Governor Faces Protesters in Fresno

A diverse group of supporters of the grass roots movement to allow all Californians to obtain drivers licenses without discrimination stood behind metal barricades as Governor Schwarzenegger spoke before a largely white audience in front of the Fresno (CA) police department on July 3rd. This occurring moments after they defied an order by the police to stay a block away from the event.

The group, made up of representatives from the Central Valley Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Comite No Nos Vamos and others, were unceremoniously herded into a well policed area while people of obvious privilege (judged by the color of their skin and manner of dress and whose numbers were about equal to the protesters) were allowed to enter a closed area and stand directly before the stage from which the Governor spoke.

Reacting to a proposal by Governor Schwarzenegger that would identify undocumented workers through a mark on their drivers license, the group likened the proposal to the marking of slaves in the United States and elsewhere and the tattooing of Jews living under the Nazi regime of Adolph Hitler. "We're here to let the Governor know that we believe this is wrong," said one participant in the protest. "These are people, human beings, not slaves."

But one person who had come to hear the Governor speak, yelled back that these were criminals. Responding to a plea by one of the protesters to recognize that these were people, not criminals, and deserved to be treated as such, the woman raised the bible she held in her hand and screamed, "They are felons!"

Obviously frustrated at the presence of the protesters, she called members of the group "dogs" and said that they should be careful or they were "going to get shot."

Standing with the Governor

Shaken by what he had just heard, Green Party Assembly Candidate John Crockford (standing with the group of protesters), began to take an accounting of the notables that stood alongside the Governor. After recognizing former Governor and Mayor of Oakland, Jerry Brown, and Democratic Assembly Candidate Juan Arambula, the protesters called for both to step down and join them. Neither responded.