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Police breakup Jonesborough immigration demonstration after scuffle between Hispanics and Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen

Published July 22nd, 2006 | 5 Comments

Carl Twofeathers Whitaker, a Sevierville resident running as an independent candidate for governor, speaks out against illegal immigration Saturday at the Washington County Courthouse in Jonesborough. Dave Boyd photo.

JONESBOROUGH - What began as a peaceful illegal immigration demonstration turned briefly physical Saturday morning in Jonesborough after one side charged the other over the presence of a Mexican flag.

Carl Twofeathers Whitaker, a Sevierville resident who is running as an independent candidate for governor, was charged by members of a Hispanic group seeking to take the flag away from him.

Whitaker led the Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen, an organization dedicated to ensuring aliens immigrate to this country legally, in what he said was to be a silent response to a group of Hispanic protesters in front of the Washington County Courthouse.

The Hispanic group of 12 members was speaking out about immigration rights while the group of six Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen watched.

The Hispanic group, led by Azul Christian Caravaggio, is walking to Washington, stopping off in various locations along the way. Group members were holding signs saying "Are We Really Illegal?," "Minute Men + Hatred = Evil" and "We Don't Choose Our Race, 1 Race, The Human Race."

The Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen had signs, too, but group members mainly held American flags and chanted "U.S.A, U.S.A, U.S.A."

"We are doing this because we don't think we are illegal," Caravaggio said. "We don't think the human body can be illegal."

Caravaggio said her group expects to enlist 40 more marchers when it reaches Abingdon, Va.

"We were only three when we started," she said.

She said the group's mission is to encourage voters to vote for Democratic candidates.

Caravaggio also thought seeking a better life in the United States is impossible to do legally, for most. She compared illegal immigrants to European settlers, saying European immigrants killed the indigenous population of North America when they arrived.

"I don't know where else we can go," she said. "It's not a crime to come to this country just because you want to work," Caravaggio said.

Jonesborough police and Washington County sheriff's deputies were on hand to keep the peace.

Tensions mounted and things started to get heated when Whitaker and the Hispanic group began exchanging their views on immigration, something Whitaker said he never intended to happen.

"We have laws," Whitaker said to the other group in response to their presence. "There are laws in this country.

"These people have been agitating Minutemen all the way down the line," Whitaker said.

"They're taking advantage of us here."

He said illegal immigrants are not interested in contributing to the society, they just want a free ride. Whitaker said his protest has nothing to do with race and was adamant about the Tennessee Volunteer Minutemen not being a hate group.

"The only color it is is the color green; money," he said of the motivation for illegal immigration.

"When I grew up the word �illegal' meant that there was a law made and you're doing something wrong," he said.

The Hispanic group became angry at Whitaker because he had a Mexican flag tucked in his back pocket. They thought it was a deliberate provocation, aimed at disrespecting them.

Whitaker said he couldn't hold his protest sign properly unless he stuck the flag partially in his pants pocket.

As Whitaker was being interviewed by a WCYB-TV reporter, several of the immigrants charged him in an apparent attempt to grab the flag.

Authorities reacted quickly, separating the two sides and breaking up the rally that had been scheduled to last for an hour.

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Please go to www.smalltowndefenders.comWe have no one to blame but ourselves... We need to make our voices heard!!! Somebody maybe everybody needs to be fired in Washington.Americans' bill of rights:One - I promise not to use illegal workers to cut my grass.Two - I promise not to let builders build my home with illegal workers.Three - I promise to vote, ask questions and get involved in our government.Four - I want my country to be here for my children.Five - I promise not to pay illegal people off the books.Six - I promise to put our country over the needs to keep up with the Joneses.Seven - I promise to start to give a hoot.Eight - I will ask our government to start to enforce our immigration laws.Nine - I will eat out less and start to hire legal workers to do any jobs I need.Ten - I will not vacation in Mexico AND I will boycott their products until that country starts to make a difference.

Ron Melancon | 8/6/2006 - 1:18 AM - ( Comment

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Arguing over who has a "right" to be here is like two groups of fleas arguing over who has a "right" to be on a dog. Of course Mexican's and others have a "right" to be here, >LEGALLY
But it is a fact that if Mrs
Caravaggio, or any of her protetsing supporters, do not have legal resident alien status or American Citizenship they are "REALLY" illegal aliens.

Mrs Caravaggio asked, "I don't know where else we can go. Might I suggest Mexcio? Or back to where you came from until such time as you achieve LEGAL resident alien status?

No it is not a crime to come here just because you want to work, but it is CRIME to come here and work, and reside, without a green card. The human body has nothing to do with illegal entry and residence in the USA, other than the simple fact it ID's the person breaking our imigration laws. Nor does the history of European settlers to North America. They were not illegal, many of your supporters are Mrs Caravaggio!

Mr Whitaker is quoted as saying "illegal immigrants are not interested in contributing to the society, they just want a free ride" If that be your true feelings Mr. Whitaker you need to wakeup to the reality around you. Everyday these folks are doing >contributory< hard work that far to many of us from the blue collar working class of East Tennessee are physically unfit, unwilling, or just down right to slouthfuly and lazy to do. It is just as ture they come in and take good jobs we will do for lower wages and no bennifits. I would agree anyone believing the Minute Man Militia is a racists-hate based outfit is ignorant of the facts and people in it. But making such basically incorrect aligations as Mr. Whitaker makes is NOT a good way to win the hearts and mines of other disengauged and legal Americans!

I can also say for my part Mrs. Caravaggio your obserd statements on your "rights" have lost votes for democrates, not gainned them.

Imigration helped make this nation the best the world has yet know. Please people, pickup a history book sometime and get your facts stright!
Dave Butler
Jonesborough

Dave Butler | 7/25/2006 - 11:08 AM - ( Comment

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Ok let?s get real here. It this simple. If you like Mexico so much then go back. No one ever brags about something that they support or like. Example: If you have a bad family you don?t go to marches and so one to support them and stand up for them. So if the Illegal like support Mexico so much then they should go back. Have you ever heard of the old saying when in Rome do as the Romans do? We you are not in Rome but you are in the United States so do as we do here and support the American flag and not any other. My great great grandfather and great grandfather did not die for you to carry around and support any other flag. This is not about race. This is about what is right. You are illegal. If you are not a citizen of the place where you are then you are illegal. You should not be aloud to work if you are not a citizen. Just because you are only here to work and cause no harm dies not mean anything or make it right. Burger King has food, but I can?t just walk in and take it illegally. I must order and pay for it. If I do not do these steps it is illegal for me to have it. You should have to pay to work here as well. How do you pay to work here? Well that?s simple. Learn English. Learn our history and get your citizenship and pay taxes like we do. If you will do all then you will be considered an American and can have the same rights and will be treated with respect.

Justin Jones | 7/24/2006 - 1:16 AM - ( Comment

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All we keep hearing about is thier "right' to be here. That they own a portion of the southwest of the United States. Well, that would be news to the the American Indian tribes who were settled their first, and who were in constant warfare with the Mexicans. That is why the Mexicans wanted whites to settle in Texas. They were a buffer between the Mexicans and American Indian tribes, some of which led raids deep into the heart of old Mexico.The American INdian claimed the Southwest as their own. So if anybody has a legitimate beef it is the American Indian. By the Mexican's logic, then wouldn't all of the western hemisphere belong to the Asians, who first crossed the Bering Straight and settled this land from NORTH to SOUTH, not from Mexico North? Their claims are nothing but bull.

Dale St. John | 7/24/2006 - 9:22 AM - ( Comment

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In this country you can LEGALLY burn our flag, so why then can't we carry a Mexican flag where we darn well please, including the back pocket, Freedom of Expression, right? Understand Mr. Carravaggio. For some reason we are expected not to fly the Rebel flag because it might"offend" someone. Well I am offended at the Mexican flag. After all they killed Davy Crockett didn't they. He was from Tennessee wasn't he? Isn't Davy Crockett High School in Washington County? Couldn't it be considered offensive for Mexicans.. who killed Mr. Crockett to protest against a LEGAL protest in the county that bears a school named after him? How long will it be before we are forced to change the name of the school to accomodate people like Mr. Carravaggio.

Dale St. John | 7/23/2006 - 10:39 AM - ( Comment

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