Diverse Anti-Racist Coalition Confronts, Disrupts the MinuteMen in California

The Anti-MinuteMen, No Border camp was set up in the desert scrub of Campo, just feet away from the Border Fence. From this base, anti-racists marched to the MinuteMan camps, only to find they had left to avoid the confrontation. From this spot activists intervened in press events the MinuteMen tried to have at the crest of the Pacific Crest Trail, just feet away from our campsite. People also made their presence felt to every MinuteMan car that entered the area, as our camp was just next to the main access road. Camp attendees posted their stories on San Diego Indymedia from the temporary Desert Media Center which was set up onsite. On July 16th, the camp was joined by over 150 people from around the state and around the country. This larger group marched to the site of the planned MinuteMan meeting, only to find that it had been moved to an unknown location due to pressure. Later in the day, anti-racists and MinuteMen alike were forced out of their campsites by a brush fire. This gave the anti-racist organizers an opportunity to confront the MinuteMen at their regrouping point, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Building in Campo, for an intense face to face standoff that was only stopped by police intervention after the MinuteMen retreated into the building. Throughout the night disruption techniques were used to sabotage the MinuteMan patrols, which were met with threats that they would shoot. The camp continued until Monday and actions will continue day and night until the MinuteMen leave Campo. On Sunday night the corporate media reported that the MinuteMen had given up after only one day, but later corrected that statement.