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Protest Against Sheriff Joe Turns Violent
The AP via YellowBrix
January 18, 2010
PHOENIX, AZ – Thousands of immigrant rights advocates marched in front of a county jail in Phoenix Saturday in a protest that was aimed at Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s immigration efforts and was marked by a clash between a small group of protesters and police officers.
Organizers say the protest was meant to show officials in Washington that Arpaio shouldn’t handle immigration enforcement, and that Congress and the Obama administration need to come up with a way for immigrant workers to come to the country legally.
The three-mile walk that started in a west Phoenix park ended by afternoon at the Durango Jail Complex, a collection of five jails, where officials played music, including a record by singer Linda Ronstadt, to drown out noise made by protesters. Ronstadt took part in Saturday’s protest.
Protesters chanted “Joe must go” as they approached the jail complex. One person carried a sign that said “We are human” and bore a picture of a lawman with a wolf’s face. A family of five wore T-shirts saying “Who would Jesus deport?”
For his part, Arpaio said he wasn’t bothered by the protesters and that they should be directing their frustrations at Congress because it has the power to change America’s immigration laws.
“They are zeroing in on the wrong guy,” Arpaio said. “They ought to be zeroing in on the president.”
The demonstration was peaceful until police say protesters near the end of the procession started throwing water bottles at officers. Phoenix Police Lt. Pat Hofmann said officers used pepper spray as they tried to separate protesters from an officer who was trying to take away the bottles.
Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill said on-scene supervisors described a group of demonstrators purposefully disrupting the demonstration by assaulting several police officers and a police horse.
He said one demonstrator struck a police sergeant on the head and chest with a flagpole. Two others threw water bottles, possibly containing rocks, at other officers, but missed.
Hill also said a police officer on horseback was assaulted while her horse was mobbed, punched and pushed. The officer used pepper spray to stop the assault.
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badge66
over 3 years ago
144 Comments
Hey Dad8: Please do some research and you'll find that the majority of Mexicans, Guatamalans, Hondurans etc. are in this country illegally. They commit crimes and are never prosecuted because they are unknown to anyone but their relatives, friends and employers. Apparently you think all these hardworking aliens are great people. You should bring them to live with you and be responsible for their actions while in this country. These people are costing you a great deal of expense by using our services such as medical, child care, food and so forth. Wake up!
mom_of_co
over 3 years ago
8 Comments
To Dad8: Take your ideas to the family of the Female Sheriff Deputy in Utah that was murdered by an illegal alien. He had been deported, sentenced to prison and set free after 1 year of his sentence, sent back to Mexico and returned ILLEGALLY to murder her. I think the actuall count of deportations was 8. According to you her family should just understand and keep letting them come back. Hope his next visit is to your home. Maybe you will understand if it is your family.
cgidney
over 3 years ago
46 Comments
I wonder how the protesters who got violent like their pink jump suits and balogna sandwiches.
Anonymous
over 3 years ago
Bump PDPatches~~~!! TO DAD 8 go play in the traffic. !!
Dad8
over 3 years ago
6 Comments
Hey PDPATCHES, Yes I currently work in Law Enforcement and It is wonderful to have a forum to agree and disagree, and oh I did not know you owned the internet! Sorry you can't handle the truth.
mom_of_co
over 3 years ago
8 Comments
I actually wrote in Joe Arpio for President as did my family. He would not even need a VP why waste the $s. Janet Napalitano needs to find her BALLS and stand up for the laws that are written. Keep doing a good job Joe! Some of us are really behind you.
PDPATCHES
over 3 years ago
68 Comments
Hey, DAD8, why don't you go find some friggen bleeding heart liberal website to play on. I bet you are not now, nor have you ever been a cop. Take a hike and leave our website.
honestman30
over 3 years ago
6 Comments
Joe needs to run for President of the U.S.A and also needs to keep up the good work. Or run for AZ Gover.
CIVPOL
over 3 years ago
182 Comments
I WISH Sheriff Joe WAS THE PRESIDENT!! Here is another case of these "innocent" protesters that are AGAIN BREAKING the law and like Sheriff Joe said, HE is not the person to change these laws!! What a way to state your point by attacking law enforcement!! I'm SICK of this &^%!! also!!
getocop
over 3 years ago
72 Comments
JOE NEEDS TO RUN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL SO HIS IDEAS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED NATION WIDE. GO JOE.
jroneill1967
over 3 years ago
8 Comments
I say we need to not worry about being so damn politically correct all the time. The illigals who are over here and undocumented should be treated as such they are "criminals". I can't for he life of me . understand why this country continues to praise or award unlawfull activities. Driving to work, I need only look out at the Road Construction crews to understand where all the jobs have gone, they have all gone to the Mexicans....They are like culteral cancer, a silent invasion, if you will. Arpaio for President! Let's take this country back. "Remember the Alamo"!
honestman30
over 3 years ago
6 Comments
I support joe for all the good work he has done and hop[e he keeps up the good work.
meriwether1983
over 3 years ago
78 Comments
I'm tired of the race card constantly being pulled. I hear people say that non-Mexicans never get deported. Well, I've seen several non-Hispanics get deported. My grandpa came here from Mexico, but didn't expect anything from anyone. He served his new country in 2 wars, embraced its language and culture (while still maintaining his own), and is now a retired major, retired judge and still works at the age of 90. I don't doubt that many are just trying to make ends meet...like the rest of us, but when my sister-in-law's paid taxes and unemployment for years, and can't get any help from the state for even a month, but we see Hispanics (and other ethnicities) collect welfare for having 6 kids and drive away in Lincolns and Cadillacs, it's a little too hard to swallow some o this rhetoric. I love the Mexican culture (especially the food), but EVERYONE must obey the law, whether you're white, Hispanic, black, etc. I majored in sociology and had to take many classes where these things like an open door policy and giving legal standing to illegals sound good on paper, but in the real world, you're opening a whole new can of worms. While I don't always agree with him, I support Sheriff Joe.
Dad8
over 3 years ago
6 Comments
First of all I am a white guy, and I side with the mexicans they were forced out of California, Arizona and Texas, they were here before the WhiteMan came and kicked them out, at least the Indians were given reservations, they deserve to be taken care of as much as we should bend the so called laws to accomodate the Mexicans. I grew up in Phoenix and I have lived in California ever since 1983, I was exhausted from the (Good Ol Boy Mentality) of the Arizona mindset, as for Sheriff Joe what a fricken joke of an elected official! As well all of you that scream English only, Im sorry for you that your too ignorant to learn a second language, yes English should remain the first language, but there is nothing wrong with people retaining some of their heritage. If any one of you had a crisis and had to feed your family you would do whatever it takes to feed your family, this is what most of the humble Mexicans do, in most cases the only law they have broken is to come here, this does not mean they are all doing dirty deeds.I have never seen or heard so many racist statements in my life on these pages, as for the guy from Cuba, did you ever hear of wet foot dry foot law, which gives the Cubans a free chance for Citizenship if they make it to Florida and set foot there, so which set of latin people should be favored? Maybe all the Cubans should swim back to Cuba, I dont think so. If we can accomodate the Cubans then let's embrace the Mexicans because if you read the history of California the Mexicans were here before the Gringos!
avg_guy
over 3 years ago
6 Comments
LA County Jail is the largest jail in the free world. Over 1/3 of the inmates are illegal aliens (arrested for criminal activity other than immigration violations). Just coming here to work, huh? Riiiiight....