Thread: Dallas Counter-Protest: Attack of the Bottles

I arrived at the City Hall in Dallas at 11am like I said I would. When I arrived there were three bikers holding flags and a girl (from my myspace page). We all were there in hopes to diffuse some of the media attention from the hundred thousand or more expected to attend today.

By 12:30pm the group had grown and was mixed with old and young (mostly white) citizens. We were kicked off of the location where we were standing and moved to an adjacent corner because LULAC raised concerns of us being too close.

At 1:45pm the march begin to arrive at City Hall, at first it was a small steady stream, but it soon exploded into a large angry crowd. LULAC had declard that NO mexican or other flags be brought to the rally, however there were numerous mexican and salvadorian flags as well as upside down American Flags and an Aztec flag. The bikers leapt onto their bikes as the surge started and with a deafening roar they left.

Our small group was immediately attacked by members of the rally throwing bottles. A couple who had brought their baby with them were towards the back when the attack started, the mother and another lady were holding a huge sheet sign that read "No Amnesty" after a bottle hit the baby carriage the police began to push us back, that couple left for fear of their child being hurt.

A few minutes later police noticed that there were marchers coming from behind us, it seems that oragnizers from LULAC had diverted half of the march crowd to come the other direction effectively boxing us in. A hail of bottles came towards us again while the crowd cheered on the assailaints. Police forced us back onto a sidewalk and called in the calvary and the riot police.

Soon we were behind a massive force of police in riot gear and on horseback. Then a young man threw a bottle of gatorade at a blonde female officer striking her in the jaw and throwing her back. Again the crowd cheered and a hail of new beverage bottles was hurled at the police. A riot officer then aimed a teargas gun at the crowd in preparation to fire.

The police now had barracades around us and offered to escort us out if we wanted to leave. 5-6 or our group took the offer, I stayed and stood my ground. Kari, Wes, Lex and I along with a man who was videotaping and relaying information to a group in NC and a few others stood tall and strong. I was called a racist, a bigot and other names that have nothing to do with my stance on illegal immigration. One group began to chant the pledge of allegiance putting emphasis on "Liberty and Justice for all". I pointed out that deportation and border security IS Justice for the illegals.

There was a man with a megaphone announcing "Aztlan is ours!" and other things to the crowd firing them up. I used the media attention on me to point out what he was saying and how the crowd cheered for him. I ran to a camera man to point out a large upside-down American flag he turned and shoot it then looked at me and said "disgusting".

The 100,000+ crowd began to disperse as their 'leaders' took to the stage to speak to them. It seems they just wanted to rant and throw bottles and not listen to anyone. An hour later the crowd was dieing. To fill in for those who had given up calling us racist a few young men with drums approached the barricade with a banner that read "We Work Hard 2 Serve You" with logos of McDonald's, Taco Bell, Taco Bueno and Wendy's. They just stood there druming as the crowd got fired up and once again another hail of drink bottles came flying to the cheering of the mob.

I pointed out to one reporter that to me it seems this rally is more about "latino" rights than anything else. I told her that it was not a true rally for immigration reform because the Latino Americans for Immigration Reform were not present or included in the organizing of the event. I told her that for a true representation of the issue both sides need to be present with out insults or attacks.

By 4pm the crowd was nearly dead with the protestors leaving in droves, police had told us that they did not expect it to start ending till 5pm. By 4:30 there were few left as they 'migrated' to their cars and buses (yes lots of buses)

There was media galore in our camp, one even asked police for a vest and helmet out of fear of being struk, another reporter told me he feared entering the crowd and asking them questions (he was hispanic). When I first arrived a camera man with Univision told me his brother was on the Border Patrol and that he and his brother were against illegal immigration. Yes he was hispanic and he told me that most who attend these are lied to, coerreced or just don't know the issue at all.

All in all I think Today was a success, now let's just hope the local news media shows everything that happened.

All in all I think Today was a success, now let's just hope the local news media shows everything that happened.

Very little was shown of the counter-protestors on Channel 8. The reporter said at the beginning of the newscast that it was "an extended version" (hr. v. 1/2 hr.). Left the room a few times as all that Latino bantering was boring so maybe I missed something. All I saw were police telling a few counter-protestors that "LULAC did not want them there."

dragons5--- excellent reporting!

I hope the news shows it, too. And if they don't, give me the links to them and I will be sure to jump up and down asking why. Was TXCN there, by any chance?

By the way, it seemed to have taken the stations here a couple of days to get up the nerve to tell the bad parts when the kids skipped school 3 days in a row to tie up rush hour traffic here, though. I wonder now if they only told it at all because people started asking why.

Thank you, Dragon5 for your up close account. You did alot in getting the news reporters focused on you. Were there pictures of the flying bottles and all? That's exactly what we need to see out there. And the pictures on the news will no doubt be the squeaky clan shots of the huge American flag being held by these "poor immigrants". So getting the REAL pictures published is the next challenge, no?

you accomplished something:

http://www.drudgereport.com/

look at the pic headlining.

Dragon5, wow, it sounds like you went through hell today to stand for whats right. Keep up the good work and congrats for standing strong!

yeah the reporters were being attacked too. those from Latin TV stations and others were in the mix with us and for a time on the same side. I was even approaced by a young latino male from a local college paper who tried to trick me into saying racist things about mexicans, he failed and was almost hit with a bottle too.

Unfortunately I have plans tonight so I am unable to watch the news. I would hope Truism or others in the area could monitor the news stations to see how unbiase their coverage was.

A handful clashed with small groups of counterprotesters, but police said they were pleased with the peacefulness of the demonstration.

Snipped from the article that BlueMan linked. Hmmmm, it was only thanks to the level headed "counter-protesters" that it was peaceful, though, wasn't it?? I hope someone points that out. After all, throwing bottles at other people isn't peaceful at all, is it?

Originally Posted by forks

you accomplished something:

http://www.drudgereport.com/

look at the pic headlining.

do you mean this disrespectful "display" of the American flag?