Posted on 05/08/2005 9:27:10 AM PDT by suspects
When opponents of the “Real ID” legislation announced a rally for illegal immigrants and their allies in Montgomery County, MD, there was one immigration-related group I was absolutely certain would not show up: The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the people responsible for actually enforcing our immigration laws. Casa de Maryland and others claimed 5,000 people would gather on Saturday to protest the “Real ID” Act working its way through Congress, and many of these people would be illegal immigrants themselves, we were told. If I were looking for immigration criminals, it’s exactly where I would be.
That’s why I’ll never be appointed head of the ICE.
I decided that I should show up anyway. Why shouldn’t one American who thinks we should have the same border controls other nations (including Mexico) have show up and support the concepts of secure borders and national security? I figured somebody ought to make that point, even in a liberal enclave like Montgomery County.
And that’s how it came to pass that I arrived at Richard Montgomery High School on Saturday dressed like this:
I was just trying to make a point. And in case you think I was attempting to impersonate a federal official, it should be noted that a) the INS is no longer in business, having been replaced by the ICE; and b), the letters actually stand for “I Need border Security!” (Unfortunately I didn’t have enough room on the shirt, so I had to leave off the “B”)
The illegals and their allies were gathered to protest tightened ID requirements for driver’s licenses. The shouted “No license, no justice, no peace,” and insisted that the only people who wanted legitimate IDs to be, well, legitimate, were racists and bigots—which they frequently abbreviated to “Republicans.”
Because they have such a bad attitude about IDs in general, it came as quite a surprise when I was barred from the anti-Real ID rally because of insufficient identification.
Around 3:20pm, I approached the gate in my “INS” t-shirt and was promptly stopped by a man presenting himself as a security person. He told me that the public rally—which I learned about from the pages of the Washington Post—was an “invitation-only event.” I showed him my ABC Radio ID and asked again to be admitted. He and several large people, none of whom had displayed any badges or ID, blocked my way and still refused to let me enter. The continued to examine my ABC Radio ID. When I tried to see the one ID on display, the man who appeared to be in charge covered it with his hands.
I kept pressing: “With whom am I speaking? Who are you?” One of the thuggish looking men replied, “Do YOU have any ID.”
“Sure,” I replied, and showed my ABC Radio ID again.
“Other than that?” he asked.
“Are you saying you’re not going to accept my ID? Are you saying you need tighter IDS at this event?
The continued to question my press credentials.
“This is my ID,” I insisted. “This is my media ID. So you’re not going to let me in because I don’t have a good enough ID, is that what you’re saying? An AMERICAN CITIZEN can’t get in here because he doesn’t have the right ID, is that what you’re saying?”
They continued to block my way and refused to show any ID. Two people claimed to be “Montgomery County Public School security officers,” but one again showed no identification. So I announced “This is a public event, I’m working media, I’m going in.” I started walking through the gate.
That’s when they jumped me.
Five or more people started shoving, grabbing and pulling me, moving to block my way as I tried to walk into a public high school venue. Several times someone knocked at the tape recorder I had in my hand, recording this event, and at some point they must have turned it off. I continued to walk forward as best I could, my arms held straight down, working my way between the bodies blocking my path. That’s when they began to seriously grab and shove me. They knocked me entirely away from the gate, pulling and pushing me backwards. Then someone shouted for the police. “Finally,” I thought, “they’ll get these goons off me!”
And that’s when the cops jumped me.
Three from behind—one on each arm and one around the neck and shoulders—and one in front. At least one of the thugs who jumped me started accusing me of assault. Once again, I haven’t pushed, shoved or hit anyone. I was just trying to walk into the gates of a high school sports field for a public rally. OK, so maybe they didn’t like my shirt, but it wasn’t any more offensive than their shouts of “anti-immigrant Republican abuse!” coming from the podium inside.
The cops grabbed my tape recorder, my ABC Radio ID and detained me. Ignoring my questions about why I was being held but the people who illegally prevented me from entering the rally weren’t, the police escorted me back to my car and demanded more ID. Then they kept me there for approximately 15 minutes. They never detained any of the people who jumped me.
By sheer coincidence, columnist and blogger Michelle Malkin happened to be covering the pro-illegal immigration rally too. She and her husband saw what was happening and approached my police guards. She started asking questions and the Montgomery County Police suggested she find somewhere else to be. She did, however, get a photo of me being escorted by the cops.
After several phone calls and conversations, the police official in charge made a very disturbing comment: “Look, we can’t stop you from going in there in that shirt,” he said. “But if you do, I can’t guarantee your safety. And when people in there start jumping on you, I’ve got to send my officers in to get you out and that puts them in danger.”
In other words, he was confident that the people at the rally would kick my a…er, would react with violence. I wasn’t worried about it, but the officer seemed all but certain of it.
So we came to an agreement: I would turn my shirt inside out in deference to the concerns of the police.
I walked in the front gates—right past the entirely unmolested, unidentified group of thugs who jumped me—and down to the poorly attended rally.
That’s when I discovered I was being followed.
Several activists followed me through the crowd, some speaking in Spanish to the people around me. I said nothing. I just went toward the front to hear the speakers. And who is the emcee of the event? Why, it’s the guy who stopped me at the gate to begin with! It’s Juan Carlos Ruiz—he’s just some stooge with Casa de Maryland. He wasn’t a cop or security guard of any kind.
He was ranting away about “No License—No Peace” and how Maryland better not start actually checking to make sure the IDs presented at the motor vehicle offices are real, so I took a good look at the crowd. Very small. Casa de Maryland predicted 5,000 people, but it was closer to 300. I started to take a crowd shot, and that’s when I was jumped AGAIN!
The gang that had been following me circled me with their protest signs to stop me from taking photographs. They called in English and Spanish to the people around us to create a “sign wall” around me. It was hilarious. It was like that TV commercial with the woman who has some credit card and is surrounded by Secret Service. Every time I moved, they moved with me, trying to block the lens of my camera, all the while calling me a “racist,” a “bigot” and a bunch of stuff in Spanish that didn’t sound very nice.
There's much more to tell, and we'll be talking about it on my radio show at 9am Monday on 630 WMAL in Washington, DC. Listen over the web at www.michaelgraham.com
We need to go back to electing sheriffs, and do away with politically appointed/union card carrying cops.
free dixie,sw
self^ for later
Lt. Hack referred dismissively to Graham as a "nut" and a "troublemaker," at one point doubting that Graham was who he said he was. If only the cops had as much skepticism about the identities of all the "undocumented workers" at the rally as they did for a law-abiding citizen.
If you haven't already, go to Michelle Malkin's blog to read her full report.
Incredible?!
No, this is par for the course in Montgomery County, MD.
CW II ping. I used to think CW II would happen after I had shuffled off the planet, now I'm not so sure. It's only going to take so much of this for the shooting to start. Tensions are very high all around. The illegal issue is a powder keg waiting to blow.
According to Michelle Malkin's article, when she asked Lt. Hack of the Police Dept.- the officer-in-charge, why they did not report some of the illegal aliens to Homeland Security officials, he replied "it's not my job" !!! If it isn't his job to protect and serve the citizens of his own town, is it any wonder why we have such a horrendous problem with this? Either Lt. Hack, the cop mentioned,is stupid, an idiot, or was impersonating a real cop!!! No Maryland cop can be that dumb, can they????
Lt. Hack is just a hand-puppet of his masters, the County Council and Executive who have never met an illegal they didn't love. That way they can tax us more and more to pay for their schooling, health care, apartments, etc. I believe in states, such as Maryland, that refuse to handle their illegal problem, Homeland Security funds should be withheld. If Maryland continues to allow illegals to get licenses than road funds should be withheld. It's time to get serious about this.
"Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges!"
Mainstream white bread Euro-American hero.
But thanks for the bump.
But thanks for the bump
Yeah interesting you zip your lip about the gang culture being promoted by(your classification) a euro-american (eminem) and but can't shut your mouth or post pictures, IMO, trying to slime people from Latin America.
In case you have forgotten this, I'll remind you:
U.S. Constitution Article 1 Section 8 Clause 15:
"The Congress shall have Power to provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections
"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,
Yep and your, travis's, deck is filled with 52 of such cards.
Here, we have the Montgomery County Police -- law enforcement -- doing security for a bunch of lawbreakers.
It's one thing to want to risk your life for a cause, it's another to drag someone else into your mess."
What "personal" mess was Graham dragging others into?
Do you mean the "personal" mess that the Sons of Liberty,
James Otis,Ben Franklin,Samuel Adams,George Washington,and others dragged the country into?
Hey, Dane, your illegal friends are gettin outta hand.
Don't you have a Wall Street Journal editorial to write or something?
Don't you have a Wall Street Journal editorial to write or something?
Hey TSR, always nice to hear from the gangsta culta promoting wing of FR.
Now do you have anything to say about eminem, and the promotion by hollywood leftists of the gangster culture?
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