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Dr. Forrest Hill First Green To Run
For Secretary of State in 2006
Nader campaign strategist announces he will run for the
office of Secretary of State
By: Cres Vellucci
SACRAMENTO - A massive protest in opposition to the vigilante groups harassing Latinos at the border was held at the State Capitol Oct. 29, with Greens and allies among those saying no to "The Minutemen Project."
An estimated 700 people arrived by bus and carpool from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and the Central Valley to participate in the demonstration, including former Green Party gubernatorial candidate Peter Camejo and Nativo Lopez, president of the Mexican American Political Association.
Just on the other side of the Capitol Building from the Immigrant Rights Rally was a gathering by a pro-vigilante group of about 100 circulating a ballot measure for the June 2006 ballot.
Lopez, who boldly declared that Democrats had done "nothing" to help Latinos and then re-registered Green nearly two years ago, spoke to the crowd at an Immigrants Rights Rally along with Camejo. The Greens and MAPA have formed a close alliance and Sacramento MAPA/Green Party of Sacramento were among the organizers of the rights rally.
 | | Racial Prejudice: Carlos Murillo is shoved into a police van despite injuries suffered when the police jumped him for allegedly violating a simple traffic law during a march against the Minutemen. He suffered cuts and bruises and already had a broken hand. He was taken
to the hospital later. |
Camejo - who was interviewed by Associated Press and other media outlets (the story was covered nationwide) - said the other side's effort to seal off the borders is wrong. "The American people need to know that only a tiny number of people are entering illegally," he said. "And these people are desperately needed by our economy. The Minutemen are saying that these people are criminal, but what they are refugees of poverty," said Camejo.
Another demonstrator, Tomas Alejo, 30, of Watsonville, said: "Our people should be treated with dignity and respect," he said. "We don't believe that people should be dogged if they are from one side of the border or the other. We denounce what the Minutemen are all about."
Three people were arrested - and at least two were roughed by police and treated for injuries - at the protest. Green Party volunteers provided legal assistance, and coordinated media relations for the rally.
Among those attending the protest against the vigilantes other than the Green Party and MAPA were representatives from Bay Area Coalition to Fight the Minutemen, Deport the Migra Coalition,
Zapatista Solidarity Coalition, Brown Syndicate and other statewide organizations.
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