DIEZ Y SEIS Annual Mexican independence parade protested Police keep pro- and anti-Minutemen demonstrators apart.
<http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/stories/09/18parade.html>
By Dick Stanley
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Austin's sixth annual Mexican Independence Day parade Saturday ended with a confrontation at the Capitol between the marchers and demonstrators protesting illegal immigration from Mexico.
Police and state troopers kept the roughly 100 protesters and 400 marchers apart, especially when some began shouting at each other, but there were no incidents or arrests.
The modest parade, consisting of decorated trailers, antique cars, and adults and children representing organizations such as the United Farm Workers, filled the north lane of traffic as it swept up Congress Avenue to the Capitol. It lacked the charros (Mexican cowboys) and horses of previous Diez y Seis parades, but, as in the past, some people in the vehicles threw wrapped candies to people on the sidewalks.
The marchers met the protesters in front of the gates to the Capitol grounds on 11th Street. Police and troopers stood between them, although most of the marchers, including cheerleaders from East Austin Youth Sports, seemed surprised by the demonstrators.
"We're protesting the concept of a parade about Mexico's independence from Spain," said George Pangborn, 48, of Burnet, who wore a T-shirt from the conspiracy Web site infowars .com and was videotaping the demonstration. He said most of the demonstrators were from Austin.
Things got noisy when about 200 people in the parade, who were marching to protest the Minutemen - an ad hoc citizens group planning to try to stop illegal immigrants at the Texas-Mexico border - confronted the demonstrators.
"Hey, hey, ho, ho, Minutemen have got to go," the marchers chanted, some with bullhorns.
The demonstrators yelled back through their bullhorns and waved signs with such slogans as "Mexico out of USA" and "One Nation, One Language."
"If anything, we're pro-Minutemen," Pangborn said.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, who rode in the parade, told the marchers at the Capitol under waving Mexican, U.S. and Texas flags that he was proud of all Texans from Mexico.
"These Minutemen used to wear white sheets," he said, urging passage of the "Dream Act," bipartisan U.S. legislation to allow undocumented high school students to attend college or serve in the armed forces.
The pro-Minutemen and anti-Minutemen confronted each other again briefly on the sidewalk leading to the Capitol. The antis chanted "racists go home," and the pros held up signs. Police and state troopers kept them about 20 yards apart.
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