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Down and out, unsuccessful and ultimately ineffective, the California Minutemen packed up on Friday from their base camp, leaving two days earlier than planned, rudely missing the “Good Riddance Going Away Party” that the Gente Unida coalition planned for Saturday.
Despite the MinuteKlan’s absence, the diverse, multi-ethnic group of human and immigrant rights activists from around the state still managed to give them a proper bon voyage with a march, vigil, party, video and a little night-time chase.
As the cover of the San Diego newspaper El Latino claimed on July 29, “Fracasan Los Minutemen” (The Minutemen Fail), the California Minutemen were rendered useless by srong, persistent resistance to their project. They were stopped, confronted, talked to, danced at, disrupted and chased away.
Minutemen patrols were disrupted by loud music, huge spotlights, dance sessions, drumming, readings of chicana poetry, immigration statistics, histories of the Americas, books on white privilege and more. The Buenas Noches Brigade along with others made announcements to those on the other side of the border not to cross at Minutemen stations, “por que hay vigilantes con armas aqui.” Alerted by Minutemen presence, border-crossers sought out different locations to enter the U.S.
During the Minutemen’s three-week tenure in the California desert, two migrants were mysteriously shot near the Minutemen encampment, the group’s leader Jim Chase “apprehended” two hitchhiking migrants and one person perished in the heat.
Around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, more than 75 people marched down Forrest Gate Road in Campo, Ca. toward the Veterans of Foreign War outpost, which has been housing, feeding and covering the Minutemen since their project began. Unlike the first protests at the VFW, nobody came out from inside the VFW while a barricade of San Diego County sheriff police cars protected the VFW.
Chanting “Hitler Rose, Hitler Fell, Nazi Scum Go to Hell,” and “No Minutemen, No KKK, No Fascist USA,” the group of outraged protesters rolled deep to the VFW. Remembering the 3200 people that have died crossing the U.S.-Mexican border since 1994, the march’s participants counted among themselves people who are personally affected by the U.S. government’s egregious lack of immigration policy.
Immigrants, people from border communities, parents, socialists, children, paramedics, anarchists and everyday people from all walks of life joined in solidarity to stop the burgeoning U.S. xenophobia embodied by the Minutemen.
One community organizer said during the march, “We oppose the Minutemen because they represent the worst kind of ‘American’ bigotry.”
Citing examples from his personal interactions with the Minutemen, one organizer with the o.r.g.a.n.i.c. collective called them out for being anti-Muslim, anti-queer, sexist racists who believe they are fulfilling a religious crusade for the U.S. war on terror.
A local college professor, Elva Salinas, said many immigrants are being used by the government to fight the war in Iraq with the hope of gaining U.S. citizenship. “If the Minutemen want to fight a war, they should go to Iraq,” she said.
After the VFW demonstration, the group moved back to the Gente Unida camp to hold a vigil for migrants who died in the desert crossing the border, emphasizing the 98 people who died in the brutal heat of July 2005 alone.
As the border fence behind them was decorated in white memorial flags, posters, and pictures, people alternated reading out loud stories of those who have suffered while crossing, letters from mothers of lost children, and names of people who have died.
“ . . . Ismael García Vásquez, Herminio Martínez Altamirano, Alfredo Barriga Ruiz • Roberto Sánchez, Mario Alfredo Clemente Díaz . . .”
One letter read came from the mother of a woman who recently died while crossing the Arizona border. Lucresia Dominguez Luna was literally burned to death in scorching desert heat while her 15 year-old son watched. He later left his mother to search for help from the U.S. Border Patrol. Once he was picked up by the BP, he was immediately deported while the BP negated the search for her body.
Lucresia’s own family from Zacatecas, Mexico had to travel to the border and ask for permission to search for her body. While traversing the vast desert for a month, her father eventually found the remains of her corpse, identifying it by the two rings she wore on her left hand.
The mood grew from somber to festive as music from the Buenas Noches Brigade and food from the Gente Unida Camp brought all together under a clear moonless sky for dance, reflection and celebration of the defeat of the Minutemen. People gathered in circles strategizing for the next round of resistance to different border vigilantes coming out on Sept.16, Andy Ramirez’s Friends of the Border Patrol.
Two members of FOBP were spotted on a hill overlooking the party. They were later joined by two independent media-makers, who held them at bay until back-up arrived. “I’m with Friends of the Border Patrol,” the man who identified himself as Mike said. “We’re casing the place. We’ll be here in a couple of weeks.”
Mike and his unidentified companion were eventually surrounded by a group of fifteen who at first attempted to engage them in dialogue but eventually began to shout “Racists go home.” Forced to drive away in their pick-up truck, they sped off in a hurry almost hitting a sheriff.
Afterwards, the camp reconvened to watch a locally produced video of what has been happening in Campo during the past three weeks. Projected onto the back of an ambulance, the video made by San Diego IMC and Cascadia Media Collective – Border Faction highlighted how a coalition of anti-racist activists can come together to expel paramilitaries in their own town.
Later in the night, members of Gente Unida chased down three Minutemen cars. But in the midst of the chase, “neutral” Border Patrol and local Sheriffs intervened, pulling over the Gente Unida cars for no reason, allowing the Minutemen to get away.
Cooperation between the Minutemen and border officials was further exposed when a passing-by Department of Interior officer stated to Gente Unida members how much he and law enforcement in general appreciated the Minutemen vigilante project. 
 Homepage:: http://deletetheborder.org
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I want to give a great thank you relatives, you who took the time to get out there and stand up against the enemy. Those that put in time to the fight at different levels and places. La Lucha Sigue.
All my relations.
icue
Hate to break it to you folks, but the Minutemen haven't left California, and they haven't left Campo. They just aren't at the VFW anymore. So now you can play hide and seek finding our new location.
While you were patting each other on the back, they were patrolling in Jacumba and other places. They're still on the border fence today, and will be tomorrow. Glad you had a nice party, and thanks loads for all the help the Buenas Noches Brigade and Angeles de Desierto provided. They were SO effective at scaring away illegal immigration that we're discussing making them Honorary Minutemen for all their assistance to our efforts. The music was cool too.
Must be a real bummer to hear the even government officials are glad we were there, while merely tolerating your antics.
And of course, we fully support your rights under the U.S. Constitution as American citizens to freely express your views and assemble to protest legally. It's only a pity you don't hold the same values as dearly where those who disagree with you are concerned, but we still have hopes you'll come to your senses and support the Constitution, eventually.
Camposino
You can prolong this fight as long as you want. This war can go on and you can be sure that you will continue to fail. We who stand up for the people, will not give up or feel intimidated by your guns or words. But, I tell you this, "You will not prevail, in this life or the next in your efforts."
La guente unida jamas sera vencida!
icue
Aaaah, that CNN report was good! What a joke!
Punked by Chase, and his handful of a group, and made a laughing stock by CNN! In front of America, and most of the civilized world!
Although, most of us, locals, knew who you are. This was news only to outsiders.
Precious! Calls for a cold one.
jarhead
Somebody please explain why supporters of border crossers try to blur the line between legal and illegal immigrants? I have not found one shred of evidence that Minutemen or other groups are against 'migrant' workers who take the time and pain to do things legally. The only answer at which I can arrive is that there is some phenominal entitlement issue on the part of people sympathetic to illegal immigrants.
Read the law, people... border crossing without proper authority is illegal, pretty much anywhere you go in the world. It's still illegal. We pay taxes to enforce such laws.
This hardly equates to racism.
And using quaint phrases like 'no person is illegal' is just plain pandering. Where would that cry go if the catchphrase for illegal immigrants suddenly became 'trespasser'? Still illegal.
But really, I don't understand why there is an effort to make heroes out of people who are breaking a federal law, dealing with known criminals, and doing something inherently dangerous. They know there's risk and it's expensive. Border crossers are searching for a better life for themselves and their families. They are not defending a way of life, they are not defending rights, they are not even hoping to do anything beyond elevate themselves. Good for them. There's a legal way to do it.
Here's a thought - while you are protesting the Minutemen and Border Patrol, while you are mourning the fallen, filming the events with your Sonys and Nikons and spending money on audio systems and blinding lights, why not look at the root of the problem? Why not go to Mexico and start teaching people there? Why not move against the government that makes it so bad for it's people they risk their lives to get the hell out? Spend some time building businesses, getting health care, promoting education, and ousting the corruption?
Oh... that's the problem right there. You would no longer be able to group together as victims. It's much easier to sob and shake your fist that to do some work to solve the problem. Catch phrases, epithets, threats, disruption, anarchy... all the tools of a self-enabling, self-proclaimed victims of a system that asks for personal responsibility.
Ask yourselves why you want the borders open... it's to share the good things America has to offer. Yet all I hear from your camps are how piss-poor things are. Guess what? That's exactly where the term 'Hippie' started. Short for Hypocrite.
egalitarian
This is not Southern Califonia but Northern Mexico!!!
PEACE 2 All
House of Rep
Funny, because we were all scheduled to leave on or before August 7th, I don't get how that's an early departure.
Also: Maybe your Pravda-trained writers missed it, but our boy Tom was left alone at the VFW to film your circus, we were all enjoying a BBQ at a private ranch and setting up shop in Jacumba with the Border Patrol, not even minutes after they sustained serious vehicular damage due to rocks from over the fence.
I particularly enjoyed one of your signs on a white Ford Taurus reading: "Minutemen suck and are gay".
Truly constructive & creative.
La Migra's Helper
response to " egalitarian"
I think you make some very valid points. I think we should pressure Mexico to treat its population as fairly as we will expect the Iraqi government to treat its population. If we could use some backbone and steer the corruption out of Mexico and make it a viable investment for small business owners we could transform the economy over there and bring prosperity to its citizens.
I do not think NAFTA, CAFTA and large corporations will help (manufacturing jobs). Long term dedication to a region by a large corporation would help probably.
Here we are all overcrowded with oppurtunity staring everyone in the face. I am not talking large IMF loans to subjugate the Mexicans either, I am talking tourism, building, real estate, supporting small business. Think about how many would move across the border for cheaper and new housing on the beach.
For those of you who enjoy when people die you should be ashamed, hope your not a republican, culture of life and all that will get you expelled from the party.
Sure, talk is cheap but if we are willing to "bring" democracy to Iraq and spend billions of dollars with 1800+ Dead, thousands injured lets make a move and stimulate some "democracy" in our backyard.
steve
"Here's a thought - while you are protesting the Minutemen and Border Patrol, while you are mourning the fallen, filming the events with your Sonys and Nikons and spending money on audio systems and blinding lights, why not look at the root of the problem? Why not go to Mexico and start teaching people there? Why not move against the government that makes it so bad for it's people they risk their lives to get the hell out? Spend some time building businesses, getting health care, promoting education, and ousting the corruption?"
Good point. Since globalization (WTO, NAFTA, CAFTA) and maquiladorization the living conditions for people in Mexico has gotten worse. Result; increased illegal and legal immigration. Soda-pop lovin' presidente Vincentes Fox (former CEO of Coca-cola Mexico) has sold the aquifer water from under the feet of the people in Chiapas y Oaxaca to the multinational corporation. The people of Chiapas and Oaxaca get nothing in return except the business end of a Mexican military rifle in the face of their children. Fox deserves the same fate as war criminal GW Bush, trial at the Hague for the covert war against the indigenous people of Chiapas/Oaxaca. BTW, Coca-cola treats the aquifers of North America (USA) the same way..
"Oh... that's the problem right there. You would no longer be able to group together as victims. It's much easier to sob and shake your fist that to do some work to solve the problem. Catch phrases, epithets, threats, disruption, anarchy... all the tools of a self-enabling, self-proclaimed victims of a system that asks for personal responsibility."
Anarchy is about personal responsibility. Socialism and capitalism is about subsidizing corporations with taxpayer money. Migrant labor, whether legal or illegal is subsidized by the government and agribusiness corporations profit from near slavery conditions of Mexican immigrants. Not only that, the subsidized agribusiness corporations swallow the lion's share of Rio Colorado agua for their plantations in the desert (ex. Imperial Valley). This comes at a price to the Colorado delta and indigenous people (Cocopa) who lived in the Colorado delta for thousand some years before the massive dams and diversions under industrial agriculture. This also prevents the migratory pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep and other ungulates from drinking water at springs (lowered water table). The border fence also blocks traditional migratory routes of both people and ungulates (hooved herbivores). The desert needs the herd animals like Sonoran pronghorns to fertilize the land and disperse seeds, and the antelope needs the far ranging plants and water sources. The border wall needs to come down, it's not really effective for stated purpose anyway. People can climb and dig tunnels, antelopes cannot do this. Before talking about anarchy it would be advisable to understand some of the positions..
 http://www.greenanarchy.org/
"Ask yourselves why you want the borders open... it's to share the good things America has to offer. Yet all I hear from your camps are how piss-poor things are. Guess what? That's exactly where the term 'Hippie' started. Short for Hypocrite."
We're all hypocrites in some way. Unless u obtain all your food from hunter gather methods or u have an organic farm that u weed on your own, u benefit from migrant labor, some of it no doubt illegal. The first thing u should do is not buy food from corporations that deal with agribusiness. Buy from local farmers or learn how to grow your own..
pronghorn
In the first place, the border fence was not built to prevent foot traffic. It was built to ensure that ONLY foot traffic could cross and vehicles (drive-throughs) could not. It does not prevent animals from migrating, as there are long areas of undriveable rock piles where builders didn't bother to expend materials on unnecessary fencing. These are quite comfortable for humans and critters of all sorts to traverse on foot.
In the second place, it would be nice if people made sure they knew what they were talking about before leading their fellows astray with misinformation. Freedom of speech is not supposed to be about saying whatever you want while ignoring facts. That doesn't advance the dialogue at all. It only confuses it.
The drug smugglers would love for you to try and tear the fence down in the name of human rights because this would make their business - that of profiting on human MISERY - a lot easier. One wonders if that isn't the REAL goal of Gente Unida and the anarchists. Certainly they haven't particularly advanced the cause rights with their actions. Quite the opposite, from the viewpoint of local residents.
Somebody's Mother
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