camera, that was UPHILL approached the group BELOW them, with lights, noise and music at 11:30 at night; a time when most people might be sleeping. Since the video/audio does not show that approach (there had to be one, else the videotapers wafted in on an air current) at least some video of that approach (and perhaps much more) has been withheld from the public. In other words, this video has been taken at least somewhat out of context.
At no time did the speaker from the other downhill camp claim to be a MinuteMan. He is wearing no clothing, and is not behaving in any way, as a civilian border patroller. And in fact, it is obvious that neither group is anywhere NEAR the American/Mexican border. Anyone who has been to Campo and the nearby BLM land KNOWS that the border is not DOWN from anything; it is a steep climb up up and up to get to the border fences and structures. Behind the downhill speaker is a high hill with at least two cars sitting atop it. It bears repeating that neither group is obviously anywhere NEAR the American/Mexican border.
In Dispute:
IF the videotapers were indeed using lights, noise, music and conversation to disrupt a civilian border patrol as claimed, then WHY ARE THEY OBVIOUSLY NOWHERE NEAR A BORDER (see cars behind the lower group.) There are in fact TWO DISCREET sets of vehicles in the video, and there may in fact have been more (there were more).
The only comment the downhill speaker made concerning MinuteMen was a comment about the VFW. However, an incident occurred that day which in that small town (1) would have circulated among anyone present like wildfire and (2) had admittedly by the videotapers been circulated BY THEM to the media. The proliferation of knowledge of that VFW event was caused BY THE videotapers and so they now have no cause to exclaim that the comment by the downhill speaker had any special meaning or bespoke any special knowledge.
The comments from that downhill speaker are very easily explained: A man and his family comes to the desert during the only vacation they get per year (like most people) to camp, bringing vehicles, tents, and other camping equipment. He is also armed; not unusual and not unlawful on BLM land near the violent Mexican-American border. They are suddenly awakened by noise and lights and loud music from sleepor a relaxed state ; they do not know who the offenders are or what they may have on them in the dark. Or how many there are and what they wanted. According to even California law, the family must fall back only once to fulfill the ‘retreat if possible’ doctrine (which actually doesn’t exist anyway) which they already had done by NOT being inside their tents and vehicles (they left them; therefore they retreated.) That downhill speaker, family man was well within his rights to take a stand; he has no requirement to give verbal warning or to fire a warning shot and in fact it is against his best interests to do so; yet he does this. So in the video:
Where’s the border?
Where is the ‘MinuteMan’?
‘they’re not going to shoot us, they’re just trying to make us go away’ even when provoked is a little bit different from your public statements about ‘hunting’, and vigilantes, is it NOT?
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(text within quotemarks is the speaker at bottom of hill, spoken with amplification))
(amplified) So I wannta play some music for you guys tonight. Any requests? Are you ready to rock?
“Get the f*ck outta here. Go home. Let me make this very clear to you. We are armed and we will defend ourselves. This is not like the VFW. You come down here you will be engaged in a firefight if necessary. Get the f*ck outâ€â€
