At a recent Tucson City Council meeting, the young woman at the center of the Tucson Unified School Board takeover in 2011, promised “more and more violence” in response to Arizona’s immigration laws.
Lelani Clark’s appearance before the Tucson City Council surprised no one. The young lady, a protégé of radical Raza activist and public defender Isabel Garcia, has become the poster child for groups such as Derechos Humanos and MeCha. She came before the Council to address the events of October 8.
“What happened on October 8 is a direct display of the violence we see, when you have this cooperation between local law enforcement and military,” said Clarke, reiterating the same specious claim that the southern border is militarized forwarded by progressive Congressman Raul Grijalva.
Clarke told the Council that she was on hand the night of October 8 when immigration reform supporters surrounded Tucson Police and Border Patrol after the police had stopped a driver who was in the country illegally. Officers had called the Border Patrol to do an immigration check. More than 100 people surrounded the police and Border Patrol agents who, according to police, put “officers, arrestees, and citizens at risk.” The police responded with pepper spray.
Eventually the crowd dispersed, and Border Patrol was able to leave with the two people in custody.
According to KGUN News, Tucson Police Chief Viilasenor said the use of pepper spray was the best way to disperse a crowd that was getting more emotional and violent. Villasenor told a KGUN reporter that he reviewed the video of the incident and “this was anything but a peaceful protest.”
According to many sources, the crowd was part of a well organized effort to disrupt the arrest of illegal immigrant and provoke law enforcement.
Clarke told the Council that because of the “collaboration” between local law enforcement and ICE on the night of October 8 “more and more violence” will occur. “Because our community, it will not stop the resistance against oppressive laws like SB1070.”
Clarke was referring to Arizona’s law which requires police officers to check the immigration status of people, who are stopped for another infraction of law, if police suspect that they are in the country illegally.
Across the country, as Congress debates immigration reform those who support President Obama’s amnesty push, are pushing the limits of civil discourse and the boundaries of peaceful protest.
Little more than a week after the night of October 8, many in the same group were involved in what was clearly not a peaceful protest. The group blocked the route of two Operation Streamline busses and chained themselves to the wheels preventing the alleged illegal immigrants on board to get to the federal courthouse. Operation Streamline is part of the due process afforded to those who are allegedly illegally present in the country.
The increasing incidents of a non-peaceful protests and Clark’s threat has only served to weaken support for the current immigration reform proposals.
Video courtesy Keith van Heyningen