Don Palabraz

In Riverside, neo-Nazis squared off with counterprotesters yesterday for the second time in as many months. Twenty members of the National Socialist Movement assembled to rally against immigration and the presence of day laborers in the city that I once called home for three years. Greatly dwarfing the haters, an estimated 600 hundred counterprotesters came to drown them out. The situation, greatly amplified from the previous standoff on September 26th, was tense as police and SWAT team members erected barricades between the two groups.

A brief shoving match broke out last month before the neo-Nazis essentially packed up early and left. This time around it came to fisticuffs as the Press Enterprise reported that one brown beret member breached the barricade as other members of the organization brawled with hate group. Chingasos were openly thrown before the police broke up the confrontation. An LA IndyMedia update noted law enforcement’s use of batons against the brown berets with a member from their ranks arrested as a result of the scuffle.

As the neo-Nazis continued with their three hour hate rally, another counterprotestor was arrested. Facing the most serious charges stemming from the standoff, a man who identified himself as Geronimo Rivera to the press was taken into custody on $25,000 bail for assault with a deadly weapon. The arsenal? Rivera allegedly lobbed limes at the neo-Nazis as the rally was coming to a close. Now when was the last time you heard of someone getting pelted to death with small, green limes? These outrageous charges against Rivera should be dropped immediately!