Posted on 03/26/2006 5:54:35 PM PST by EternalVigilance
Blaring car horns, racist slurs and angry fisticuffs punctuated a volatile encounter of protesters and counter-protesters Saturday morning outside Bank Calumet.
"God bless America! Stay out of our business!" yelled members of the locally based Indiana Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement.
"Go home (expletive) Nazi racists!" yelled members of an opposing group of circling counterprotesters.
The federation, a public interest organization advocating what it calls immigration policies with an impact, demonstrated against bank loans for undocumented aliens, echoing six similar previous local protests.
Several members of the Chicago Minuteman Project joined the federation, hoisting protest signs to passing motorists and exchanging verbal jabs with visibly angry counterprotesters.
"We're not racists, we're LEGAL Americans," Minuteman members yelled under American flags whipping in a fierce wind. "Those people are Communists."
The counterprotesters -- some from the Progressive Labor Party of Chicago, others from Purdue University Calumet or there on their own -- chanted in bilingual defiance: "¡Obreros unidos jamas seran vencidos!" or, "Workers united will never be defeated!"
Susana Findley, a Gary native whose parents were born in Mexico, said illegal immigrant workers arrived here for the same reason federation members' ancestors arrived: To find work and a better life.
"But those racist immigrants forget about that," said Findley, nodding toward the federation's camp.
Several counterprotesters arrived earlier than the scheduled 10 a.m. federation protest, setting up shop at the corner of Calumet Avenue and Ridge Road.
When 63-year-old Chicago Minuteman member Rick Biesada arrived and pulled out his protest sign, he claimed that two counterprotesters yanked it from him. When he yanked it back, the men assaulted him, knocking him to the ground, he said.
The Lindenhurst, Ill., resident was treated by paramedics at the scene for a gash over his eye and dizziness, spending a few minutes inside an ambulance before returning to the protest.
"I wished he fell to the ground harder," Findley said.
Munster police Sgt. Nick Hudak, one of several officers showing up to stand between the opposing groups, said no arrests were made and no other injuries occurred.
Protesters on both sides said the escalating debate over U.S. House Bill 4437, the so-called Border Security bill, may have inflamed the controversy of offering bank loans to illegal aliens.
The bill, which would strengthen enforcement of existing immigration laws and enhance border security, has already passed the House and could be voted on by the Senate as early as this week.
Federation co-founder and Valparaiso resident Cheree Calabro, while passing out fliers to motorists, said similar demonstrations at Bank Calumet had no such problems with counterprotesters.
"I think they're feeling more emboldened with all the national protests (supporting illegal immigration)," said Calabro, whose group is the Indiana chapter of the national Minuteman Project.
"so you think there are 60 votes for cloture on 4437? I doubt there are 50 votes for passage."
Keep dreaming. Frist wants to run in '08, and he's been pushing for reform too. He'd rather have his name on the bill, but he'll back 4437 because he knows that's his only ticket through the primaries.
how does that deliver 60 votes????
In other words, our guys are going to jail?
/bitter sarcasm
The illegals don't mind breaking laws. A certain percentage of them will vote illegally probably. I'll include this in my letters tomorrow. Bob Dornan will be a good example.
Right now, they don't have the numbers to beat us. The hispanic population is a small percentage of the US population but growing. Another reason all this crap needs to be stopped right now.
they can pass it but there arent 60 votes for cloture
The reform we need is to kick the illegals out and make them enter the country legally under a quota system, not a free-for-all like there is now.
I'm glad to hear someone is taking a stand. Thanks for the info.
Great post!
yeah
I would say the political chant of "better of two evils" thing is dead.
No one is buying it.
When the Senate Majority leader calls formation, the troops get in line.
Yes, my post was sarcastic.
You can't depend on the proper authorities for anything except to screw things up, or to look the other way when they should be doing something.
Great post from the MM hall of fame! :-)
Uh CJ there, where is he going to come up with the 5 extra votes for cloture? Twitch his nose? Plus not all 55 Pubbies will be on board, due to RINO's like mccain.
this majority leader has probaby been one of the worst Ive ever seen....he would need 5 DEM votes for cloture and that assumes that all 55 GOP would be with him, which they arent
Yeah just like with ANWR(/sarc)
No, she won't.
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