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Minuteman Attacks Protester - Video
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sd indymedia | 08.10.2005 18:24
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Here's a perfectly clear video of the Scottish Rite Center protest where a volunteer with the Minutemen tackles protester. Later, he tells the police that he was assaulted and the police handcuff and detain this protester for an hour. As always, the police defend the violent racists.
While the violence at the border, with over 3,500 murdered by Operation Gatekeeper, 4 shootings, two fatal, in the area of the Minutemen patrols, and perpetual violence from the Border Patrol, continues on a daily basis, the racist vigilantes are contributing to make the situation even more grave for migrant people. The Minutemen continually lie to the corporate media and to the public about their true intentions, claiming that they are only a "neighborhood watch" when in fact they are a paramilitary group with guns, shooting ranges and violent intentions.
Click Read More for more photos and video.
Another account of anti-minutemen actions in Laguna Beach:
 http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2005/10/111361.shtml
Anti-Fascist Action in Greece:
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2005/10/111399.shtml
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Minuteman Attacks Protester -
Minuteman Volunteer Who Attacked a Protester
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And we're the violent ones?
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The protester should press charges against the fat white dude.
@
1. The protesters were the aggressors due to entering private property.
2. The protester had his face covered while protesting. (A federal offense).
3. Show the whole video. Stills do not put into context what really happened. I have the video. It shows quite the opposite. It has been turned over to law enforcement.
4.You are losing. You have no credibility. The MM and FBP are out in full force and all you can gather is this?
Pathetic!
A citizen who is watching them.
First of all, these are Friends of the Border Patrol not Minutemen. The FOBP gentleman is trying to retrieve the American flag that was stolen from him from the masked coward. You should show the part of the video where the protester steals it from him and throws him to the ground when he won't let go.
You guys are so desperate.
Scott Peters
These statements are FALSE:
"1. The protesters were the aggressors due to entering private property.
2. The protester had his face covered while protesting. (A federal offense).
3. Show the whole video. Stills do not put into context what really happened. I have the video. It shows quite the opposite. It has been turned over to law enforcement.
4.You are losing. You have no credibility. The MM and FBP are out in full force and all you can gather is this? "
Entering private property for a protest does not justify an assault. An assault is an assault is an assault.
There is absolutely NO federal law against covering one's face while protesting. Where did you pull that out of, your ass?
If your video contradicts this video, then publish it here. Otherwise, shut up.
Finally, we are not losing. You are losing. Your whole shitbag country is losing, in Iraq, economically, in Afghanistan and in the support of the world. You federal scum bags are the losers, not WE THE PEOPLE.
Reader
I saw him at the beach in OB. He was wagging his weenie at me. I would have called the cops, but it was so small I didn't feel threatened. I've seen infants better hung than that guy. Disgusting!
Juana
SEE!
A citizen who is watching them.
I can't see what's happening in that last clip. Certaintly I see nothing that looks like an assault. In this first clip, on the other hand, I do see an assault by a fat ugly man against a protester.
Bernie
As someone who has watched the caza migrantes in action over the last few months, it does not surprise me to see these comments here.
First, they are the biggest crybabies EVER! Time after time, they call the police, sheriff or border patrol when no crime has been committed--they whine about some meaningless infraction--and we walk away without much more than a warning.
They throw out huge accusations, calling protesters "violent," "domestic terrorists" when time after time, they are the only ones who are violent.
To date, four people have been shot, two killed in the Campo/Jacumba area where the California Minutemen are patroling. Caza migrantes (migrant hunters) have threatened to shoot protesters, pushed them without real provocation, and at one event, run over a protester with a truck.
This, on top of the fact that it is the deadliest year ever for people crossing from Mexico to the United States. Chasing people to death in the desert is violent and the Minutemen should be held responsible for the increase in border deaths.
Seriously folks, get over yourselves. Chase's group has been in the desert for weeks and only apprehended two hitchhikers...accidently. Andy Ramirez and the FBP never conducted a patrol and were forced underground. Now, the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps has been reduced to symbolically sitting on their butts in Jacumba. You call that winning?
I call it pathetic. Your hate may have taken root among a few segments of the population, but most people can see that scapegoating migrants and militarizing the border does not make Americans safer. To the contrary, your tactics cage us in, make us more fearful of one another and make the border a more dangerous place.
Maintaining an open border shows that we are not reactionary and paranoid. It acknowledges that the vast majority of people who are crossing are doing so peacefully and sends a message to the world that we are full participants in actualizing a healthy future. We cannot protect ourselves from the world's troubles by building a gigantic wall--one only has to look at the heartache and abuse within a gated community to understand that dynamic--but we stand a change of surviving if we are willing to change, learn and remain open.
Most of the caza migrantes will not admit that what they fear most is a world where they are not superior--where they are not in control. Personally, I think they've had their turn at the steering wheel and most people would agree its time for them to take a back seat.
From margin to center...power to all people.
been there
As someone who has watched the caza migrantes in action over the last few months, it does not surprise me to see these comments here.
First, they are the biggest crybabies EVER! Time after time, they call the police, sheriff or border patrol when no crime has been committed--they whine about some meaningless infraction--and we walk away without much more than a warning.
They throw out huge accusations, calling protesters "violent," "domestic terrorists" when time after time, they are the only ones who are violent.
To date, four people have been shot, two killed in the Campo/Jacumba area where the California Minutemen are patroling. Caza migrantes (migrant hunters) have threatened to shoot protesters, pushed them without real provocation, and at one event, run over a protester with a truck.
This, on top of the fact that it is the deadliest year ever for people crossing from Mexico to the United States. Chasing people to death in the desert is violent and the Minutemen should be held responsible for the increase in border deaths.
Seriously folks, get over yourselves. Chase's group has been in the desert for weeks and only apprehended two hitchhikers...accidently. Andy Ramirez and the FBP never conducted a patrol and were forced underground. Now, the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps has been reduced to symbolically sitting on their butts in Jacumba. You call that winning?
I call it pathetic. Your hate may have taken root among a few segments of the population, but most people can see that scapegoating migrants and militarizing the border does not make Americans safer. To the contrary, your tactics cage us in, make us more fearful of one another and make the border a more dangerous place.
Maintaining an open border shows that we are not reactionary and paranoid. It acknowledges that the vast majority of people who are crossing are doing so peacefully and sends a message to the world that we are full participants in actualizing a healthy future. We cannot protect ourselves from the world's troubles by building a gigantic wall--one only has to look at the heartache and abuse within a gated community to understand that dynamic--but we stand a change of surviving if we are willing to change, learn and remain open.
Most of the caza migrantes will not admit that what they fear most is a world where they are not superior--where they are not in control. Personally, I think they've had their turn at the steering wheel and most people would agree its time for them to take a back seat.
From margin to center...power to all people.
been there
TThe real violence is.
The smugglers slashing the throats of residents’ pets, because they bark and give away the smugglers positions.
The smugglers abandon the weak illegal immigrants and leave them to die because they cannot keep up.
The smugglers threaten to kill old ladies, because they call law enforcement when their properties are trashed.
The smugglers drive wrong way down the freeway to avoid law enforcement and kill innocent citizens as well as illegal aliens.
The smugglers set the countryside on fire, destroying everything as a diversionary tactic.
You are just plain vile to support all of this.
We who live here are sick and tired of being crapped on by the smugglers and you protesters. I have fed and clothed more illegal immigrants than I can count. What have you done beside beat up old people and cuss in public? Ever tried Habitat for Humanity? Ever tried donating money to the poor? Ever tried putting pressure on the Mexican and US governments to solve the problem? I think not. You are just snotty children with foul mouths and you are not helping anyone but the corporations by promoting slave (really cheap) labor.
If you want to help, why don’t you protest the Mexican Government on how poorly they treat their citizens? Too Chicken? Maybe if their lives were made better they wouldn’t have to leave.
A Real Patriot
a policy whch kills 3500 people of color
a genocide which kills 98% of the indigenous population
a free trade policy which causes 1.5 million farmers to lose their traditional lifestyles
a system of white supremacy that allows al of this to happen
4 migrant people shot, 2 killed at the border, n the general vicinity of the minutemen, with no police investigation
sd@narchist
I used to soar (fly gliders) out of the airport at Jacumba. The airport is right along the border. Back when I used to do this, the border fence consisted of a small wire about one foot above the ground. I don't know what it is like now.
This was around 1991. After gliding, we would go into the small town of Jacumba on the US side and drink in the local family restaurant/bar. What I learned from talking with the locals there was that at night the people of the towns on each side of the border would just walk over the border and visit each other, partying it up north or south of the border as they saw fit. The local border patrol would turn a blind eye to this since it hurt no one.
The way Jacumba was is how borders should still be. Borders are a stain on humanity, a false line in the sand where selfish pigs call oneside their own and persecute those who come over from the other side. Jacumba was above this. It is painful to hear what this minutepigs have done to Jacumba.
Glider
The "fence" is small enough to step over and the entire town is owned by drug traffickers and human smugglers.
MM
Like I asked. What have you done to help?
By the way, I am indigenous.
People from Central and South America are not indigenous to here, nor are the people from the Middle East. For that matter neither were the Spaniards to Mexico. So if you are part Spanish, you shouldn’t even be in Mexico, let alone the U.S.
Is this your reasoning?
I was Born and raised on a Reservation right here in the good old United States. I can’t turn back the evils of the past, however I can work to make life better for my neighbors. Changing the oppressive system my neighbors have to live in makes more sense than destroying every ones life like you are trying to do by letting the masses come here and destroy the environment. Why cant you work to fix the problem there? Why do you support slave labor? Why do you support the corporations? Why don’t you answer without being vile?
Join the civilized part of humanity.
A Real Patriot
Read Ernesto A. Barrera's comment on the Indigeonous peoples day blog. It pretty much sums it up. We cant repair the past but you can work to make a better future. Turning the U.S. into a third world country is not the answer. Fixing Mexico and South America is.
A Real Patriot
Has any formal assault complaints been filed? I know that unless you're white, such complaints are almost always thrown in the trash by the fascist police, but if you can get mainstream media to carry such assaults, the pigs are forced to accept the complaints and actually do something with them.
Has the victim filed a complaint?
Fredric L. Rice
 e-mail:: frice@skeptictank.org
 Homepage:: frice@skeptictank.org
Am talking to both "sides" of the immigration/border debate..
Please stop all the petty shit. So and so assaulted me, look at this picture, no they assaulted us first, etc..
People really need to focus on the problems around the US/Mex border without discussing the trivial nature of the Minutemen, Friends of Border Patrol, SOS, etc..
Other issues that are being ignored by Minutemen obsession..
Maquiladoras (sweatshop) labor in US corporations also subsidized by taxpayer dollars. No regulations means maquiladora workers exposed to carcinogens, sensitive ecosystems contaminated by toxic effluent. No agua para tomar. No water for drinking..
Femicides in border cities like Ciudad Juarez, where female maquiladora sweatshop workers are killed. The number of women dead now is above 500..
Ineffective PRI union is solamente union for the maquiladoras. Any women who attempt to unionize outside the PRI goon squad are marginalized at best. At worst??
Water theft by US agribusiness (and golf courses) of rio colorado y otras rios. Less agua in the lower rios results in lowering the groundwater table. Lower groundwater dries out many natural desert springs used by people and migratory animals (Sonoran pronghorn antelope). This ties in to undocumented Mexican immigrants being used as slave labor and exposed to pesticides/herbicides/etc for the agribusiness corporations. All so Imperial Valley iceberg lettuce magically appears on those 99 cent tacos at Taco Bell. If Taco Bell went out of business, would that be such a bad thing? Won't hear any boo-hooing from me on that..
The ineffective border wall as a drain of taxpayer resources (INS/Border Patrol salaries and gas, gas, gas for driving the fence). An ineffective barrier to undocumented immigrants because people are intelligent. An effective barrier to indigenous migratory ungulates like Sonoran pronghorn antelope because antelope don't ride in cars or dig tunnels. Also a irritating barrier to indigenous humans who have family on either side of the border because most border patrol agents are racist and give indigenous people a hard time when crossing over..
Any other border related issue (there are many more) that i forgot besides the fucking Minutemen!!
Though i am nobody to tell anyone what to say or do, the constant focus on the Minutemen is a drain of activist energy. If ya'll can't figure out a way to neutralize these self made goons, then it seems that the perpetual conflict is somehow desired by somebody. If there is no outcome besides a rock and a hard place, than someone isn't being open to other possibilites. Am beginning to understand that the nature of this conflict is more about political egos than actually compassion for undocumented immigrants or some abstract patriotism as voiced by the Minutemen, SOS, etc..
If it is true that the loss of undocumented immigrant labor would cause the US imperialist economy to weaken (would the gringos work in the monoculture agribusiness fields for below minimum wage?), than why are the anarchists on the side opposing the Minutemen? Other than the "no borders" concept expressed by anarchists, it seems that weakening the US economy in a time of perpetual war/occupation in Iraq would be a good thing, que no?
What is the role of the Democrats and the UFW in encouraging undocumented immigrants to work in the agribusiness fields? (for strenghtening a weakened union)? Why is compromise with agribusiness execs more important than zero tolerance for pesticide exposure? If the UFW cares so much about the lives of undocumented immigrants, than why don't they demand a zero tolerance for pesticide exposure?
What are alternatives (besides neoliberal globalization NAFTA/CAFTA/PPP/etc.) that would support indigenous Mexicans at home in gaining autonomy in their communities without being coerced to migrate to el norte and breath pesticides of monocultura agribusiness corporations? Why does the Mexican government discourage community autonomy? (Clue; Tlalnepantla, Morelos)
As if anyone would ever listen to me, am asking that the Minutemen and their "pro-immigrant" opposition find some common ground quickly and quit the petty shit. Why not protest some agribusiness corporation together? This would be a great opportunity to expose the negative side of undocumented immigrants being exploited by large corporations. Or is this the secret the Minutemen are trying to hide by scapegoating immigrants? Or is this the secret the Democrat (and their Republican allies) hijackers of the UFW are trying to hide by scapegoating the Minutemen? Other articles need to appear on border topics besides "the Minutemen pulled my hair again". Though i am far from the border, i can smell the tripe bullshit from here..
luna moth
Finally! Common sense. I have people crossing north through my property every day. I would be too if I were in their shoes. Why do we have to degrade our standard of living by letting 40% of Mexican and South American citizens (the latest pole) into this country, when we can help them change their governments so the can stay in their own countries.Mexico is the fourth richest contry in the world, natural resource and recreation wise.Unfortunately it is in the hands of 4% of the people in Mexico. Isn't the U.S. government and the Mexican government the same corrupt organization? Allowing a slave class in the U.S. only supports corporations not the people. Let's work to improve both sides. Lets bring the Mexican and South American economies up to the rest of the world. Wouldn’t this be better than chaos?
A Real Patriot
I strongly disapprove of the way this white man beat this Chicano.
HE SHOULD HAVE SHOT HIM INSTEAD!
Compassionate White Man
I've read numerous times in this insane discussion the claim that allowing what has been called a "slave class" into the united states only benefits the corporations. First, this seems intuitively improbable. Illegal immigrants, who generally lack the proper documentation to acquire jobs with large corporations, are often forced to take menial positions involving hard labor for minimal pay. These positions are generally offered by individuals seeking temporary help, or small companies who look past the "proof of residence" requirement. So, it's not likely that the presence of illegal immigrants benefits corporations by providing them with cheap labor.
Second, the suggestions that have been made regarding protests focused on the treatment of the Mexican people by their own government are excellent. We should be doing all that we can to promote the welfare of the people living near us. However, this does not mean that protesting the actions of anti-immigration groups who have allegedly killed a number of immigrants is a waste of time or energy. Granted, there is much work too be done in persuading governments that fail to provide for their people to rise to the challenge, but attempting to stop the murder of innocent people by vigilante groups is a worthy cause as well, and ought not be abandoned.
Finally, if we are willing to recognize that the standard of living 20 miles south of San Diego is poor, and that we ourselves would not be willing to live under such conditions, then we certainly ought to be able to empathize with these immigrants crossing the border. If we are able to empathize with them, then it seems to me we ought to be able to accept their presence here until we have been able to bring conditions in their own country up to par. This is just common moral sense. Think Kant. Think Jesus of Nazareth. Think Buddha. "Do unto others..." and all that jazz. So instead of killing immigrants as they try to escape miserable conditions, let's try a new approach. Let's allow them into our country without shooting them dead, just for a while. If it helps, think of Southern California as something of a refugee camp. Then, let's try our best to get the Mexican government itself, or the US government, or the UN, or somebody to help improve conditions in the hometowns of our refugees. Because the ultimate goal of a refugee camp is to provide a shelter for THOSE IN NEED until such time as they are able to take care of themselves once again.
brown
California could be a safe haven for people migrating from Mexico. However, that isn't often the case. Under a capitalist system, landowners are encouraged to exploit undocumented immigrants. That doesn't mean all landowners take advantage of immigrants, nor do all undocumented immigrants work for small businesses. Some also work for large corporations and are exploited beyond belief. The UFW is not able to stop this because undocumented immigrants are not unionized. The people who are exposed to pesticides and become ill are sent back to Mexico. There is no reprive for this, lawsuits won't work because they are undocumented..
Am personally adverse to band-aid solutions. Immigrant labor is a band-aid solution to,poverty in Mexico. The longer we allow the Mexican government to concentrate wealth in the top 5% and use the military to harrass autonomous communities, the longer we will witness the continuing stream of immigrants coming north to work for a variety of landowners, some may be kind while others may be fixated on profit and not as compassionate..
The border wall is another band-aid solution to migration. The Minutemen and their followers choose to reapply and strengthen the band-aid border wall. They are wasting their energy in a neverending pursuit of the migrant laborer. That is their loss. If they just want a reason to recreate in the desert and smoke a few joints while watching the sunset, that isn't a problem para mi. They need a reason to be there or else people would call them lazy. So they concoct some psuedo-effective strategy of voluntarily helping the border patrol, and now they are famous?
The border wall doesn't belong there and is causing ecological problems. The draining and diversion of rio colorado and otras rios is also causing a great deal of ecological problems that will haunt people for decades to come. This is an example of a curse that we bring upon ourselves. The source of the problem is capitalism fixated on short term profit..
BTW, to address Real Patriot and others who have misconceptions about anarchy, we don't just want "chaos". Anarchy is more about symbiosis than anything else, we don't believe in European constructs as land ownership and property. The land is not for people to claim ownership, it is where people live, work, play and eat. We need to honor and respect the land because it does not belong to us, it is for the benefit of the future generations..
A few people have used the comments section to engage in meaningful dialogue without resorting to insults and name calling. It is often tempting to demonize those we disagree with, though false accusations end up making the individual pointing the finger look stupid. Maybe the Minutemen don't really want to smoke joints and watch the sunset, that is only my opinion of what they should do instead of harrassing migrants. Personally i think they would be more effective if they changed their tactics and questioned the governments of Mexico and the US. Life is about learning and expanding our horizons, maybe some good can come out of the conflict after all..
We can all enjoy the sunset of the end of US imperialism together..
luna moth
Again, I have to ask, who are these people & what are they trying to accomplish?
It's almost as if someone has gone out & taken the dregs
of society off the street & pays them to protest. It's possible that someone on
our side is doing their recruiting. I mean, come on, and look at that band of
misfits. Let's break it down. What do we see here? We see some illegal aliens,
which I understand why they're out there, because SOS threatens their gravy
train. We see some older, drug addled 60's hippie rejects, who will protest
anything that has to do with America because, well, they're hippies. That's what
they do.We have some gangbangers, whose drug dealing, violence & creating havoc
business must be really slow in the morning & they have nothing better to do.
And last but not least we have those true "socialist/
anarchists" white kids in their early twenties who abide by & live by a strict
Marxist doctrine, which means they still live with mommy & daddy who pays for
everything. But my main point here is those I see in the pictures can't possibly
have the intellectual capacity to
understand any concept of human rights & the history of said struggles. They're
obviously not students of history. And they're not cognizant of anything, much
less an issue of great importance such as ours. Where is the leftist
"intellectual" crowd?Where are the big, bad & bold radical Hispanic politicians?
All I see is a hodgepodge of complete idiots.Why are they out there? Who's
paying them to counterprotest? Is Indymedia simply a catalyst for immature
children who
love to protest anything, even things they have no idea about? I'm really not
getting the crowds I've seen lately. It's humorous. Are the real reconquista's
finally realizing how ridiculous & stupid they look? It's amazing. It seems that
the only ones left to "protest" are the thug element.And I'd say that doesn't
bode well for their side.
CaptSkip
actually, brown, investigate agribusiness a bit. over 80% of the produce in this country is hand picked. much of it is owned by large agribusiness corporations like monsanto. monsanto's trick is to use "hiring companies" to contract out field labor so that they don't have to directly be involved with illegal hiring. in many cases, migrant people have two social security numbers so that they can work 8 hours under one number, and then switch to the other for the rest of the day, paying taxes that they never receive all the while.
sd@narchist
The agribusiness hiring contract laborers is similar to the corporate logging giant Maxxam/PL using Columbia Helicopter to log on steep slopes. The employees of Columbia Helicopter are contracters and lack any union, job security or health benefits. Many Columbia chokesetters are recent immigrants from Mexico. One of the riskiest jobs next to meatpacking for work related injury, similar to working in ag fields and being exposed to pesticides. When the workers become ill or injured and are unable to work, they are sent home with nothing..
The operators of the helicopters are usually of European origin and recieve greater benefits and wages than the chokesetters on the ground. The helicopter operators are also more hostile to the activists..
http://sacredredwood.org/news/2003oct06heli.php
During a protest in the Mattole i had the chance to dialogue with some Columbia chokesetters. They were very friendly and wanted to understand why we were blocking the road. They also expressed frustration with working for another contracter, Steve Wills..
Looks like we may need the IWW to help organize contract laborers. The current split in the AFL-CIO indicates the traditional rank and file unions are becoming ineffective..
http://www.iww.org
luna moth
Ok, I haven't done a lot of research on this topic, and my thoughts on the relationship between corporations and immigrant workers was, I admit, based on some preconceptions that apparently were incorrect. If what was said above is right, then we have a whole new problem to deal with; namely the exploitation of undocumented immigrants by large corporations. Nevertheless, the solution to this problem isn't necessarily to prevent this exploitation by kicking our immigrants out of the country, or by forcefully preventing the entry of more of them, but to push for stronger legislation protecting those immigrants and to ensure that legislation currently in effect is enforced. Granted, such legislation will be difficult to enforce because of the fact that these immigrants are undocumented, but this is simply a pothole, not a road block.
brown
So like I said!
Pressure on the U/S. and Mexican governments to provide a LEGAL, HUMANE and ETHICAL migrant worker program is the solution. Not the Status Quo where the corporations and the smugglers trample the rights of the residents along the border and the human cargo they are profiting from.
DUH!!
So help those of us who are suffering solve this. Stop fighting us. Even though we have different methods, the goal is the same. The government has to respond! That is what the FOBP wants and that is what you want.
A Real Patriot
A program that ties people's human rights to their employers is slavery.
People's human rights need to be respected regardless of their economic output.
We need to end the very existence of this racist, violent, murderous border.
No Borders!
sd@narchist
for the person who says that there is no law concerning covering your face during a protest, i sugest u try it in front of the white house sometime. It is against the law to cover your face during a protest because then the police cannot identify you from a distance. If u cover your face in front of the whitehouse during a protest you immediately will be arrested. Try it. Maybe you should research before you insult someone who obviously knows more about this sunject than you do. Just a though
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