During an event held by Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) and Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) last weekend, a group of activists opposed to “amnesty” for undocumented immigrants interrupted the town hall with a chant shouting “USA!”
According to a video highlighted by Mediaite, the activists were unhappy that the event was held in Spanish, with an option to listen to an English translation on a headset, and that attendees had to submit questions ahead of time.
The event at the University of Southern California titled “Keeping Families Together: An Immigration Town Hall” focused on President Obama’s executive actions to delay the deportation of some undocumented immigrants. According to Mediaite, numerous anti-“amnesty” groups told their members about the event ahead of time.
Following the “USA” chant, the event moderator began speaking in Spanish, only to be interrupted by an individual shouting, “We live in America. It should be in English!” The group then began chanting, “English!”
Police officers arrived at the event after a few minutes and asked the protesters to let the event proceed.
Watch the video below. The protesters begin the USA chant at the 1:30 minute mark and start protesting that the event is held in Spanish at the 3:40 minute mark.
Tell 'em to join the rest of the developed world and learn a second language already (or a third, fourth or even fifth).
By the way…anyone see THIS little gem yet?
Come on Josh, get this baby on the front page!
Anti-immigration activists? More like pro-ignorance activists.
Yeah, the English Only types are the bottom of the barrel. Learning a second language is one of the most important ways to expand one’s view of the world, and really helps to understand your first language more deeply. Why you’d want to legislate your country into a state of increased ignorance, I’ll never know.
Thanks for the links; it’s gratifying to read people’s reactions to her trolling. And you’re right: TPM should do a story on the Congresswoman’s little misadventure in social media. It’s important news, and needs to be highlighted.
Demonstrating knowledge and integrating differing types of learning into your life, including things like language, art and culture, used to be admired – even praised.
Now it’s a badge of “Murkanizzum” to too many for someone to be one dumb, backwards motherfucker.
The organizers seemed ill prepared for the event crashers. The response was poorly done. And the campus security was a joke. The officer that was given the mic didn’t seem sure of himself and I was almost expecting him to beg the antis to pretty please be nice. He seemed more interested in appeasing the disrupters, treating them with kid gloves. While I understand the right to free speech, the people that were there should also have the benefit of hearing the info they came for - as advertised beforehand - but it seemed to be drowned out by the loud chants and rude outbursts. I’ve seen countless meetings where people who did the same as this group did were quickly and unquestioningly tossed out.
I’d like to see another video of the event, maybe it will show what happened in a different light.