Chicago immigration forum at church goes out of control

Hitler Rose and Hitler Fell!
Racist Minutemen go to Hell!

Chant from anti-Minute Men protesters last night, courtesy, along with the photo, of Freedom Folks.

Yesterday evening there was supposed to have been an immigration forum at the Fourth Congregational Church in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. The church's pastor, the Rev. Dan Wood, invited the Illinois Minutemen and Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

There was no debate. Why? Because the latter group backed out.

From their web site:

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is withdrawing from a debate with the Illinois Minutemen on the immigration issue at Fourth Congregational Church in Logan Square tonight (Thursday, May 4, 2006).

It is clear to us from the e-mail notices of white racist organizations that this event has the potential to turn into a violent street confrontation. Our organization has no interest whatsoever in contributing to an event in which people could be hurt; that allows extremists to vent their hatred; or that further exacerbates tensions at a time when our nation is interested in solutions.

The event, such as it was, lasted ten minutes. Immigration reform activists, or what Jake calls the "Anti-Minutemen," were shouting and screaming as Rosanna Pulido of the Illinois Minutemen attempted to address the crowd. She didn't succeed. Keep in mind Rosanna, I nice woman who I've met, was speaking in a church.

More from Freedom Folks:

After several minutes of the anti-minuteman mode of conduct, immigration activist, Niurus Ramos, took the microphone and attempted, by yelling at the top of her voice, to be heard by crowd. She was making an effort to tell them to stop what they were doing and participate productively in what was left of the so-called Forum/Debate. She was not the least bit successful in her endeavors to calm her group down or to restore any semblance of order to the out-of-control situation.

The behavior of the Anti-Minuteman people (if that is what I am to call them, maybe some of the are members of The Anti-Minutemen Five organization) was shocking. The look in their eyes was one of pure hatred as they carried on and on and on.

NBC 5 Chicago did a so-so job covering the story. Unlike CBS 2 Chicago, Channel 5 didn't mention that the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights cancelled the day before the debate.

I was able, however, to glean these nuggets from the NBC 5 story:

Immigration activists said there should have been a debate with the Minutemen.

(My note, uh...are you dense? The other group bailed.)

"They should have waited and debated with them," said immigration activist Niuris Ramos. "But you know, Logan Square and Humboldt Park is a community that will fight for what they believe in, and this is what you see. This is fight." The argument continued outside the forum, Elgas reported.

"It was not the Minutemen causing this, it was these other groups," Wood (the church's pastor) said. "However, remember there's an extreme element on both sides."

Knowing Jake and MJ (and I do), look for more posts from them on the Logan Square "debate."

Oh, Logan Square trivia time! Jake and MJ live in Logan Square. With no disrepect to them, the most famous person from that neighborhood is Jose "The Dirty Bomber" Padilla.

Technorati tags: Chicago Illinois Minutemen Immigration border open borders