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.
what is wrong with intermarriage between american and mexicans it would speed up assimilation...somethins i think the objection to illegals isnt jus that they are illegal, but that they are brown.
I prefer Brazilians and Argentinians personally.
that spirit doesnt exist anymore.
you are out of bounds...go back to DU
Hey Troll, go back to DU where you came from.
BUMP to that!
i am not from DU and nothing I am saying is pro-illegal...
what does 'watch your six mean'?
THese are scary times. I fear for this country. I fear we will not have a United States as we know it in just a few years. I see this country being pulled apart. I think the vultures are swooping in. the Mexicans will retake the southwest without a shot being fired.
Sure, you go marry Hillary Fuentes and get back across the river. Bttt
Behind ya...
do you know that Thomas Jefferson suggested intermarriage as a solution to the problems between europeans and natives americans?
Nah, but when are you departing?
You didn't answer me when I asked you how many times you've been banned from FR.
Somehow I knew you were going to throw this back on me with an underlying racist twinge. While skin pigmentation means nothing to me, I'll humor you by saying your "solution" would take generations to accomplish. While the problem has grown 6+ fold in the last 20 yrs.
That was back when this was more of a 55-45 deal and McCain thought he could sneak it in as 'reform'. There are now hundreds of thousands of criminals marching in broad daylight, scoffing the law, and showing their disdain for this country. That doesn't play well even in the blue states that he seems to be courting lately.
Then just go back to the third world crap hole you live or lived in...ours is going down that road fast enough without your help.
there is no solution that wont take less than 20 years....you want an instant solution, there isnt one..mass deportation isnt going to happen and if it did, the Mexican economy would collapse and 50m mexicans would rush the border
actually mexico i believe is the 4th wealthiest nation in the western hempsphere and 2nd wealthiest in latin america
Civil War in Iraq? Folks, we are going to have one right here. I really am quickly losing any sympathy for these people who want to come here for a better life. Our nation is being stolen, and we are watching it in real time. This is as dangerous as the Islamofascists. I have said it jokingly, but perhaps it his more serious than flippant --- Bahhdad was first; Tehran is next; then comes Mexico City.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.