Update 8/17: Boycott Arizona-Minnesota just released a video based on a right-wing sports talk radio interview with MIRAc/BAM! member Molly Glasgow. Glasgow was one of the five people arrested for civil disobedience.
Our original post:
Working with allies Centro Campesino, SEIU Local 26, Presente and MoveTheGame.org, MIRAc and the BAM! campaign organized a protest and civil disobedience at the quarterly meeting of MLB team owners helped to once more bring the problems generated by Arizona’s new racist law, SB1070, before the eyes and conscience of the nation.
MIRAc and U of M SDS members arrested trying to deliver petitions to MLB Commissioner Selig.
The nonviolent civil disobedience by the protesters trying to deliver the petitions to Bud Selig and the owners captured the attention of national media.
Martiga Lohn’s coverage for the Associated Press was picked up by ESPN and posted as Five arrested in All-Star protest. The NBC Sports Hardball Talk blog posted commentatory in 2011 All-Star Game protesters arrested. The action grabbed the headline at USA Today’s MLB-related site in the post Five arrested in All-Star protest outside MLB’s quarterly owners’ meetings – Daily Pitch: MLB News. Locally, WCCO posted the AP story as 5 Arrested In All-Star Protest At Baseball Meeting.
Local news venues covered the event in-depth. Minnpost sports and politics columnist Jay Weiner set the stage with Tuesday’s post previewing the action:
. . . A national organizer of the Selig-directed demonstration is Carlos Roa, one of the much-publicized four young undocumented students who hiked across the nation as part of the “Trail of Dreams.”
Roa, 22, said immigration rights groups are continuing their campaign to move the All-Star Game from Phoenix even though a federal judge last week struck down portions of the Arizona law. He wants it to be completely revoked.
Roa said in an interview that he’s a baseball fan and understands that forcing the relocation of the All-Star Game — a showcase event for Major League Baseball and a host city — “would significantly hurt the state [Arizona] economically, and that is the objective. We want to send a message that other states should not enact the same kind of law.”
Opponents of the law attempted to present Selig with these same petitions in Anaheim last month during the 2010 All-Star Game, but they couldn’t gain access to Selig. Protesters have also appeared outside of Selig’s Milwaukee offices. . . .
Clyde Bellecourt (American Indian Movement) speaks at the Move the Game rally.
Wednesday was game day. Fox News 9 not only covered the protest and civil disobedience, but also featured a long interview with indigenous activist Clyde Bellecourt in Protesters Want MLB to Boycott Arizona:
MINNEAPOLIS – About 100 people demonstrated outside the Graves Hotel, where Major League Baseball owners are holding their quarterly meetings. The protesters say Major League Baseball should move next year’s all-star game from Arizona because of that state’s new immigration law.
“Immigrants and Latinos, who are a large part of the players and the fans, are offended by this law and we hope they will they will do the right thing and move the game,” said Nick Espinosa.
Critics argue the law which makes it illegal to be in Arizona without documentation encourages racial profiling. Supporters say it’s needed to crack down on the rising crime committed by the ever growing number illegal aliens.
Watch both videos at the link. It’s unfortunate that the station repeated the misconception that crime is rising in Arizona. Over a month ago, Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank debunked claims about Arizona and crime in Headless bodies and other immigration tall tales in Arizona.:
Two months ago, the Arizona Republic published an exhaustive report that found that, according to statistics from the FBI and Arizona police agencies, crime in Arizona border towns has been “essentially flat for the past decade.”
. . .FBI statistics show violent crime rates in all of the border states are lower than they were a decade ago . . .
Protest against MLB owners meeting in Minneapolis.
KSTP reported in Protesters Rally To Move Next Year’s All-Star Baseball Game:
Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig was in Minneapolis Wednesday for a quarterly meeting and to celebrate the completion of Target Field.
But, the cheers outside his meeting were anything but positive. Hundreds protested outside that meeting at the Graves Hotel Wednesday afternoon.
The group wants next year’s All-Star game moved because it will be in Arizona and they’re against the new immigration law. They say an event that could pump $60 million into Arizona’s economy belongs elsewhere.
The group tried to deliver 110,000 petitions to Selig.
When police asked them to leave they refused and five people were arrested.
Watch the clip at the link. Minnesota Public Radio reported in Protesters ask MLB to move All Star game from Arizona:
. . . Niger Arevalo of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee said the MLB shouldn’t support Arizona’s law.
“We want to send a clear message to them that we support to move the game out of Arizona because of the recent racist law SB 1070,” Arevalo said. “So this will represent a threat to people, undocumented people, (and) people of color if they do the all star game in Arizona.”
The Uptake’s Craig Stellmacher posted this excellent video feature:
Media Ghost TV posted two extended video features about the protest and civil disobedience on its website: Part 1 and Part 2.
Online,the City Page’s Blotter posted in Activists want the All-Star game out of Arizona [VIDEO]:
Chanting “Stop the Hate! Move the game!” protesters crashed a quarterly meeting of Major-League Baseball owners at the Graves Hotel yesterday, demanding that the All-Star game be moved from Arizona unless the state repeals its controversial new immigration law.
“We want to send a clear message to the owners of the league, that here in Minnesota we support moving the All-Star game somewhere else,” said Niger Aravalo of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee. Aravalo also called on Hispanic MLB players to urge their coaches and team-owners to get the game moved. . . .
Fight Back News reported Protesters confront baseball bigwigs, 5 arrested while Twin Cities Indymedia posted Baseball Fans Demand: Move the Game! 5 Arrested Delivering 110,000 Petitions to MLB Owners.
What will be the next breaking news in the Move the Game story?
MIRAC 