I got this in my email:

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Hey comrades,

Their next target is in Baldwin Park. They have been contacting Baldwin Park’s council members to remove the Monument at Metrolink Station which states, “This land was Mexican once ,was Indian always and is, And will be again.”

The site’s forum states,

---- quote -----

“We will be protesting the seditious Baldwin Park commuter rail station monument this Saturday at the corner of Ramona Blvd and Downing Ave. The monument is actually located right on that corner and you can see it in the TerraServer map below.

Baldwin Park Commuter Rail Station
3875 Downing Ave
Baldwin Park, CA 91706
Saturday, May 14th
Noon - 2 PM
Please bring Amerian and California flags. Also feel free to bring some signs, although I will probably have a few to pass out.”
----- end quote -----

Let's be mobilize against this!

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The SGV Neighbors and the West Covina peace demonstration group are committed to organizing a response. Mexa and ISO were already at the Laguna Beach demo, and I understand that students in Riverside are organizing as well. Git on board!

The artwork they're protesting was created by Judy Baca, one of the founders of SPARC, who coordinated the famouls Great Wall of Los Angeles, up near Valley College.

http://www.learner.org/catalog/extras/wabios/baca.html
http://www.sparcmurals.org/

It would be good if the arts community could organize to protect her art. It would be even better if Baca herself could be there, perhaps to explain the work.

Link to photos of the train station in dispute:
http://www.judybaca.com/art/baldwin/baldwin.html

I think these "Save Our State" proto-fascists have misinterpreted the artwork. The artwork is not about Mexico, but the local indigenous tribes. (See their site: http://www.saveourstate.org.)

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Fans of The Minutemen, seminal punk/funk/country/jazz band from San Pedro, should come and defend the good name of The Minutemen, one of the best anti-imperialist, anti-fascist bands to ever come out of LA.

http://www.geocities.com/jansimon/minutem2.htm

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Baldwin Park is a quiet, mostly-Mexican American, diverse suburb in the San Gabriel Valley. What are the nativists thinking? Are they calling Baldwin Park a "cesspool", as they say in their website?

http://www.baldwinpark.com/

The cheapest house I found on Yahoo in BP is $350,000. That's an expensive cesspool.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?I23C22F0B

A 3BR 1BA 1,500 sq foot cesspool is selling for around $800,000. Damn. That's not much cesspool for your money. I guess you have to start out with a small condo, or a house in Antelope or Jurupa, and then move upward, into the cesspool, with the second house.

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SOS also misunderstand the purpose of the day laborer centers. (More on this at another time and place.)

Ok I can understand disliking the anti-immigration jerks. BUT THIS MONUMENT THEY ARE PROTESTING....CLAIMS THAT LOS ANGELES IS MEXICO, ALWAYS WILL BE, & WAS BETTER WITHOUT THE AMERICANS.

WELL, boys & girls....THAT MEANS US TOO.

EVEN US ANTI BUSH/ANT FASCISTS SHOULD BE ANGRY THAT THERE IS A HUGE MONUMENT CLAIMING THAT LOS ANGELES IS MEXICO & THAT IT WILL BE AGAIN & THAT IT WAS BETTER BEFORE THE AMERICANS GOT HERE.

this shouldn't be a RIght / Left thing. THIS IS AN AMERICAN THING.

ha, america loving liberals...pathetic. Yes, before the white man came to 'the americas' things were way better. This country was founded by slaving owning mother fuckers who didn't believe in freedom for anything but their expansion. This country is and always will be a lie, there is no room for reform. And yes, this is occupied mexico. And yes, we ignore treaties that say all mexicans will have free movement in and out of occupied Northern mexico...

Anti Fascist my ass, you support the most repressive fascist state in history

...save us the wolf in sheeps clothing act, not everyone is as stupid as you (unless they are republican)...

The artwork says a few more things than the two things they pointed out.

Also, the things written on the artwork were said by the residents of the city, so the artist chose words that they came up with. They're intentionally vauge, especially the one about "it was better before they came here."

Who is "they"? They could be white europeans, but they can also be spaniards. They could be today's immigrants too. They could even be other indian tribes.

The wording of the anzaldua quote is also interesting, because you can't tell if she's talking about mexico or the indians. And she says it is now the indians land; that's also vague. It isn't now, but, in some ways it still is, within the context of this monument, but also within the reclaimed history of the local indigenous people (who still live in the area).

See the link to the art page.

The narrow "minutemen" reading of the situation, like their reading of reality, is paranoid.

I was the OP btw.

we are printing up some flyers and pamphlets for a counter-protest. I saw a story about this on the local news and read about it in the SGV Tribune. They think they can just go to a city like Baldwin Park and spread their racist message. Fuck that.

FYI:
The Minute Men are planning a protest at a Hispanic monument at noon on the 14th of May. The reason for their protest is to "demand that the city of Baldwin Park immediately remove seditious anti-American language (pictures below) from the “Danzas Indigenas” monument located at the Baldwin Park Commuter Rail Station." This is clearly a racist protest, and national news (like CNN and FOX News) will likely be there. There are no official counter plans, but emails are circulating asking people to show up with signs like, "No Human Is Illegal" and "EUROPEAN Immigrants, GO HOME!" as well as black flags, drums, and noise makers. This is an important opportunity to make a statement about justice and equality.

Here is their website: http://www.saveourstate.org/

Location: Intersection of Pacific and Downing near monument and rail station

Parking is Provided: 3699 N. Holly Street

I heard thru the grapevine that Baca may be there. That would be good if she could be given some time to explain the work.

(It would also be good if a group within the demo could form a security force to prevent altercations, etc.)

There's a new statement, by the artist, on the SPARK site (linked above) about the monument. It's interesting.

Here's a link to the Tribune story:

http://www.sgvtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,205%257E12220%257E2862930,00.html

The bus that goes there is the 490, if you are taking MTA.

The parking is along Downing Ave.

Aerial Map

The memorial is at the northeast end of the station.

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It would be good if people bring video cameras, to document the event, and if necessary, provide evidence.

The SOS group's site indicates that they are going to take a non-confrontational stance. That's good. The risk is that this event will attract the more extremist right and fascist elements who often try to make trouble, throw objects, yell racial slurs at us, and recruit at these events.

For personal safety, do not bring anything that may be construed as a weapon: thick sticks, glass bottles, knives, etc. Don't engage in "fighting words," which are racial taunts or verbal threats of assault (i.e. "I'm going to kick your ass"), because these count as "throwing the first punch."

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The National Lawyers Guild has pamphlets explaining your right to protest.

Know Your Rights

This is an unpermitted event, therefore, demonstrators need to stay on the sidewalk and in pedestrian areas, and not obstruct people walking by. See the second brochure on that page for more details.

As counter-demonstrators, we are not allowed to stop their demonstration. The police are allowed to separate us, but, we also have the right to be near the demo. Given that this is a very site-specific issue, we should be able to stay at the memorial.

If they attempt to deface the artwork, they are in violation of the Constitution.

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I suggest we all strive to operate in the spirit of AIM, to operate in support of the community (or our allies within the community). Treat the situation as if you live right next to this event.

“The whole life of those societies in which modern conditions of production prevail presents itself as an immense accumulation spectacles. All that once was directly lived has become mere representation.” - Guy Debord, Paris 1967

Conjecture and some concerns from a post-situationist observer:

From a study of the SOS web site it is safe to conclude the following:
First, these people are clearly racist in the views, additionally they are ultra-nationalists, and extremely xenophobic. Secondly a semiotic study of the photos and signage from their past picketing action revels something else, something deeper as to their fears and the motivation for their actions. Here is a link to view some of their photos: http://www.saveourstate.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=248

Of particular note is a sign opposing Bush’s proposed guest worker program as well as another sign taking exception to Bush policy. Most telling is a sign equating current immigration policy to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This group represents a more extreme faction of the ultra-right than those currently in power in Bush faction.

From the general appearance of the people in the photographs it is not unreasonable to conclude that the bulk of this group is part of the disaffected middle to lower-middle class. It is also interesting to note on their web that they refer to themselves as activists. Activist in the US is a title most often associated with the left. However their actions are more vigilantism than activist. This distinction by the way is sometimes lost to even the most experienced of activists, regardless of their political position.

Their racism is overt, but class conflict and insecurity of their position in the finely stratified class structure that defines class in the US is closer to the root of the fears that motivate them. In some ways this is a classic example of the sub-division of people along racial lines. People who might otherwise recognize themselves as part of the same class are drawn into conflict with each other. All to the delight of the ruling class and sometimes it is the ruling class pulling the strings on both sides. There is evidence to suggest the presence of an invisible hand here. Recent comments by the governor of California and media coverage of the vigilante border patrols all suggest that the directors of public spectacle have something in play here. Those countering this event should be conscious of this.

That the event’s focal point is a work of art is not by chance. Controversy over a symbol is a perfect deflection from the root causes of class infighting. The media spectacle can now swirl around the empty core of an undefined symbol. The emptiness that a symbol now striped of its meaning provides enables the media to use this event for any purpose that suits it.

Although it is never wrong for anti-fascist, anti-racist activists to mobilize against and counter these people, activists planning to counter protest should be careful not to play into the spectacle that the camera is hungry for. If mainstream media is there and covers this upcoming event you can be sure they will edit and use the footage in a way that serves neither of the two sides.

To avoid this, those countering need to be very creative in the manner in which they stage their counter-protest. Counters who seek confrontation are giving the camera exactly what it wants. Don’t let your emotions direct your action. Do not address the people you are countering, do not speak to them. A face off against them from opposite sides of the street serves the camera but not the counters. One tactic, although not without risks, is to mingle with them and diffuse the message so that the camera can not present any coherent image to the viewer.

A counter-demo which merely counters is often an ineffective tactic, for the camera can discriminate the presentation images at hand. The media wants to confine all political discourse within the black and white argument of a very narrow debate. The best counter-demo is one which does not play into the preordained structure of the conflict, but restructures the dialectic in a manner that changes the presentation of the conflict. By doing this there can be an opening for the discussion of other possibilities.

I am a member of SaveOurState.org and I am not here to hijack your board or anything.

I just wanted to quickly comment that many of our members, including myself are thankful that you understand that we are there to peacefully protest and have commented as such on our board.

As an American, I invite you to come to express your opinions and for the opportunity to sway public opinion with your viewpoints. That is one of the things that is phenomonal about this country.

We too are concerned about the "fringe" elements who may see this as an opportunity to cause trouble. We will be doing our best to ensure this doesn't happen on our side of the street and have worked substantially with the police department to ensure it doesn't.

Thanks and see you tomorrow.

Post situational observer.

I think you might want to go back to psyc school. I am involved with SOS and support their efforts. I am also a millionaire American-Vietnamese. There are also plenty of Asian, Hispanic, and black Americans who support their efforts.

In my (actually our American-Vietnamese) case, our concern is that California will devolve over time into a corrupt oppressive state due to massive illegal immigration. We escaped from one country like that and don't want to live in another one.

Also, the inevitable amnesty for long term illegal aliens decreases Vietnamese immigration. To see how, go to www.fairimmigration.com.

It figures that a millionaire with a maquila south of the border would favor tighter borders. It helps keep the workers concentrated there so they can't run north and get higher wages.

Fortress America Uber Alles.

Thanks for the advice. The media spectacle has already happened.

The key issue here is that the monument is *not* racist. It's not even what SOS says it is -- some kind of assertion of Reconquista. It's not even what many activists organizing around it think it is (which is something like reconquest, but, with an indigenous twist).

In reality (...and I've held back on discussing this) is that projects like this are often an effort by cities and government agencies to smooth over and divert public opposition away from potentially controversial developments. Rail projects are ALWAYS controversial developments, because the trains make noise, and there's some safety risk being near them.

I just went to check it out, and, the memorial has a plaque on it honoring a local old-timer businessman, who happens to be Mexican American. His descendents still live in Baldwin Park, and I think they might be pretty prominent.

This is manufactured controversy, plain and simple.

More importantly, it's racist political organizing. They are twisting the situation into a racial conflict between Mexicans and "us". Though they start out drawing the line between "legal" and "illegal", that line gets shifted, sometimes between immigrants and "us", sometimes between Mexicans and "us". The basis of their organizing, which starts out as "legality", quickly degerates into racism.

This transformation is aided along by the fact that SOS buys into the white-supremacist paranoia about "Mexican invasion", "reconquest", and "MEChA". Of all wacked out political positions to take, these are the most obnoxious, because they are not rooted in reality.

MEChA is a good example. I think that the MEChA mythology is not taken very seriously by members of MEChA, much less the wider Chicano community. That some fringe conservatives think it represents a real threat is almost funny, if they weren't so willing to attack so many people about having been in MEChA.

But, I digress. The point is that they are using this racism to organize politically. Because they organize with racism, it's inevitable that they will cause racists to enter the group, and ultimately, if they keep organizing on a racist basis, they will become a racist group.

Again, MEChA is a good example -- as a counter-example. They are consistently anti-racist, and, though they are nationalist, at the schools I've been at, they are anti-racists, at least in deed if not in word. Consequently, MEChAs seem to be full of normal people, who want to get through college, and do their cultural things. They might be young and angry, but, not too angry to run for political office.

In the bird's eye perspective, this makes the typical Mechista more mainstream than the typical working class Latino youth, who doesn't participate in politics, and may make a decision to not vote because they feel the system will never work for them.

This is reality, and, SOS are immune to reality. They are organizing against shadows, using racism to mobilize.

The problem is that they are also taking concrete political action based on this racist organizing. The ultimate outcome is predetermined: an increase in legalized racism. I have no proof of this, but I, like most people, intuit this.

I think SOS may be a pre-fascist organization, or a group susceptible to fascist takeover. I don't want to see our country go back to the 1920s, when the KKK were a viable political force, and had people in minor offices around America. (I don't care if the fascist group is multicultural. It's all the same to me.)

I said above that SOS is organizing against shadows, however, these shadows belong to people, and these people make up 75% of Baldwin Park. Some of these people have already been organizing against this demonstration in their city for several days. This was unkown to me. Our online and phone organizing efforts have been unknown to them. The MEChAs were organizing. CHIRLA and others criticized on their site were alerted. The artist will be there. The Brown Berets have shown up. Everyone's jumping to "lead" this issue.

(The local activists were worried about the Brown Berets, because they may get violent. I think they should also worry about the IAC, who are asking for "endorsements" from other groups. That cannot stand. We cannot tolerate authoritarian parties that attempt to take over community-led organizing.)

Such is life. I hope tomorrow turns out good, with a positive, community building outcome. That would have made all this hassle worth it.

I hear that ANSWER has jumped on the band wagon and may be setting up a stage. I hope you can keep them from co-opting the demo. On the plus side they may help with the numbers. Unless SOS has tapped into some big backers for this event judging from their past actions they are capable of mobilizing about 100 people. ANSWER even on a bad day can top that easy. If SOS gets out numbered don’t let pay the victim to the camera. “Community rallies to fight off outsiders attacking their sculpture” should be the headline. And not “Evil commies stop free speech” :-)

The opposition took this photo. They think it's a hoot.

It's interesting how they can only derive one meaning from a phrase.

sorry, forgot the attachment.

It was revealed last year that "Tim Binh" was a fraud. The guy is white, but was pretending to be Asian online, to add some "diversity" to their side.

this is getting to be an epidemic

this is getting to be an epidemic