We don’t have to go to Pakistan to see citizens beaten by law enforcement authorities. You just had to be in Calexico last Sunday.
On Sunday, November 11th, a small crowd of demonstrators converged on a section of the US – Mexico border fence in downtown Calexico. There was approximately 30 chanting marchers, some dancing, one playing a drum, some wearing kerchiefs over their faces, as they protested the border. All were peaceful.
Suddenly, the protesters were confronted by several dozen Border Patrol agents, who began moving them away from the fence. As the drummer, Juan Ruiz, was confronted by agents, he continued his drumming. Suddenly Border Patrol agents grabbed him and threw him to the gound. The other agents then rushed the crowd, threatening and yelling “Get back! Get back!” One woman agent began firing her pepper gun indiscriminately, sending rubber bullets into the crowd. Two other protesters were arrested, and swung to the ground and handcuffed. These two were Steve Murphy and Erik Wackernage. All three were to be arraigned in El Centro today, November 13th.
Several protesters were beaten or injured by the bullets. One protester was smacked into a wall, injuring his forehead. Another was shot with rubber bullets just because he was swearing at the agents. More protesters were on the Mexicali side at the same moment.
The demonstrators were from a group called “No Borders” and had been staging a series of protests over the weekend. They want “a world without borders, where no one is illegal.” On Friday, November 9th, there had been a rally and march against the Border Patrol in ICE in El Centro, where one of the largest Federally detention centers in the country is run.
Check out the video. It’s not a pretty picture.
Police Brutality at No Border Camp
Video shared by NoBordersCamp.org
Also see the powerful pictures taken by Bob Davis at his Flickr site.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
wow!
hear the drumming.
peace, peter
Does the Border Patrol — La Migra — often beat people during the day? This could be the first time. And what about that Chicana with the gun! Good thing she was in uniform!