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.
Yes, I notice them. I also notice plenty of American flags have been likewise handed out. The participants have been outfitted and briefed well. I'm sure many will be voting in Nov.
Scary, but true.
Bush picked up the vote in Cameron County, Texas. This is the Brownsville area and highly democrat. Several months prior to the election the Catholic Bishop in Brownsville ran half page ads about abortion. These ads were run in the Harlingen and McAllen newspapers also. Every other democrat candidate won by a landslide in Cameron County. The only reason Bush got the vote was abortion and the Bishop.
Oh,oh, another old "truism" gone down the tubes. It being that "photographs cannot lie".
Well, with some fast editing, the truth can get a good downward shove.
I pray for some sort of resolving of this business. Possibly the task may now be, to try to restrict the numbers of illegals now flooding in. There a deal hyperbole by the illegals supporters. They are claiming that all 11 million are in danger of being sent back, shows what lengths certain people will go to.
The bottom line is control.
Very distrubing picture
You're right about that. I have MANY Hispanic friends and they are all VERY unhappy about the invasion too. They, unlike the illegals, have assimilated into our culture generations ago. They, unlike the illegals are proud to be Americans. Many families have lost the ability to speak Spanish because they refused to let their kids speak it growing up. They insisted that they were Americans and had to speak English.
I agree with you, you and EV. This is troll time. I'll defer to the wisdom of my fellow senior FReepers in initiating the Viking Kitties' hot pursuit of troll georgia2006.
I reread my post and it didn't have anything to do with a work plan. So I don't know what Georgia is talking about. Since I don't hire illegals, I have no idea what the pay is for Algerians or Moroccans.
I replied to him again in a more civil manner. The problem is the left won't differentiate between legal and illegal immigration.
I was under the impression he or she was trolling.
Thanks for being a voice of reason. ;)
Whaaat! I posted a quote and a link to the source. You're not too bright, are you...
Yes georgia2006 is a total moron.
His logic, spelling, punctuation and grammar reflect that he was probably "educated" in a Third World country.
I'll flush twice next time so I can send sustenance to his family in Mex-i-co.
He's starting to miss pe off.
Thats a communist slogan if I ever heard one. I think what pissed em off was when they got called out as communists.
BTTT
BTW, why not return to where you came from? I did, then again I'm a seventh generation American whose forefathers emigrated from Germany and England legally.
Mexico has no military except to put Anglos in jail and run drugs up to the border.
Kudos Doug...uh, except for the last line should have had the sarcasm tag. ; )
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