Statement on behalf of the Chican@ Caucus at Columbia UniversityThe May 1st Coalition on Immigrant Rights extends its deepest and unconditional solidarity with the students at Columbia University who confronted Minutemen leader, Jim Gilchrist, on Wednesday, October 4. In the wake of the brouhaha in the media and statements by Mayor Michael Bloomberg as well as Columbia President, Lee Bollinger, the May 1st Coalition stands unconditionally with the students and their right to challenge the Minutemen on their campus. The Mayor and the President of the University said that Gilchrist should have been allowed to speak at Columbia University and his right to free speech was violated. We avidly disagree. The Minutemen must be challenged and stopped. The effort by the likes of the Minutemen to terrorize and victimize the immigrant population is a dangerous trend in our society. Challenging the Minutemen is challenging racism. Thus who can be against challenging racism? When Jim Gilchrist speaks whether it is on a university or elsewhere, he comes to recruit, he comes to set the agenda on immigration policy and this cannot be allowed. For the past several months, the mainstream media has treated the Minutemen as a legitimate voice in the debate on immigration policy. This is a travesty of justice as well as a violation of human rights, not just for immigrants but all justice loving people. The Minutemen’s sole purpose is to sow divisions, hatred and violence against immigrants. They are given pages in the newspapers and hours of air waves while the activists who provide legal services or the church members who supply water are barely given any attention. They have been quoted as saying that they have the right to shoot immigrants in order to defend the border, they alledge. The May 1st Coalition, a broad and diverse coalition of Latino, Asian, African, white, U.S. and foreign born people, was a main organizer of the historic May 1st March of immigrants this past spring. We stand with the Columbia students. We believe they have every right to not only challenge but to stop the Minutemen. We call on President Bollinger:
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