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'Death of Democracy' Rally Keeps Heat on Maricopa Board of Supervisors
As members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (BOS)
prepared to hold their “Passing of the Gavel” meeting on Monday
morning, members of the Maricopa Citizens for Safety and
Accountability (MCSA) coalition, prepared to have a “funeral
procession for democracy.”
The early morning rally began at the north sidewalk of Washington
Street, in front of the Wells Fargo corporate building, the same spot
where for the last four months, members of another local movement
—Puente Arizona— have been protesting the financial institution for
renting office space to the sheriff’s department.
Members of MCSA organized their event to attend the BOS’ Monday
meeting to show their support to the new board’s Chairman, Max
Wilson, who was “handed the gavel” by Andrew Kunasek. However,
MCSA’s members were denied the opportunity to speak at the
meeting.
Before the meeting, dozens of demonstrators walked from the Wells
Fargo building in a funeral procession fashion toward the auditorium
where the BOS’ meeting would take place. Leading the short walk
was a group of four men dressed in black, carrying a symbolic coffin,
followed by a cortège of dozens of “mourners” walking through the
Cesar Chavez plaza.
The demonstration had the purpose of raising awareness about the
BOS’ refusal to place MCSA’s demands on their meeting’s agenda.
MCSA has been insisting to be allowed to have a full hearing on
issues related to public safety and what they consider wasted
taxpayer money by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
According to organizers’ tenets, MCSA is formed by a coalition of
community based organizations, labor unions, religious leaders,
students, and elected officials.
MCSA’s continuous actions since last summer have created turmoil at
the BOS’ meetings. In turn, several members of the coalition have
been arrested by sheriff deputies on charges that go from disorderly
conduct to criminal trespass. The most recent incident involved four
individuals who were arrested for clapping their hands at a fellow
member during the December 17, 2008 meeting.
Deputies at the auditorium’s entrance distributed flyers to all
meeting attendees stating that though the meeting was public,
“anyone who is disruptive or who directs or incites to be disruptive
will be removed from the meeting. Several sheriff deputies were
present both outside and inside the auditorium.
Members of the Board of Supervisors conducted their scheduled
meeting with no incidents. Previous to the meeting, Maricopa County
Supervisors took their oaths to begin their new term, and Former
Chairman Andrew Kunasek was replaced in that capacity by
Supervisor Max Wilson.
MCSA coalition members offered a press conference outside the
auditorium after the meeting. They read written statements intended
for the BOS’ meeting. Attorney Daniel Ortega stated that “now more
than ever we need a chairman that would welcome and embrace
citizens from all walks of life,” referring to new Chairman Wilson.
“I feel that my rights as a citizen have been violated,” said Ayensa
Millan, during Monday’s press conference. Millan, a coalition member,
was arrested along with three other women on December 15 while
sitting in a Maricopa County building’s lobby. “I was astonished to
see how an elected official would use his power to violate the rights
of those who he is supposed to protect.”
prepared to hold their “Passing of the Gavel” meeting on Monday
morning, members of the Maricopa Citizens for Safety and
Accountability (MCSA) coalition, prepared to have a “funeral
procession for democracy.”
The early morning rally began at the north sidewalk of Washington
Street, in front of the Wells Fargo corporate building, the same spot
where for the last four months, members of another local movement
—Puente Arizona— have been protesting the financial institution for
renting office space to the sheriff’s department.
Members of MCSA organized their event to attend the BOS’ Monday
meeting to show their support to the new board’s Chairman, Max
Wilson, who was “handed the gavel” by Andrew Kunasek. However,
MCSA’s members were denied the opportunity to speak at the
meeting.
Before the meeting, dozens of demonstrators walked from the Wells
Fargo building in a funeral procession fashion toward the auditorium
where the BOS’ meeting would take place. Leading the short walk
was a group of four men dressed in black, carrying a symbolic coffin,
followed by a cortège of dozens of “mourners” walking through the
Cesar Chavez plaza.
The demonstration had the purpose of raising awareness about the
BOS’ refusal to place MCSA’s demands on their meeting’s agenda.
MCSA has been insisting to be allowed to have a full hearing on
issues related to public safety and what they consider wasted
taxpayer money by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).
According to organizers’ tenets, MCSA is formed by a coalition of
community based organizations, labor unions, religious leaders,
students, and elected officials.
MCSA’s continuous actions since last summer have created turmoil at
the BOS’ meetings. In turn, several members of the coalition have
been arrested by sheriff deputies on charges that go from disorderly
conduct to criminal trespass. The most recent incident involved four
individuals who were arrested for clapping their hands at a fellow
member during the December 17, 2008 meeting.
Deputies at the auditorium’s entrance distributed flyers to all
meeting attendees stating that though the meeting was public,
“anyone who is disruptive or who directs or incites to be disruptive
will be removed from the meeting. Several sheriff deputies were
present both outside and inside the auditorium.
Members of the Board of Supervisors conducted their scheduled
meeting with no incidents. Previous to the meeting, Maricopa County
Supervisors took their oaths to begin their new term, and Former
Chairman Andrew Kunasek was replaced in that capacity by
Supervisor Max Wilson.
MCSA coalition members offered a press conference outside the
auditorium after the meeting. They read written statements intended
for the BOS’ meeting. Attorney Daniel Ortega stated that “now more
than ever we need a chairman that would welcome and embrace
citizens from all walks of life,” referring to new Chairman Wilson.
“I feel that my rights as a citizen have been violated,” said Ayensa
Millan, during Monday’s press conference. Millan, a coalition member,
was arrested along with three other women on December 15 while
sitting in a Maricopa County building’s lobby. “I was astonished to
see how an elected official would use his power to violate the rights
of those who he is supposed to protect.”
Press Relase January 5, 2009
Leading the short walk
was a group of four men dressed in
black, carrying a symbolic coffin,
followed by a cortège of dozens of
“mourners” walking through the
Cesar Chavez plaza. View Photo Gallery
Photo by Eduardo Barraza
was a group of four men dressed in
black, carrying a symbolic coffin,
followed by a cortège of dozens of
“mourners” walking through the
Cesar Chavez plaza. View Photo Gallery
Photo by Eduardo Barraza
Published by the Hispanic Institute of Social Issues in Phoenix, Arizona
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Eduardo Barraza is a journalist and writer,
Barriozona Magazine's editor, and director of
the Hispanic Insitute of Social Issues.
E-mail: editor@barriozona.com
Barriozona Magazine's editor, and director of
the Hispanic Insitute of Social Issues.
E-mail: editor@barriozona.com
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