A warm unwelcome

And what was all the commotion about?

Jim Gilchrist, founder of the highly controversial anti-illegal immigration group, the Minuteman Project, was about to make a book-signing appearance at the store. The Minutemen, considered by many to be vigilantes, have made headlines by organizing civilian patrols of the U.S.-Mexico border. Gilchrist’s new book, co-authored by Jerome Corsi, Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America’s Borders, is a first-hand account of the authors’ views on what they consider America’s lax immigration policies.

And while there were a handful of fans and readers inside waiting for their signed copy of the book, the crowd outside easily outnumbered them.

With police standing by in case anything got out of hand, John Osmond of the May Day Coalition for Students and Workers Justice explained that his organization had been keeping its eye on the Minutemen’s actions. “They are anti-immigrant … But really, what is going on is an assault on Latinos,” he explained. “They aren’t worried about undocumented workers from Canada, only immigrants from Mexico … It is something we need to speak out against.”

On the cover of Gilchrist’s controversial book a man is pictured, ostensibly a Minuteman, scanning the horizon with a pair of binoculars. An American flag waves in the background. The image itself worries Osmond, as it shows a Minuteman in the midst of a patrol. Osmond expressed concern about the Minutemen’s civilian patrols of the border. “They say they’re not endangering anyone. I don’t buy it,” he said, citing their lack of training.

Despite the heated rhetoric, the book signing and protest concluded without altercation. Osmond felt the demonstration was a success and was encouraged by what he felt was an “energetic turnout.”