June 16th 2007 - The Minutemen descended onto Austin on the southside entrance to the Capitol steps and held a rally there. We went in protest to their rally. We refused to stay beyond the entrance gate and came within 30 or 40 feet of their speakers area. They had different speakers including the wife of an injured Border patrol Agent of Mexican descent as well as an ex- Border Agent giving testimonial, also a teacher out of the Houston area. Their approach at propaganda is not unique instead it is very similar to that used by different fascist organizations at the turn of the 20th century throughout Europe. They carried signs berating Mexico, also signs attacking government officials, they also planted American Flags throughout their staging area.They spoke of Homeland insecurity by Mexican invasion and of how this is a land of laws and that the Mexican is a criminal. I responded to that speech with how they are more heavily draped in ignorance than the flags that they wrap themselves in. I reminded them that the ones that invaded these lands were their ancestors a mere 150 years ago, and how their war hasn`t stopped, but now instead of hanging Mexicans resisting the invasions . They simply declare them foreignors on their own soil, illegals that should be tracked down, deported or imprisoned. I shouted to them that we could see through their racism and asked them why couldn't they see this as a Human issue born of necessity. They raised a sign that read Security crisis not work crisis. I yelled to them Fascim at work on our Capitol steps , the scapegoating of a race of people in order to galvanize a movement has been done in the past . Against the native peoples in order to commit horrible acts of inhumanity to make possible to populate the lands that the native people once called home with what this foundling government intended white settlers. Demonizing a people so as not to associate guilt to the acts of murder of children, the rape of women the removal of a race of people from there homelands is how this government began, this is its origin. The teacher spoke of how 72 different languages were spoken at the high school she teaches at, she went on to advocate for english only. They all cheered and held up a sign that read "If you can`t read this you don`t belong here". We all yelledout different quotes from "go back to England" ,"Your racsism is showing", "Colonialism is the root of your ignorance", and "Can`t you count 72 is more than one" . The dumbing down of our young through fear and hate mongers is a sad picture when painted by a supposed teacher in an accredited school system in our state of Texas. I will shorten my report by telling you that one of our sisters was arrested at the Capitol , Saturday June 16th for practicing peaceful civil disobedience. As the State Troopers were handcuffing Rebecca. I commented to them why they hadn`t taken the same measures with the group from the Minutemen that had purposely walked through the center of our group in an obvious attempt to provoke violence, the anglo trooper in charge said "I was turned away and didn`t see it" to which I replied " You mean you turned a blind eye". I made other comments to the black troopers about how this was close to June 19th Emancipation Day, and what Dr.King said of "How it is our obligation to break unjust laws through peaceful civil disobedience" and "How everything Hitler did in Nazi Germany was legal". His only comment was that she had been warned and now she was under arrest. I quickly got on my cell phone contacted the media and an attorney through another activist. Thanks Marcelo for being there in Solidarity. Genocide, Slavery, Prison Camps, Tortures, Rapes, Mutilations of Human beings can only happen if " We turn a blind eye and pretend we don`t see". Wake-up People. Or History will repeat itself. We live in a circle.
Antonio Diaz
Founder-Cesar Chavez March for Justice
Texas Indigenous Council
Organizer-Free the Children Coalition
