Riot at Vieques navy base

New York Daily News ^ | 5/02/03 | NEWS WIRE SERVICES

[kattracks]

VIEQUES, Puerto Rico - Hundreds of protesters broke through a fence at the Vieques bombing range, destroying Navy vehicles and burning the American flag as they marked the end to nearly 60 years of U.S. bombing exercises.

The militants stole Navy vehicles and smashed the lights and windows with sledgehammers. They turned over a Humvee towing a boat and set them ablaze, and burned two American flags.

"Get out, Navy!" they shouted.

Vieques Mayor Damaso Serrano blasted the vandalism and pointed out that the damaged vehicles had been donated to the municipality by the Navy.

The vandalism by masked youths marred the beginning of a celebration that included fireworks and was to last through the weekend.

On Wednesday, the Navy handed its more than 15,000 acres of land on eastern Vieques to the Department of the Interior, which will help transform the range into a wildlife refuge. The eastern third of the land will be administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, creating the largest federal wildlife refuge in Puerto Rico.

However, some activists now want that land turned over to Puerto Rican authorities and say the bombing has fouled the environment, stunted an economy limited to fishing and tourism and damaged the health of the 9,300 islanders.

The Navy denies that its practices have been harmful.

Originally published on May 2, 2003

[KC_Conspirator]

Savages.

[BigLittle]

This event seems to have Castro's fingerprints on it

Close - Rev. Al Sharpton

[RWG]

Vieques Mayor Damaso Serrano blasted the vandalism and pointed out that the damaged vehicles had been donated to the municipality by the Navy...these animals must have studied at the same zoo that the rioters in south central LA attended.

[oscharbob]

It appears the Puerto Ricans at this rally are just as bad as the mobs of Iraqis in Iraq!

What a shame that they were destroying their own property!
Typical of the ignorant Puert Ricans..all are not ignorant!

oscharbob@top.monad.net

[Ronin]

Cut Peurto Rico loose. Grant them full independence now. Let them mismanage that pest-hole without any more Yankee green from Washington. See how long they like it.

[4Freedom]

This has the fingerprints of one of these terrorist organizations on it:

1) The Armed Forces of National Liberation or FALN

2) The Armed Forces of Popular Resistance

3) The Boricua Popular Army also known as the Macheteros

4) The Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution

What makes me angriest is that no arrests were made, again.

This administration doesn't have to admit that they gave in to terrorists when they ordered the Navy off of Vieques, if no terrorists are ever arrested.

The terrorists on Puerto Rico can fire bomb the Navy all they want and not worry about the consequences. They're getting a free pass.

The Navy caught 4 terrorists throwing molotov cocktails at one of their convoys 8/10/2001 and turned them over to local authorities. The media labeled the terrorists "protesters" and the courts let them go for no probable cause.

As long as terrorists are wearing ski masks and only throwing fire bombs at the U.S. Navy or at 'Gringoes', they get a 'free pass' in Puerto Rico.

4 Protesters held for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at Navy on Vieques

I guess we only get tough with terrorists that don't have a significant voting constituency stateside.

Hey, we wouldn't want to lose the Puerto Rican vote!

LOL!

[q_an_a]

Great point. It is time for America to give people their Freedom everywhere in the world. If we require PR to get visas and to trade with US in the same way as other island countries, they will see how much they have been given by you and I. Lets help them out by leaving them out of our constitution.

[AppyPappy]

Vieques Mayor Damaso Serrano blasted the vandalism and pointed out that the damaged vehicles had been donated to the municipality by the Navy.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! Morons.

[Paradox]

Contrast this with the MANY Puerto Rican Americans who fought bravely for our country in Iraqi Freedom.

Wait till they get home and find the punks who did this...

[piasa]

Well, let's see... Clinton was in Haiti and the Dominican Republic recently... did he by any chance have a stopover in Puerto Rico?

[Poohbah]

Interesting perspective.

If President Hillary Clinton doesn't like your politics, would you be comfortable with her administration revoking your citizenship and ejecting you from this country?

[4Freedom]

Yeah right, most of the Puerto Rican Americans in the U.S. military were born stateside and most have probably never set foot on Puerto Rico.

The few thousand Puerto Ricans, actually born in Puerto Rico, that are serving in the U.S. military have been ignoring the terrorist fire bombers on the island of Vieques for years right along with Puerto Rican athorities.

No arrests were made again last night.

If someone makes the mistake of actually arresting a terrorist in Puerto Rico, the PR courts just let them go for 'no probable cause'.

[4Freedom]

Puerto Ricans born on the island of Puerto Rico are STATUTORY U.S. citizens.

Their citizenship was awarded to them by an act of the U.S. Congress (God only knows why) and there is a way it can be removed by a similar act, if Puerto Rico is given its independence.

You need to do a little 'due diligence' on this subject before you start lecturing, Poohbah.

[cgbg]

Cut Peurto Rico loose. Grant them full independence now. Let them mismanage that pest-hole without any more Yankee green from Washington. See how long they like it

Your policy prescription is a good one. It needs one more item on the list. After we cut them loose prohibit any immigration from the island into the United States.

That one change would save future generations billions of dollars in social services, police salaries, and have a major positive effect on public education.

[Poohbah]

Puerto Ricans born on the island of Puerto Rico are STATUTORY U.S. citizens.

Legally, so are you. U.S. Code Title 8, Chapter 12, Subchapter III, Part I, Sec. 1401(a) refers.

Their citizenship was awarded to them by an act of the U.S. Congress (God only knows why) and there is a way it can be removed by a similar act, if Puerto Rico is given its independence.

They would have to choose between the options of (a) becoming citizens of the nation of Puerto Rico, (b) remaining in Puerto Rico as resident aliens, or (c) emigrating to the United States. However, their citizenship cannot be removed against their will--unless you accept the idea that ANY person's citizenship may be revoked in such fashion.

You need to do a little 'due diligence' on this subject before you start lecturing, Poohbah.

Actually, you do. Your citizenship is, to use your word, "statutory," and you've just said that if the President and Congress don't like you for any reason, they may remove that citizenship at their discretion.

[G.Mason]

"Vieques Mayor Damaso Serrano blasted the vandalism and pointed out that the damaged vehicles had been donated to the municipality by the Navy."

You just gotta love those "island peoples".

Laying around in the sun, playing those steel drums, drinking rum, listening to pirated cd's of Bob Marley, and weaving hats out of palm leaves.

That's the life!

[4Freedom]

Poohbah, the residents of Puerto Rico, born in the unincorporated territory of Puerto Rico, have a different citizenship than the residents of an actual state that were born, in an actual state, to American citizens or legal residents of those states.

The residents of Puerto Rico can be forced to choose.

I cannot be similarly forced to make such a choice.