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Border Patrol Attacks Demonstrators as No Borders Camp Closes
Calexico, CA – November 11, 2007 – Border Patrol officers attacked Sunday evening participants in the closing rally of a week-long bi-national camp protesting borders in Calexico/Mexicali. The rally took place on both sides of the fence just east of the pedestrian border crossing. Nearly 100 Border Patrol agents used pepper gas pellets, tazers, and batons to assault demonstrators on the U.S side.
As people attempted to disperse, Border Patrol agents chased and detained them in groups, forcing them to their knees with their hands on their heads. In one case, a person already badly injured by pepper pellets shot at close range, was pursued and pulled away from a companion treating his wounds. “They were shouting at us to move so I was walking away when I tripped. They grabbed me and tackled me and held me down. A few minutes later, I saw more than a dozen of them beating on another guy with batons and jabbing tasers into him.” says Geoff Boyce.
The Border Patrol made three arrests: Steve Murphy, Erik Wackernagel and one other person. All three have been charged with impeding a federal officer and are scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge Tuesday morning. The detainees maintain that they partook in a peaceful protest and were shocked by the Border Patrol's brutal attack. All others who were temporarily detained on the street have now been released.
More than 500 people participated in the No Borders Camp during the week of November 7-11. The bi-national camp was a networking forum for activists opposed to the militarization of the border. Actions during the camp included a rally and march on November 9 at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in El Centro, CA and a memorial service on November 10 at a cemetery in Holtville, CA where the remains of some of the more than 4000 migrants who have died crossing the border are buried. All activities during the camp were peaceful and intended to build connections across borders. Sunday's march and rally was the culmination of the No Borders Camp.
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Comments
NOT A PEACEFUL PROTEST
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, HIDDEN VIOLENCE
lie
First off, border patrol agents do not carry tasers so that you must of dreamt up. Second I read on the web site that a man was beat with batons in the head several times. Had that truely happened he would be dead or serverly mentaly damaged. I notice you don't mention the civilian properity you damaged, the gov't property that you damaged and the assualt on federal officers that happend before the big outburst by border patrol agents. And how come on your own videos it doesn't show all this brutallity. I saw ONE man get hit with a baton Once!!!That does not count as several times...unless this is seen by the same person as the one who saw the invisable tasers.....
BORDER PATROL ATTACK
I personally do not comprehend why the BORDER PATROL who had I am sure been there the entire time of a peaceful protest would at the last moment attck.....more than likely to just grab headlines for ICE as it is now called. I do not believe in these new measures taking place, after all did EVERYONE forget how this country was created? An more importantly whom was here first?
FOR THE MOST PART, THE SOUTHWEST WAS OWNED BY MEXICAN PEOPLE, but the UNITED STATES decided they wanted to expand, and took what was not theirs to take by deceit and conquer, yes conquer, the U.S. MILITARY CROSSED INTO MEXICO invading them and taking, terrorizing even way back then what was unjust & wrong.
I personally know how BORDER PATROL can be to an immigrant, and did the FEDS AND/OR COUNTY FORGET that these detained people have the right to legal counsel, visitation, medical attention, bail and or bond if available in that state? their own religious beliefs and a diet that they are accustomed to ie being vegan....I can tell you that in county they will not abide by these rules, oh how they love bologne sandwiches at all hours of the day or night, processed horrible food....and the rest of the dietary menu is no better....
Additionally having two people that are NATIVE BORN UNITED STATES CITIZENS AND ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAS HIS LEGAL STATUS held over his head with the possibility of deportation is horrible!!! Oh did I forget to mention he is a legal resident "alien" (I REALLY HATE THAT WORD TOO)
In this country, at least the one I grew up in we were taught to believe that we have certain rights, right to gather, right to free speech etc....and specifically the right to feel safe on the street ESPECIALLY FROM OUR OWN GOVERNMENT THIS IS NOT A DICTATORSHIP BUT RATHER A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY WE LIVE IN, WHY DID WE BOTHER HAVING A CONSTITUTION ALONG WITH A BILL OF RIGHTS IF TODAY THEY ARE GOING TO BE IGNORED?
I believe and have a dream that one day we will HAVE NO BORDERS BETWEEN MEXICO AND THE U.S.,
May that day come soon....there over 3.9 million Hispanic people alone not to mention how many of other countries there are here in the United States alone, and there are more each day....
In the words of Martin Luther King....'I have a Dream...." I too have that dream & it will come to pass one day.... Peace Out
Act human not like criminals
First I want to state that I live in Calexico, where all this took place. Second, I am Mexican.
I want to state that I witnessed many of the activities that took place in my town during that week. I am involved in my community as a concerned citizen. I want the no borders camp to address these issues with honest replys. Here are my obervations.
The camp site that was held on Anza and Barbara Worth had two man made linear walls surrounding it. My understanding is that these were put up by the protesters. Why build a wall made of bicycles and dead brush around your own camp if you are there opposing such walls in the first place? I felt it was a little hypocritical.
The graffitti that was put up in this area is absolutely amazing. I'll give you some examples: Fuck the migra, No Fucking Terrorist, Fuck America, Fuck the Wall, no Borders, Fuck NAFTA, Las migra are ASSHOLES, etc...... The graffitti spans for about 1/4 mile west and are in bold letters. Here is my concern, thousands of families with small children travel that road everyday. How can you write such vulgar remarks for children to read and have children exposed to the meaning of such words? These remarks under mind authority in their young lives. This style of protest in my opinion is deplorable and unnecessary. If the protesters use such vocabulary and care to display it to the world to see using graffitti, imagine the vocabulary they used with law officals and individuals who disagree with them in their beliefs?
My other concern is with all the paper waste, empty soda and beer cans, etc. that were left behind. My city tax dollar has to pay for such harm to my local environment because of outside influence. By the way, on the east side of the fence is still considered U.S. soil so all the abandoned tents and trash left by you and your southside counterparts has to be cleaned up by my city tax dollar.
I witnessed the take down of the young men on 11/11/2007. I saw the man who looked like he hadn't taken a shower in a week beating drum bump into the federal officer. the officer was within his right to protect himself from being assaulted. In my opinion, the guy with the drum go what he deserved, which was to be taken into custody for crossing the line by pushing the officer. A peaceful protest never includes touching an officer because we all know they are there to protect other citizens not involved in these activities.
Here is what I don't understand. I have yet to see any comments on what was happening during the arrest of the 3 men. I saw rocks, bottles with a yellow substance, glass bottles with soda, and spit being tossed from the Mexican side north towards the Border Patrol Agents around the fence area. What you expect from the Border Patrol, who were at the same time being harrassed and being bumped into by protesters on the American side?. i want you to remember these Border Patrl Agents are fathers, husbands and sons of American families. Do you seriously believe that they are going to stand there and not do anything? They are trained to control a crowd, and they did it accordingly. Sure some individuals got hit with a pepperball/paint ball, but hey, its better than the real bullets that are used by third world countries on assaultive protesters. That red mark disappears in a couple of days, unlike a real life bullet hole.
My overall opinion is that these protesters were unorganized and apparently did not have any concern about the negative effects on the local citizens and had a disregard to public and government property. I agree with freedom of speech and the like, but to destroy my property as a tax payer is unneccessary. i don't agree with the no borders camp editing out the fact that deadly items were being thrown at these law officials from the south side and being physiclly assaulted by 3 men on the north side. I did not enjoy seeing such events take place in my community, therefore, i wish that the no borders camp organization never return to my town, because of the waste of my tax dollar and for the vulgarity written on the fence for the innocent to see.
As for Ruiz, the legal permanent alien, well, it he gets convicted for felony assault, then he must return to his native country to express his displeasure with the American judicial system. My advice to him is to not bump into a law official in Mexico during a protest because he would definetly get more of an ass beating than he did here in my town and more than likely a real bullet hole through his silly little drum and his anarchist body.
Hasta Luego
no you see...
no borders only applies to break down boundaries between PEOPLE. see definintion of la migra: not human beings in the slightest.
no you see...
no borders only applies to break down boundaries between PEOPLE. see definintion of la migra: not human beings in the slightest.
No, you see, I am a first
No, you see, I am a first generation United States citizen; my family immigrated to the United States Of America in the 1960s. My family worked hard to become good citizens of this great country. They learned the language, obeyed the laws, worked long hours and eventually becam naturalized United States Citizens. I don't see that same committment in a majority of the illegal aliens that are flocking to the United States today.
Recently we have seen marches and protests throughout the United States where the people are waving Mexican flags. If these people are so proud of that country then why do millions of them risk their lives to come here? Why do they protest our government and not theirs? I have spoken with literally thousands of illegal aliens in the past few years and their responses are very consistent. I ask them why they are coming to this country and the response is always for work/money. Many of them state that they love their country but can't earn a living there due to taxation and low wages. I always ask them what they are doing to try to make their country better. The answer is always the same. NOTHING! Don't you think that the answer to the problems in Mexico or El Salvador or China must be resolved in those countries. If litteraly millions of them are unhappy with their finacial and social situations why don't they start a revolution in their country? I'll tell you why. Because illegally immigrating to the United States of America is the easy way out. These people know that even though they are unskilled, uneduacated and have no loyalty, the government of the United States of America will still honor thier civil rights. We will still take care of them when they are sick or injured, we will feed them when they are hungry, we will allow them to commit violent crimes and rape our economy and give them the same legal rights as United States Citizens.
You think our government is oppressive? Look at the corruption and injustices in Mexico. Is it not normal for the police and government agencies in Mexico to be hoplessly corrupt? When illegal immigrants get robbed, raped, murdered and abused on the border in Mexico who do you think they run to. I'll tell you who. The United States Border Patrol. When the greedy, theiving human traffickers (these smugglers are almost entirely fellow citizens of Mexico) abandon them in the desert or rape their wives, or beat and rob them who comes to the rescue? The United States Border Patrol. Ask any illegal alien who he has more repect for: any Mexican law enforcement agency or the United States Border Patrol. I bet you know the answer.
Do you have the courage to risk risk your life to save anothers? I bet you never have. These people arrest thousands of drug smugglers, rapists, child molesters and violent criminals every year. What do you do to make our world a better place? If you think anarchy is so great then go to Somalia, you wouldn't last for five minutes.
I am the F**KIN MIGRA that has been insulted and assualted by your No Borders group. These poor kids haven't a clue of what really happens on the border every day. Do you? Do you live in a border town? Raise your kids their? Work their? No, huh? Then why do you all think you are experts on this subject?
I know hundreds of Border Patrol Agents and guess what? I don't know a single agent that has ever killed and illegal immigrant. However, just about every agent I know has risked his or her own life to save the life of an illegal immigrant. Does this sound like the behavior of of Nazi racist faciast pigs? The United States Border Patrol is most likley the most diverse law enforcement agency in the world. Just look at the video. Look at the faces and names of the agents.
These No Borders people were way out of line with their insults and threats. But to physically assault federal agents that risk their own lives on a daily basis to protect our country? I am just glad that no one was seriously injured or killed. Whoever is brainwashing these poor kids should be held responsible for their actions. They should be ashamed of themselves for taking advantage of these kids to make themselves feel more important.
Many of these No Borders people talk and act like they are experts on the border situation and on illegal immigration. I talked to these people. I know for sure that a majority of those people were not immigrants to this country, did not live in border towns and have no right to make judgements on something that they know absolutely nothing about.
Where were all the local people from the Calexico/Imperial Valley/Mexicali area? Did anyone bother to ask them how they felt about these issues? You can't make this into a race issue either, becuase most of the people in this area are of hispanic descent. And guess what? They support and respect the United States Border Patrol.
You just came down to Calexico to cause trouble so you could see yourselves on the news. How juvenile is that. It is obvious that you people don't belive in any cause, you just want attention because your mommy and daddy didn't love you enough. Go see a psychiatrist or buy a puppy if you want attention. You are the Nazis! You are the ones that are risking peoples lives for your own personal gain...