Racists go home! Baldwin Park Rally

Everytime the racist Minutemen and Save Our State people have shown up around Southern California they have been outnumbered by counter-protesters. It's gotten so bad that the Save Our State people are openly contemplating giving up on Los Angeles County:

"I really suggest we focus more on Orange County or the Inland Empire because LA County is basically a write-off situation at the moment. Since LA is essentially a municipality of Mexico we are not doing ourselves many favors by assembling there."

I live in the Inland Empire and I can tell you right now they won't be welcome here. But it might take them a while to realize this.



The police were a strong presence at the event. The picture to the left gives you an idea of just how intimidating they can be. They were clearly on the side of the SOS and Minutemen people, which numbered about 40 people. They had a number of streets blocked off. These pictures are from just one part of the protest. Other protesters were closer to the monument. I'm not very good at estimating crowd numbers so I'll wait until I hear something before I even hesitate a guess. But there is no doubt that our numbers dwarfed that of the Minutemen and SOS people.

It was a good peaceful rally of diverse yet like-minded people. Again again I heard the refrain: We have to nip this in the bud. There is a growing concern that these racist vigilante groups are nascent fascist movements.

Whether or not this is true, the fact remains that we have to stand up and oppose racism whenever it raises its ugly head. You can paint the arguments in any way you like. You can spin them from now until Jesus comes back. But what it amounts to is that the SOS and Minutemen would like nothing more than to blame all of our problems on immigrants. They can pretend it's about securing the border or however they are spinning it, but the bottom line is they are primarily white racists who would like nothing more than to beat up on our poor immigrant workers. They seek to demonize them and I won't stand for it.

There was chanting and singing. A few people brought drums. It was a good time and it uplifts the spirit to stand up for what is right. This was a small victory in the overall fight for social justice, but each battle whether we win or lose has its merit. Forty racists were shown today that they are not wanted in Baldwin Park. We have told them this in Alhambra and Garden Grove. Again and again, we will let them know that California has no need for their brand of racism.

You can read more at Indymedia by clicking here. You can also find more picture by clicking here.

This photo gives you an idea of how far away we were from the SOS protesters.

You can bet that SOS desperately wants a venue where they can get attention. They are discouraged by being opposed 10-1. But what if they were completely ignored?

As bizarre as their thinking is in LA, Ventura, or any other county, they need the attention, the photos, the independent and mainstream reporting.

Let them show up with no counter protest in sight, no one to yell at, no one to give them attention, and they'll be limited to talking to each other. That will be insufferably boring I'm sure.

I agree, ignore them.

There are other strategies that can be employed to fell this foe.

I don't want to mention them here for all to read.

It really disapoints me that there seems to be a need to bend the truth, or twist it every way possible, to back upyour arguement regarding imigration. You seem to use the race card on every issue possible. By in large the majority,althugh there are some extremists out there that are completely anti imigration, to which I amnot one of. I do believe however that ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS should be arrested and thrown back to the country from which they came. If you choose to have a better life by coming to the U.S., theb great, BUT DO IT LEGALLY!!!! of go home..

It is interesting that you’re a racist if you don’t want Illegal immigrants in our community. But the ones protesting Minutemen and SOS only talk about Hispanics, what about militant Arabs or the mentally ill from Cuba or members of the Russian Mafia or those from Sudan who hate Christians. Illegals Need Not Apply! Most True Americans don’t care where the immigrants come from as long as they come here legally. No I’m not implying that Hispanics that are here illegally are criminals (but they did commit a crime), we need to screen who wants in and they wait their turn.

It really disapoints me that there seems to be a need to bend the truth, or twist it every way possible, to back upyour arguement regarding imigration. You seem to use the race card on every issue possible. By in large the majority,althugh there are some extremists out there that are completely anti imigration, to which I amnot one of. I do believe however that ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS should be arrested and thrown back to the country from which they came. If you choose to have a better life by coming to the U.S., theb great, BUT DO IT LEGALLY!!!! of go home..

These folks were doing what they are doing when we DID ignore them. That's why they were able to build until the point that they can start up a massive vigilante outfit. Ignoring them is over.

> The police were a strong presence at the event. The

> picture to the left gives you an idea of just how intimidating

> they can be. They were clearly on the side of the SOS and

> Minutemen people, which numbered about 40 people.

I don't agree. I don't believe that the police were on anybody's "side" other than the side of law and safety. The cops behaved themselves professionally and politely, keeping the peace. It's true that they barricaded the white supremist scumbags onto their own little corner of sidewalk so that the anti-hate protesters couldn't tell these scumbags exactly what they think face to face, but the cops were trying to make sure we didn't have another Hal Netkin or something else.

Also the suggestion that these white supremists should be met with silence isn't, as another poster suggested, a very good idea. These racists have been festering in the dark long enough and now that they're showing their faces without the hoods this time, it's a good time to once again smack down these hate mongers so that they're shown once again that America doesn't support their Master Race ideologies.

SOS is a tiny, fringe organization. They may have 750-1,000 members who have signed up on their web-site.

Please keep this in perspective. At the counter protest Saturday they only had 50-60 people. They are not a force to be dealt with. They are pretty good at staging a media event. I suspect they have done some homework on this. I'll give them a C+ on that.

These are not responsible representatives of a massive organization. That's all they got!!