|
|
printable version
- email this article
- view hidden posts
- spam score
by Leslie
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 2:05 AM
Save Our State and the Minutemen declared a showdown. Counterprotestors didn't see it that way but won the day anyway.
 go_home_racists.jpg, image/jpeg, 594x615
BURBANK, January 21, 2006--Minuteman Don Silva, also of Save Our State,
called the showdown. He named the site--Burbank's new Home Depot. He
brought in the TV crews, and radio and newspaper reporters. He pleaded
with every minuteman in southern California to attend. The neo-Nazi group
VDARE posted a notice
of the event on their blog.
Silva managed to raise sixty-five people. He lost his "battle at
the black gate of Mordor," as he overdramatically called the protest, when
ninety hastily assembled and loosely organized Los Angeles-area
counterprotestors brought the minutemen's invasion of Burbank to a standstill.
The protestors took the northeast and southeast corners of the Home Depot
entrance. The minutemen and Save Our State clustered on the southwest
corner. The police claimed the northwest corner for their staging ground.
The Burbank day laborers, who usually number upward of twenty-five, reportedly
started the day with only fourteen on hand. The rest had scattered to the
streets of Burbank to find work.
By 6:30 a.m., long before the minutemen had brushed their teeth, Mexica
Movement were in place with their signs declaring indigenous ownership of the
continent and demanding that the colonizers return to Europe, grounding the
counterprotestors in the long history of racist oppression in Anahuac.
AnswerLA brought a vocal contingent, ready with banners, bullhorns, and
chants. World Can't Wait and individual socialists, anarchists, and others
added their voices and noisemakers to the cacophony.
The National Day Laborers Organizing Network arrived by 8:30 a.m. and held
their banner resolutely by the day labor center's driveway, in solidarity with
their brothers.
By 9:00 a.m. Danza Cuauhtémoc took their place across the street from the
day laborers. As they crossed the two-lane road, a roaring cheer rolled
down the lines of counterprotestors. The danzantes' pounding drums and
rattles all but drowned out a Cuban minuteman on an oversized bullhorn, who tried to
threaten people with arrest for traveling with undocumented passengers.
Determined counterprotestors alternated between chants and drums for two and
a half more hours.
Meanwhile, SOS and the minuteman waved their flags and raised signs that
displayed the confusion in their message and the splits in their ranks: some
derided Home Depot, others pointed to the Burbank City Council, some attacked
employers, while others proclaimed themselves "Latinos for Legal
Immigration" and "Veterans Against Open Borders."
Passing Burbank residents who took note of the protest from their cars and
trucks, almost to a person honked and waved for the day laborers.
Apparently, SOS has seriously misjudged Burbankians.
Unlike a Glendale protest earlier this month, the police kept the
counterprotestors away from the minutemen's corner, even separating chance
encounters between individuals as we walked to the protest site. On the
other hand, counterprotestors reported that "any white guy with a
camera" had free passage through the counterprotestors' ranks, some making
it as far as the danzantes before counterprotestors blocked the cameras with
their hands, signs, and a Mexican flag.
The media was there en masse, as arranged by Silva, and
counterprotestors took full advantage of the opportunity to get their message
out. Multiple interviews were ongoing as the sun warmed up the street.
Reporters were eager to interview and film; it seemed as if any counterprotestor
who wanted press attention could get it.
Apparently, minutemen in general are less tied to their watches than SOS,
which typically makes their escape at the stroke of 11:00 a.m. This time,
some of the racists hung out for an extra forty minutes, until the
counterprotestors seized the moment and swarmed the minutemen's corner.
The remaining minutemen backed down the street in small groups, dogged by
counterprotestors demanding "Go home, racists." A lone SOSer
remained, until Silva, driving a cab, swung around, picked him up, and sped
away.
As I looked around, a day labor organizer, an anarchist, and an indigenist
were still talking to the media. One anarchist commented to another,
"That was rad!" Her friend responded, "Let's go get lunch
and celebrate."
A laborer in the passenger side of a cab rode off from the labor center with
his employer. I greeted him with "Buenas dias." Only seven
day laborers remained.
Report this post as:
by Leslie
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 2:05 AM
 sw_corner_then_and_now.jpg, image/jpeg, 594x746
Report this post as:
LATEST COMMENTS ABOUT THIS ARTICLE
Listed below are the 10 latest comments of 64 posted about this article.
These comments are anonymously submitted by the website visitors.
| TITLE |
AUTHOR |
DATE |
| Thank you Leslie |
Thank you Leslie |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 8:50 AM |
| Lost In Translation |
Spankie |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 9:17 AM |
| Numbers |
TheWatchdog |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 11:14 AM |
| Lost in Space |
Jose |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 1:52 PM |
| The Amazing thing is that SOS has in one year |
Amazing |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 2:11 PM |
| Why did the Mexa Movement Guys |
Question |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 2:26 PM |
| SOS numbers |
johnk |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 4:19 PM |
| JohnK |
TheWatchdog |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 4:47 PM |
| To Watchdog |
El CHivo |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 5:52 PM |
| Are You *sure* it was bad for HD? |
johnk |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 5:54 PM |
| El CHivo |
TheWatchdog |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 7:24 PM |
| numbers |
Next Move |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 7:50 PM |
| p.s. |
Next Move |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 7:50 PM |
| Now u See em, Now u Don't |
Math Whiz |
Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006 at 11:28 PM |
| Leslie: a fair and balanced European |
Manuel A. |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 3:00 AM |
| To Leslie - you defend a corporation |
Minutewoman |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 9:20 AM |
| from the open borders side? |
Border Raven |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 10:27 AM |
| To Minutewoman |
johnk |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 1:29 PM |
| To John K and Border Raven |
Minutewoman |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 2:23 PM |
| Argue on win / loss? |
Fredric L. Rice |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 3:34 PM |
| ANSWER and HD |
Fredric L. Rice |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 3:50 PM |
| Fred |
TheWatchdog |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 6:03 PM |
| If sos is the racist group why is it that it was |
Morleigh |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 7:26 PM |
| Once again, ANSWER is a well funded |
SOROS |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 7:30 PM |
| To Minutewoman, BR, I think |
johnk |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 9:46 PM |
| Re "you defend a corporation" |
Morales |
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006 at 10:39 PM |
| BR, I think |
Border Raven |
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006 at 12:02 AM |
| BR, Hypocrite |
Morales |
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006 at 12:38 AM |
| BR, Hypocrite? |
Border Raven |
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006 at 4:35 AM |
| Pay attention, rightard |
Fredric L. Rice |
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006 at 9:16 AM |
| Is pretty obvious |
Fredric L. Rice |
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006 at 9:25 AM |
| Poverty and homelessness |
Fredric L. Rice |
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006 at 9:34 AM |
| Border Raven - full of lies |
Pete Nice |
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006 at 9:51 AM |
| To John K |
Minutewoman |
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006 at 2:48 PM |
| what if... |
Pete Nice |
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006 at 3:21 PM |
| To MW |
johnk |
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006 at 6:45 PM |
| your Navy pension? |
Border Raven |
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006 at 4:37 PM |
| BRaven |
Scorpio |
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006 at 4:40 PM |
| Military = Public Employee |
johnk |
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006 at 4:52 PM |
| johnk |
Scorpio |
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006 at 5:04 PM |
| scorpio |
Pete Nice |
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006 at 5:41 PM |
| military personnel |
Pete Nice |
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006 at 5:47 PM |
| Pete Nice... Resident Dunce |
Scorpio |
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006 at 10:18 AM |
| Who's the real dunce? |
Pete Nice |
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006 at 12:22 PM |
| Scorpio: Category IV recruit? |
Pete Nice |
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006 at 12:27 PM |
| Pete The Uninformed |
Scorpio |
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006 at 4:25 PM |
| Scorpio breaks it down... |
Pete Nice |
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006 at 5:52 PM |
| Pete Nice... Bobbing, weaving... and losing. |
Scorpio |
Friday, Jan. 27, 2006 at 2:46 PM |
| for pete's sake |
hey |
Friday, Jan. 27, 2006 at 2:59 PM |
| Scorpio: Pete Nice's Punching Bag |
Pete Nice |
Friday, Jan. 27, 2006 at 4:24 PM |
| ? |
Pete Nice |
Friday, Feb. 24, 2006 at 7:58 AM |
| also, OC=Border Raven |
El Chivo |
Friday, Feb. 24, 2006 at 11:35 AM |
| border raven believes the propaganda still |
El Chivo |
Friday, Feb. 24, 2006 at 2:17 PM |
| I pay taxes too |
Border Raven |
Friday, Feb. 24, 2006 at 8:26 PM |
| here's to you BR |
Hex |
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2006 at 6:29 AM |
| you make me laugh |
El Chivo |
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2006 at 8:22 AM |
| Mr |
Hermando G. Rodriquez |
Tuesday, May. 09, 2006 at 3:15 AM |
|
|
|
Local News
LAPD's High-Tech "War Room"
F10 7:07AM
OCCUPY PRESS RELEASE: 8 CHALLENGES TO WELLS FARGO (FEB 6, 2012)
F09 4:00PM
8 CHALLENGES TO WELLS FARGO FROM OCCUPY ACTIVISTS
F08 3:11PM
Resolution in Support of Warehouse Workers at Walmart Contractor Schneider Logistics
F07 12:53AM
Construction workers picket new gym in Upland
F06 11:59PM
F29 Double-sided flyer (English and Spanish) in PDF form
F06 4:52PM
STOP A "NAFTA OF THE PACIFIC!" RALLY VS SECRET NEGOTIATIONS HELD IN SOFITEL HOTEL IN LA
F06 10:04AM
Los Angeles participates in national day of action against war in Iran
F06 12:43AM
Protecting Sacred Sites: The Kuruvungna Springs
F05 9:08PM
Press Release for Monday Occupy Meeting with Wells Fargo Execs (3-5:30pm)
F05 9:02AM
What's Left for the Left? Building a Blue-Green Coalition
F05 7:57AM
San Diego Queer Democrats Reject Progressive, Endorse Moderate for Congress
F04 1:03PM
How Mike Kelley Helped Me Paint My Way Out of a Prison Cell
F04 12:41PM
Protest: ELA Police Checkpoint
F03 11:03AM
Cornel West lectures on social justice; PD harasses occupier for flyering
F01 10:12PM
WHY OCCUPY art exhibit
F01 1:16AM
Trans Pacific Free Trade Agreement Action Wed!
J31 5:35PM
Even Local Businesses Support Efforts to Save LAUSD Adult Education
J30 1:46AM
F29 SHUTDOWN THE CORPORATIONS CALL TO ACTION: Occupy Walmart!
J28 11:55PM
Retenes este fin de semana / Weekend checkpoints (26-28/jan/2012)
J26 4:05AM
Occupy Redlands Protests Citizens United Decision
J26 2:06AM
BREAKING: Five Arrested at Protest Outside HLS Office.
J24 2:45PM
RAISETHEFIST.COM MARKS 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF FBI RAID
J24 6:39AM
UCR Occupied in Defense of Education
J23 12:11AM
Homeless persons have no value to the authorities
J19 10:15PM
BREAKING: Students at UCR force regents to adjourn
J19 10:39AM
On MLK Day, Dedicate Ourselves for the Final Struggle for Justice and Equality
J16 8:11AM
L.A. PORT POLICE & L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF CONSPIRE IN KIDNAPPING OF CARPENTER
J12 5:49PM
More Local News...
Other/Breaking News
To Get The 1% To Beg Us For Mercy.
F12 6:06AM
BTL: Sierra Club Secretly Took $26 million from Natural Gas Industry for Campaign Against
F12 5:50AM
Iran's Historic Anniversary
F12 1:05AM
Khader Adnan's Heroic Struggle for Justice
F12 12:40AM
Turkish daily: Turkey’s plan to finish off Assad
F11 4:06PM
In new window Print all Turkish daily: Turkey’s plan to finish off Assad
F11 3:55PM
Trump Cards, Fig Leafs and Ludicrous Insinuations
F11 9:23AM
NATO's Secret War on Syria
F11 1:20AM
America's Sham Economic Recovery
F11 12:52AM
Palabras para Agustín
F10 6:07PM
Wall Street Excess and Main Street Distress: the Apple Connection
F10 5:11PM
Sheriff Arpaio and Cronies Exposed in Federal Court
F10 2:45PM
RON PAUL SUPPORTS HR 210, FILVETS
F10 2:27PM
Nazi USA's military displays Nazi Germany's SS flag
F10 7:25AM
Duplicitous Mortgage Settlement Deal
F10 12:50AM
Murdering Khadar Adnan
F10 12:31AM
Factory Place Open Studio Sale
F09 6:22PM
The Shortwave Report 02/10 Listen Globally!
F09 5:30PM
Domestic Violence Is NOT a Gender Issue!
F09 4:06PM
La farce électorale
F09 9:13AM
Dominant Economy Pretends Its Breakdown Was Unforeseeable
F09 8:39AM
Petition to Cal Sec of State to list all Peace & Freedom Candidates
F09 8:33AM
Act Up Against ACTA
F09 1:57AM
Gaza: Isolated Under Siege
F09 12:42AM
SECRETARY OF STATE LIST OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES CALLED "UNLAWFUL"
F08 2:03PM
Democrats Defeated Single Payer; Vote P&F & Green
F08 8:25AM
From Protest Camp to General Strike
F08 8:24AM
Prop 8 Struck Down by Federal Court
F08 1:49AM
More Breaking News...
|