PHOENIX, AZ -- A peaceful march for immigrant rights turned violent Saturday after a small number of protesters allegedly threw water bottles and rocks. The march was organized by a coalition of immigrant rights groups and drew several thousand to protest the strict immigration enforcement practices of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
The protest was mostly peaceful as demonstrators marched more than 3 miles from a Phoenix park to the famous "tent city" jail to protest Arpaio who has become an embattled local symbol for both sides of the immigration debate. He is infamous for controversial practices, including immigration "sweeps" in Hispanic neighborhoods, pink handcuffs, old-fashioned striped jail uniforms, pink underwear, and pink flip flops. He is most famous for housing inmates in outdoor tent-based jails.
According to a police spokesperson and witnesses, a handful of protesters, dressed in black, began throwing rocks and water bottles at officers who had been stationed at the jail to keep the peace. A horse-mounted officer attempted to enter the crowd to take the items away from the troublemakers who retaliated by pushing the horse with sticks. As the altercation quickly escalated, other officers used pepper spray to separate the horse and officer from the crowd. Some witnesses also reported that tasers were used to subdue them.
Ruben Gallego, a local candidate running for the legislature, witnessed the incident and said the anarchists were not part of the organization and did not share the agenda of the protest, "They do not represent 99% of the 15,000 people that were there. They tried to take away the message."
Immigration protests in Phoenix have been peaceful in the past, and many demonstrators brought their children and elderly relatives. Gallego and other witnesses reported that children downwind from the incident were affected by the pepper spray.
At least four protesters, including two men and two women, were detained (all yet to be named), but police say only one is expected to be charged with a crime. That protester is likely to be charged with "aggravated assault on a police officer." Chris Newman, one of the organizers says, "We are asking for a full investigation into the incident, both with respect to the conduct of those who are accused of disrupting the march and the actions of the police."
A few nearby protesters shouted for the police to release those who had been detained, but most kept moving forward with the march. Because the incident happened near the back of the mile-long line of marchers, most people in the crowd did not even realize any altercation had taken place.
The protest was headlined by Zack de La Rocha (of Rage Against the Machine) and Linda Ronstadt (pop singer). The protest was organized by Puente, along with a coalition of immigrant rights groups, including the National Day Labor Organizing Network.
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The 95% of us police officers who sincerely strive to "serve and protect" are tarnished by the 5% of us who intentionally "disserve and destroy."
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Familiar with the culture? Not the color of people.....but the culture.
Ever wonder what would happen if the culture from the south overwhelms the U.S.? Hmmmm.......what would that mean for.......hmmmmmmm.........women's rights for example?
They treat women so well in Mexico.
......careful what you wish for.
Not racism.
http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2010/01/15/20100115mcsocases01152010-CR.html
HERE IS WHAT BOTHERS ME. His rate of recidivism is no less or more than any alternative "permissive" prison. In order to be a successful prison system it needs to be one with better results otherwise we just keep wasting money and resources on prisons rather than causes.
I am glad to see that RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is still active!!!
Your TRUTHFUL comment should appear in all the major media. WHY? Because you speak the TRUTH and not with the 'FORKED TONGUE' of anti immigrants. Discussions on immigration should have your TRUTH as the default position. I challenge the fair and balanced FOX NEWS to get a panel discussions on this ass the CIR bill gets to Congress and all the while it lasts.
10. Peace declared
1. Health Care universal
2. Strongly Pro_union
3. Minumum wage $15.00 an hour
4. 6 week vacation for all
5. Recycling mandatory
6. Crack down on borders, no more immigration. Illegal or legal, supports high wages and controls population
7. No more affirmative action
8 Reparations to Blacks descended from slaves and American Indians.
Your right I will go back to my smoking what ever I am smoking
btw
9. No more butting in other people's countries
10. 70% tax on non-working income
11. repeal of "the born in the U.S ccizenship clause
]12. No more military aid to other countries
13.
Democratic Dan Saban 558,176 42.2
2004 election
Republican Joe Arpaio (incumbent) 642,923 56.74 -9.75
Democratic Robert Ayala 347,981 30.71 +4.32
2000 elecxtion
Republican Joe Arpaio (incumbent) 572,063 66.49 n/a
Democratic Robert Ayala 227,055 26.39 n/a
It's called Democracy. The Citizens of his city elect him by overwhelming numbers.
In November 2007 a group called Arizonans for the U.S. Constitution and Recall of Joe Arpaio filed the paperwork to begin an effort to recall Arpaio and County Prosecutor Andrew P. Thomas from office for allegedly disobeying and violating the United States Constitution and abuse of power.[48] Their petition to get a recall question for the two officials onto the next general election ballot failed when the group was unable to collect the more than 200,000 registered voter signatures required.[49] In a survey taken by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication while the petition was in circulation, nearly three out of four respondents opposed the recall, and 65 percent of the respondents held a positive opinion of Arpaio.[50]
[edit] Books
But you're gonna feel like you really have been sold a bill of goods when all the investigations release their findings, considering the things he's done to anyone that speaks out against him, including local elected officials.
Sheriffs aren't supposed to send their deputies out to the homes of government employees in the dead of the night for petty harassment reasons, after all...
I tell you this one thing, if most immigrants favored the GOP, all illegals in this country would be given legal status. It happened once when Reagan was President. The spineless Democrats are too afraid to exploit this potential voting base. I guess they are afraid to upset the middle class. Republicans would not wait to give illegals legal status if they knew they would vote for them. It all comes down to politics at the end of the day.
What are you talking about? This is the MAIN reason why Obama is going to be pushing for amnesty this year - because the vast majority of these potential new voters will vote Dem.
Same thing has been happening in England for the past couple of decades - the Labour Party has been intentionally allowing in more immigrants, knowing that most will vote Labour.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a3e_1256329826
Arpaio's entire career has been laced with scandal, bribery, misappropriation of funds, brutality and oh, yes, supremely arrogant bigotry. In what world is it ok to put any person in a tent in AZ in 118 degree weather? In what universe is it ok to have your officers stop light brown people every day and try to frame them for something that merits profitable jail time or extradition? And what about all the stories of deputies pulling over cars and confiscating them for 'possession of drugs', a charge that is almost impossible to defend against in AZ? And don't even think about getting your stuff back.
Joe sets the law enforcement climate in Arizona no matter what branch. We've heard of nice little two week long meetings in Aspen by our local uniforms, paid for by 'drug money' which they are allowed to keep. Now there's a motivation for clean law enforcement!
There are countless episodes we hear of all the time; I am constantly amazed that with all the charges and fines, Joe is still there - oh, I forgot, all that lovely money for AZ officials.......
Actually living in the Phoenix area, I know a few people you've for a DUI have ended up in "tent city" for a few days. Now granted, they were not comfortable, but they were not injured. Furthermore, they seemed really motivated to not make a return trip.
People work outside in AZ in the summer - the prisoners are in the shade - which is the big trick since humidity here is so low. So what is your objection to the tent city? How do you think people endangering others but driving drunk should be treated?
LOL are you kidding?? You don't die in 118 heat. Our soldiers do it everyday, while actually working, not lazing around under a fan!