Sunday, April 2, 2006

COSTA MESA DEMONSTRATION ATTRACTS 1,500 PEOPLE

DEFENDING IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

Minutemen flee from Orange County as opponents stage

huge rally on their home turf

By DUANE J. ROBERTS

duaneroberts92804@yahoo.com

COSTA MESA, CA -- Upwards of 1,500 people attended

yesterday's demonstration at Costa Mesa City Hall to

rally against legislation that would criminalize

undocumented workers and oppose Mayor Allan Mansoor's

proposal to allow the city police department to

enforce federal immigration law

The demonstration, called by the Citizens for

Constitutional Rights, brought together numerous

groups, including the International Socialist

Organization, SEIU Local 1877, Mexica Movement, Green

Party, Hermandad Mexicana, ANSWER LA, Korean Resource

Center, South Asian Network, LULAC, and International

Workers of the World.

The Collectivo Tonantzin, a local grassroots

organization participating in this action, marched to

City Hall through the streets of Costa Mesa with about

350 working class Mexican residents, children,

students from high schools and colleges, and community

activists.

Across the street, a small handful of national

chauvinists, racists, fascists, and staunch supporters

of the Minuteman Project, who numbered no more than 35

people at their peak, stood along the public sidewalk

waving American flags and holding signs.

The Costa Mesa police acted cool, calm, and

professional throughout the whole demonstration, with

Chief John Hensley on the scene supervising the

movements of his officers. There were no reported

arrests or incidents of brutality.

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