Murrieta Protests: One Year Later, Demonstrations Return

Murrieta 2014 (Michelle Moons / Breitbart News)
Michelle Moons / Breitbart News

On Wednesday, demonstrators on more than one side of the illegal immigration debate will gather again near the Border Patrol station in Murrieta, California, the site of massive protests last July 1 that began with the blocking and turning back of buses filled with illegal aliens. That event sparked swelling protests that captured the attention of the entire country.

Illegal alien detainees had been flown in from Texas under the assertion that overburdened Texas facilities could no longer accommodate the thousands of mostly Central American foreign nationals flooding the southern border. Brandon Darby of Breitbart Texas broke leaked images almost one month before last year’s Murrieta protests, and changed the national conversation on the border security crisis.

The Murrieta Border Patrol facility was one of many around the country that were slated to take in the overflow and share the responsibility for processing.

As the first round of buses drove toward the Murrieta station, a group of protesters blocked their path. The buses eventually turned around and headed back south to the San Ysidro Border Patrol station.

Additional rounds of buses were scheduled to arrive every three days after that, but due to rapidly expanding numbers of protesters, additional buses were continually rerouted to an alternate station. Both advocates for immigration enforcement and those pushing against deportation came to make their voices heard–and heard they were.

This Wednesday, some of those pro-law-enforcement demonstrators will gather in a rally of support for Border Patrol agents.

“Let’s gather with our American Flags in front of the Murrieta Border Patrol Station,” an event announcement reads. “Please bring American Flags, cameras, water, signs and snacks” and “invite fellow Patriots.”

Less than two miles and five minutes away, an entirely separate group will gather in the name of “immigrant rights, refugee rights” and will include a long list of activist speakers.

“We will not let this issue just go away. July 1 marks the one year anniversary of this historic event and we will rally in Murrieta,” an announcement of the event reads. Among supporting organizations are El Daily Justice radio, Escondido-Latinos Organizing for Action, San Diego Socialist Campaign, La Raza Lawyer’s Association, Califaztlan Raza, UndocuMedia, Saint Peter of Rome parish and DREAMers MOMS USA Tijuana.

The day could see interesting turns after the explosive interactions that forced the separation of various protest groups last year. July 4, 2014 brought out some of the most intense demonstrators including Aztec-like dancers and the Revolutionary Communist Party USA, as American flags were defaced and hung along the Border Patrol station fence.

Watch Breitbart News for follow-up on the day’s events.

Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana

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