A tiny portion of Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist's claimed 240 million followers made a surprise showing this Saturday at a Costa Mesa community forum on constitutional rights and immigration law.
They were welcomed by Coyotl Tezcalipoca of the Colectivo Tonantzin, which sponsored the event primarily with Costa Mesa's local immigrant population (which has been the target of hate and harassment from the city's Minuteman Junta) in mind, but was happy to discover what it hopes is a new-found interest by the border vigilantes in civilized behavior and basic human rights.
The group's appearance was in stark contrast to its behavior the previous night when it stormed El Chanco, a popular local Mexican eatery offering $1.00 "minutemen" tacos, and reportedly harassed customers as well as innocent and clueless bystanders working at an adjacent Pizza joint.
The previous week, Gilchrist and another tiny portion of his claimed 240 million followers (the rest of whom may have been busy, stealthily patroling the US/Mexican border), had stormed the same restaurant, directly after appearing at nearby City Council member Gary Monahan's beer bar (and perhaps filling up on too much Guiness), where immigrant rights advocates were protesting his recent votes to shut down a day labor center and use police to, ostensibly, enforce immigration law.
On that occasion, a reporter for the Southern Poverty Law Center became so concerned about Gilchrist's well known erradic behavior (as he allegedly shouted crazily while stalking back and forth in front of the restaurant) that she was afraid to exit. On both occasions police had to be called to keep the peace, according to witnesses.
The Minuteman protesters mistakenly claimed that El Chanaco's owner, Mirna Burciaga, is "pro-criminal" and a "supporter of racial supremacy groups," including "La Voz de Aztlan." But Gilchrist also accused her of masterminding ongoing weekly protests outside of Monahan's beer joint and implied that she wants to create a city haven for "drug dealers, murderers, child molesters, robbers, and rapists," which Minuteman rhetoric often assumes all Mexican and Central American immigrants to be.
But, although Buriciaga is opposed to using police as agents of La Migra, she is has also recently opposed a planned boycott of Costa Mesa businesses and has had no contact with members of the Colectivo regarding the protests they organized.
And, although this writer did not ask, it also seems implausible that Burciaga or anyone else wants to be surrounded by rapists, murderers and such, especially when the Minuteman vigilantes who have taken over the city's agenda are already bad enough.
Gilchrist's well known erratic behavior at public events, including verbose assaults, grandiose statements and inability to control his emotions (well documented at
http://ocorganizer.com/html/j__gilchrist.html and
http://ocorganizer.com/html/jim_gilchrist_minuteman_.html) was at first cause for concern by forum organizers, including this writer, who feared for the safety of children who would be in attendance.
It was decided, however, that it was in the public's interest to have the pretend border patrol agents and defenders against "terrorism" and their bumbling leader, a bigot's version of Barney Fife, safely contained inside a building rather than out on the streets where they might do real harm to themselves and others.
Gilchrist and followers arrived in Minuteman regalia, including shirts depicting fake law enforcement badges proudly displayed on their chests, as well as the requisite video cameras, but minus the mag flashlight (picked up at May 25 Garden Grove demonstration???) that has become Gilchrist's most recent trademark and which he likes to shine in the eyes of suspected "terrorists."
The Gilchrist was not only well behaved during the class (despite some grade school whispering back and forth), but several of them, including Gilchrist, even participated by asking questions of their ACLU instructor at the appropriate time.
After it was over, Gilchrist and his small group of followers left peacefullly, with important new knowledge that they can now distribute to the 239,000,990 other Minuteman followers who couldn't make the meeting.
