LA VOZ DE AZTLAN
Los Angeles, Alta California
November 5, 2007
Minutemen vigilante scheduled
to speak at Cal State-Long Beach
Jim Gilchrist, the anti-Mexican border vigilante who caused a
riot at Columbia University in New York City, is scheduled to
speak at California State University, Long Beach on Tuesday
November 13. The event is to take place from 12 noon to 2 PM
at the Beach Auditorium located on the 1st floor of the Student
Union.
Gilchrist's speech at Columbia ended abruptly when the student audience rose up in protest and with unfurled banners approached the stage. At this point a minutemen vigilante was captured by video cameras viciously kicking a student on the head as the student walked in front of the stage.
Gilchrist of Aliso Viejo, California was invited by the campus Conservative Student Union which is an extremist right wing group. The decision to hold the hate-speech event was very unwise since it is placing the safety of students at great risk. The safety of students should always come first. Free speech for hatemongers should come last.
The invitation of vigilante Gilchrist to CSULB comes at the worst of times for Southern California. On Saturday, a protestor was bloodied in a Home Depot parking lot in Canoga Park. After months of almost daily harassment of Mexican day laborers by nativists, the situation finally erupted into serious bloody violence.
In addition, during the recent out of control Southern California fires, nativists created a phony CNN News website claiming that the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA) had taken responsibility for starting the fires. The phony news story was picked up and disseminated by thousands of racist websites as if the story was true. MEChA is a student organization that promotes higher education, Mexican culture and history.
There is a possibility the the vigilante's speech will be cancelled. At this very moment concerned student, faculty and community groups are meeting with the university's administration in order to rescind the invitation to Gilchrist. This would be a very wise thing to do.
Contact:
California State University, Long Beach
1250 N Bellflower Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90840
(562) 985-4111
http://www.csulb.edu
Video of minutemen vigilante kicking Columbia University student on the head
Copy of phony CNN News website blaming MEChA for California fires
