Unsurprisingly, the area around Angels Stadium in Anaheim was a slow, baking crawl before the baseball All-Star Game, airing rightnow on television. Unsurprisingly, the Aztlanistas came out in full force–about 125–to bring awareness to their campaign to move next year's All-Star Game from Phoenix because of the state's retrograde immigrant policy.
Surprisingly, only about 15 counter-protesters (and one absolute pendejo) showed up, given this is Orange County, California. Surprisingly, there were more Christians passing out literature and arguing with people about Scripture than Know Nothings–then again, this is Orange County. And then the John 3:16 van… The story–with photos–after the jump!
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Greeting fans on State College Boulevard before the Know Nothings, before the Aztlanistas was this van, which kept driving up and down the street, making U-turns on Katella and Orangewood avenues. No yelling, no appeals to sympathy–perhaps the most effective publicity ploy of the afternoon.
When I got to the corner of State College and Gene Autry Way, where the protests were supposed to occur, I only found one anti-Arizona fella, and 15 Know Nothings across the way. Where was the big protest, I asked the fella? He pointed me toward the big Halos helmets inside the stadium. “More visibility there,” he told me. What about the people across the street? He just laughed–the best answer to their lies.
The Christian contingent was strong at Angels Stadium, and I'm glad out-of-towners got to experience them along with angry Mexicans and withered haters to get a true county experience. These folks stood at the pillars surrounding the massive helmets, mostly quiet. The gentleman said he was with a church in Cerritos, but the literature they handed (mostly Bible verses) only gave a P.O. box as an address. Much more effective in his outreach was a guy who spent most of his time arguing with another Christian about the meaning of Romans. While doing this, he passed out a card titled “Baseball Trivia,” which included gems about Mickey Mantle, Ty Cobb, and Bob Feller. The final question, however, was the kicker: What do you and all baseball players have in common? Answer: DEATH. Visit that fun boy at this website.
Most of the anti-Arizona protesters either spent their time passing out fliers or joining a massive circle and chanting different chants. Most of the baseball fans there reacted to them nicely–most took literature and didn't immediately toss it, others just looked on. In my two hours of observing, I only heard one jack-ass yell at them. While escorting his grandmother and holding her purse, he screamed, “Go home! La Raza! La Raza! Racists.” That he wore a Vlad Guerrero jersey and was darker than a Oaxacan didn't seem to bother him.
The most obnoxious person by far was a self-professed Christian who spent most of his time trying to goad the protesters; few took the bait. At one point, he was reduced to yelling in front of children that Fidel Castro and Che Guevara were “butt buddies.” I do believe Jesus never used that term to describe the Pharisees, as much as He despised them.
As usually happens, other groups helped the protest while also advertising their own cause. UNITE HERE Local 11, the union that's been battling Disney for nearly two years for a better contract, was there with their usual brilliant guerrilla tactics of dressing as Disney characters while handing out fliers on their cause. Yes, Wolverine is a Marvel Comics character, but remember that Disney recently bought their roster of characters. Also at the protest: Tinker Bell, Minnie Mouse, Peter Pan, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, and Maleficent.
And the horses? Ah, shoot, forgot that image! But there were about 20 or so mounted Anaheim police and Orange County sheriff deputies there to keep things civil. All in all, successful for everyone but the Know Nothings–hooray!
