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On Saturday, anti-SOS protestors rallied on short notice to obstruct Save Our State's latest foray against the Laguna Beach Day Labor Center. Neo-Nazis were waiting in the wings.
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Save our State continues to defy the law: earlier this year, the 9th Circuit Court upheld the right of day laborers to solicit work under the 1st and 14th amendments in Comite de Jornaleros de Glendale v. City of Glendale.
LAGUNA BEACH, SEPTEMBER 25, 2005--At its peak, 40 day laborers were joined by 60 human rights advocates in opposition to a small group from Save Our State at the Day Labor Center in Laguna Beach, after only two days of concerted organizing.. Save Our State managed to muster about twenty people in its bid to prevent day laborers from soliciting employment at the Center, after four weeks of effort.
By scheduling their event for the morning of the international anti-war rally, Save Our State had hoped for little opposition but were outnumbered five to one by the jornaleros and dedicated supporters of immigrant rights.
In what was largely an exchange of taunts across Laguna Canyon Road interspersed with brief debate and a few chants, an assortment of protestors representing La Tierra es de Todos, assorted anarchists, the International Socialist Organization, and committed individuals confronted Save Our State's dwindling band. One anti-SOS protestor was detained and handcuffed. Whether he was charged or only detained remains unclear.
Although many of those who came out against SOS left early for the anti-war march, they propped trifolded anti-racist signs up in the parking lot and leaned them along the fence, leaving a clear message that SOS was not welcome in Laguna Beach. Passing motorists affirmed the message, honking and waving almost uniformly in favor of the day laborers. The sentiments expressed by motorists suggest Congressional candidate Jim Gilchrist's anti-migrant platform has little support from local residents. One anti-SOS at the rally protestor tore up a Gilchrist for Congress sign in a symbolic rejection.
In a surprise to protestors, neo-Nazis again appeared in support of Save Our State in the closing moments of the rally. SOS leader Joe Turner had announced that he would be "more than prepared" for a brawl, but the anti-SOS protestors had not anticipated a return of the neo-Nazi group. On July 30, SOS faced off against some of the same protestors in a noisy standoff that culminated in SOS holding U.S. flags amidst Nazi swastikas and Confederate flags. Reports are that SOS's Chicana spokesperson, Lupe Moreno, left the organization after that display. At this weekend's event, the neo-Nazis arrived without fanfare precisely at noon, the final minutes of the permitted rally, as SOS members were heading to their cars. Whatever the ten or so neo-Nazis' plans, whether to provoke a brawl or escort SOS out, the Laguna Beach police intervened, detaining one and ordering the others to leave. The neo-Nazis raised their arms in Nazi salutes at the protestors as they left.
The day labor supporters were escorted to their cars by the jornaleros.
On July 16, a contingent of SOS members handed out flyers opposing the day labor center at an art fair in the city. One anti-jornalero protestor was arrested at that event for wielding a knife. SOS may be returning for a third try at dismantling Baldwin Park's Danzas Indigenas monument, probably in October.