Riverside Pigs Beat Unarmed and Defenseless Mexicanos:

On Monday, April 1, 1996, around 12 noon, millions of people throughout occupied America (United States), Mexico, Latin America, and most probably other parts of the world, were witness to the brutal-sadistic beating of two Mexicanos by pigs from the Riverside County Sheriffs Department, one of the thousands of police/military units designed to keep Mexicans, Africans, and other colonized people in a state of colonization and subjugation. A news helicopter crew captured on video tape the vicious attack by the pigs against the defenseless Mexicanos who were offering absolutely no resistance.

What Was The Crime Committed By Those Brutalized By The Pigs?

What was the crime committed by the two Mexicanos, Alicia Soltero and Enrique Funes, that would merit such a savage beating?

According to the migra pigs, the incident began when pigs from the Border Patrol (migra) attempted to stop a truck whose occupants they call "illegal aliens" tried to evade a migra check point. The pigs claim that for 80 miles they attempted to stop the camper/pick-up truck which was traveling from 80 to 100 mph and at times, the occupants threw debris (parts of the old camper shell which had disintegrated during the chase and beer cans) at them. As most of the chase took place in Riverside County (east of Los Angeles), an area known for KKK and other white vigilante activity, the Riverside County Sheriffs joined in the pursuit. After the truck came to a stop, many of the 18 occupants started to run. Apparently angry at the nerve of Mexicans to throw things (as the pigs claim) at them and refusing to stop, the Riverside pigs (identified as Tracy Watson and Kurtis Franklin) decided, in the tradition of U.S. white settlers, to administer a little white power justice on the Mexicanos. Unfortunately for the pigs, due to their arrogance or stupidity, or both, they didn't care or notice that a news helicopter was video taping the whole incident (read articles carried in Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, and La Opinión, from April 2-5, 1996, for more details).

The attack was so vicious, brutal and unwarranted, that only the blind or the racist (which is the majority of white settler Amerikkka) could justify the actions of the pigs. One just has to consider that it is physically impossible to throw things while you are holding on to the bed of a pick-up truck traveling up to 100 mph. And even if this was true, it would not justify the vicious beating of unarmed people with their hands raised up and passively surrendering.

They Beat Me Like If I Was An Animal

The following are comments from Alicia Soltero given to reporters after her release the day after the beating:

"I was too scared to run. When the pick-up truck stopped, everyone yelled run! run! But I didn't. I told the agents 'I'm here.' I didn't run. I didn't do anything wrong. I just simply came here to work. . . . The agents used atrocious words of hate. I don't speak English, but I could feel their hatred. It wasn't important to them that I couldn't understand them. They beat me. They beat me on my legs. The beat me on my back, where I still feel pain. They pulled my hair. They beat like if I was an animal." (from La Opinión, April 4, 1996).

The following day, the group of Mexicanos arrested by the Sheriffs explained at a press conference that the most dangerous moment of the chase was when the ply-wood camper shell began to disintegrate, "But we didn't throw anything. This is the truth. On the contrary all of us were holding on to what was left of the shell so that it would not fall and hit the other cars." (La Opinión, April 5, 1996)

Different Responses To Police Brutality

Within hours after the attack Raza organizations and white liberal groupings, held demonstrations and press conferences in Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego. From hispanic vendidos to those who claim to be activists in the struggle for Mexicano self-determination (politicians, academicians, social service/poverty pimps, and representatives from movement organizations) denounced the attacks as a violation of the civil and human rights of the Mexicanos who were beaten by the pigs. With few exceptions (such as National Chicano Moratorium Committee, Mexicanos Unidos en Defensa del Pueblo, Brown Berets de Aztlán, Unión del Barrio, and some MEChistas), they summed-up the pig violence as a need for "a change of policy and better training of police officers" - a bandaid approach to a more fundamental problem.

Many, and correctly so, tied the latest police violence as part of an over all hysteria against undocumented workers created by colonial politicians (Pete Wilson, Buchanan, Gingrich, Diane Feinstein, Kathleen Brown, Dole, and the rest of the KKKa KKKa). Almost everyone agreed that the latest pig attack against defenseless Mexicanos was not some aberration or exception to the rule, but a normal everyday behavior of the police towards Mexicanos and other non-European people - the only difference, like the Rodney King beating of 1992 - is that it was caught on video tape.

Police/Migra Brutality Is Related To Our Struggle For Self-Determination

Here in San Diego, on April 5, 1996, the Raza Rights Coalition (RRC) organized a militant demonstration in front of the Federal Building, where the close to 100 demonstrators called for putting the pigs on trial and an immediate end to the growing wave of anti-Mexicano attacks. A RRC press release stated:

"On Monday, April 1st, the Riverside Sheriffs Department gave the Mexicano community and the world another sharp example of just how far they will go to maintain the so-called fight against illegal immigration. News cameras captured the true essence of this campaign; an anti-Mexican, racist campaign used to strip our community of our human and civil rights. From the chase to the vicious baton blows inflicted alongside of the freeway, it is clear to us, the Raza Rights Coalition, that neither law enforcement agencies nor local, state, and national politicians have any interest in stopping the growing wave of violent anti-Mexicano attacks. We see quite the opposite - this terrible, racist anti-Mexicano campaign is subsidized and led by these same agencies and politicians." (see RRC press release, April 4, 1996).

Vendido Hispanics Attempt To Pacify The People And Pretend To Be The Leaders

A particularly disgusting situation was the opportunism of the hispanic politicos (neo-colonial servants) who hypocritically called for an "investigation" of the police and migra, as a way of demonstrating "concern" for the civil and human rights of the community. We say its hypocritical because these same politicos are the ones who attend dinners, meetings, political fund-raisers, or share in panel discussions, with the very same pigs (government and corporate executives) responsible for the brutality suffered by most of our people. Just as disgusting were the "ambulance chasers;" those attorneys (brown and white alike) who showed-up to "represent the interests of those brutalized" and immediately announced that they were suing the County of Riverside for millions of dollars, rather than raising this issue as part of the brutalization of the whole Raza community. It is interesting to note, when ever these lawyers are asked to take on a case where police brutality is not caught on video tape, they are no where to be found.

In Los Angeles on April 6th, the petty-bourgeoisie hispanics under a coalition called "Coordinadora 96" (which is objectively allied with gringo-capitalism) was able to organize (with the help and funds, of course, from government agencies, church, and hispanic radio/press) a march of up to 10,000 Raza. Attempts were made by the organizers to neutralize the righteous anger of the people and hide the "root cause" of police/migra violence: gringo colonialism. Literally hundreds of Amerikkkan flags were handed out and people were discouraged from carrying the Mexican flag. With a few exceptions, the speakers encouraged the crowd to be loyal to the system and vote for the Democratic Party; in other words they were told to continue to live on their knees.

In San Diego, in the most servile-vendido fashion, a group of so-called "Latino Leaders" appeared under the leadership of the Chicano Federation - which should change its name to hispanic Federation - in front of an Amerikkkan flag so big, that they looked like little midgets (check local San Diego T.V. news reports of April 9 and an article in San Diego Union-Tribune, April 10, 1996), as they urged "Latinos to closely monitor law enforcement officers." In spite of that fact most of these so-called "Latino leaders" never do anything that has to do with Raza self-determination and never go out into the barrios (most live in middle-class white neighborhoods). They opportunistically called for a press conference pretending that they represented the community. But those involved in day-to-day struggle know that most of these hispanic s are selfish-egotistic individuals who care only about their jobs and social status within this corrupt system, or election to some political office.

The Solution Is The Building Of An Organization That Will Lead La Raza To Complete Liberation Of Our Lands

As we have explained repeatedly, the solution to police terror and the many other forms of oppression facing our gente (racism, school push-out, imprisonment of thousands of Raza, drug importation by government agents into our community, unemployment, poverty, etc.) is the destruction of colonialism, ridding ourselves of racist gringos who refuse to accept our right to Aztlán, and the complete liberation of the Mexicano nation. This can only come about when the majority of our Raza is united under the leadership of a strong organization with the strategy and commitment to lead our gente to victory and liberation.

Part of the process of building this strong organization, is to expose the white liberal/leftist opportunists and hispanic vendidos, as well as criticize our comrades in the movimiento who fail to see and act upon the real crisis facing nuestro pueblo.

The vendidos and the petty-capitalists such as Gloria Molina (L.A. County Supervisor) , Alatorre (L.A.. City Council), etc. (these types are also found in El Paso, San Antonio, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, San Jose, Chicago - in fact, everywhere Mexicanos live) have a vested interest in maintaining colonialism, since capitalism could not exist without the colonization of the majority of the people on planet earth. They, along with Cisneros (U.S. Secretary of Housing), Peña (Secretary of Transportation), Lujan (Assistant Secretary of Interior), just to name of few, are more than willing to sell-out La Raza for the money and the "prestige" they think they get from hanging with the "gringo power structure."

On the other hand, the gringo ruling class is willing to let a few "brown faces" into the system as a way of confusing and rocking to sleep the majority of Mexicanos who are tricked into thinking (with the assistance of the media, schools, and other gringo institutions of propaganda) that the door is open and that the system can someday work for them. We call this whole sick relationship between vendidos and gringos, "neo-colonialism": a situation where the colonizers can no longer rule directly or openly, so they hire sell-outs within the oppressed population to assist them in maintaining power. Therefore, the forces within the liberation movement must expose neo-colonialism, colonialism, and capitalism, as the foundations of our Raza's oppression.

The movement must also expose the white liberals (such as the politicians, lawyers, church groups, civil rights groups) and leftists (so-called socialists/communists such as the Revolutionary Communist Party) who continue to speak on behalf of our interests and claim to have the correct solution to our oppression. We must uphold the principle that every oppressed nation must be its own liberator. This principle demands that Raza must determine our own agenda and leadership. Those of other nationalities wanting to assist us in our struggle for liberation are only welcome to do so under our people's direction.

The Real Struggle Is Against Colonialism And For Liberation

In an effort to bring clarity to what is really behind the police/migra terror inflicted upon nuestra Raza, in an article titled, "Police Terror Is A Symptom of A Colonial Situation" (read ¡LA VERDAD!, May-July 1991), Unión del Barrio summed-up our understanding as:

"Unión del Barrio goes beyond just calling for an end to police brutality and harassment of our Raza. We understand that police terror is just a symptom of a colonial situation in which the vast majority of the Mexican people and all oppressed nations throughout the world face: colonialism, neo-colonialism, fascism, racism, and all other forms of imperialism... Our major task as a liberation organization is to raise the issue of police brutality as one related to the colonization of the Chicano Mexicano people - not one of a few bad apples on the various police forces... Central to understanding police terror, in relationship to our general oppression, is to come to terms with how the gringo ruling class uses the vendidos, opportunists, and 'hispanic/Latino' careerists in their strategy to continue to rip off the labor and resources of the Chicano Mexicano people."

Great Majority Of White People Support The Colonial Oppression Of Mexican And Other Native People

We have also explained that the great majority of the settler population (gringos) are in support of the colonization of Mexicanos (and other Indios) and our lands, as they benefit directly from the economic and social exploitation of our people. The relatively high standard of living (compared to the rest of the world) of most of the white population derives from the resources stolen from our lands (Mexico-Aztlán) and the cheap slave-like labor of our people (on both sides of the "border"). In order to maintain this high standard of living and continue to live on stolen lands, the great majority of the settler population support and understand the reasons behind the war on Mexicanos. One example of settler understanding is the following letter sent to the editor of a gringo colonial newspaper:

"I am dismayed by the reaction of the media to the two Riverside County sheriff's deputies and especially the hypocrisy of the Sheriff's Department, which describes the officer's behavior isolated and aberrant.

"The two deputies reacted as I suspect most rural police officers would react to the provocation offered by the alleged illegal immigrants' flagrant actions.

"What the media fails to recognize is the war being waged by the front-line ranks of sheriff's deputies, Border Patrol and many rural city police. Their behavior is about as aberrant as the filing for maternity benefits of primary and secondary educational benefits by an illegal Mexican immigrant.

"A majority of California citizens voted for Proposition 187, and I suspect many Californians are angry about its lack of enforcement. When will the media recognize the real story about the developing war between illegal immigrants and ordinary California Citizens?" (see San Diego Union Tribune, April 6, 1996).

The Riverside Beating Illustrates How Disorganized And Powerless Our Movement Finds Itself

The Riverside beating demonstrates how weak our movement is when we can witness the beating of men and women, and those doing the beating can do so with impunity. Our movement must come to terms with how disorganized and powerless we currently finds ourselves.

In regards to those forces within our movement, first and foremost we must lay out the critique that those serious about liberation can not be '"weekend warriors." That is, that they can't be about sporadic, spontaneous activism, or reacting to individual acts of brutality and oppression. That people must be consistent in the approach to struggle. For example, if the recent brutality was part of a normal activity of the pigs and that the difference was that it was caught on video tape (to which we agree), then why don't these activists struggle in a daily fashion? If violence and racism is a daily occurrence, then we should be about struggling against it on a daily basis.

This can only be done through organization and serious commitment. This calls for the building of a politically advanced organization whose objective is the liberation of the Mexicano nation and the destruction of capitalism. All other struggle, if not tied into a liberation struggle, is liberalism and opportunism, and objectively only serves to continue the oppression of the masses of our gente.