NEW YORK
The protesters who disrupted a Columbia University speech by the leader of the civilian immigration monitoring group the Minuteman Project stood by their action Monday, handing out an eight-page list of statements supporting their position.
Student Karina Garcia, spokeswoman for the Chicano Caucus, denied that her group had interfered with anyone’s right of free speech and said news reports of Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist being attacked by protesters were untrue.
“The truth is that when the protesters unfurled a banner saying ‘No Human Being is Illegal,’ they were attacked by Minutemen who jumped on stage, then some other students unfurled another banner,” Garcia said in a telephone interview.
Gilchrist was not attacked but “took off his glasses and was laughing,” she added.
According to Garcia, student Martin Lopez, was “kicked in the face” by a Minuteman and was bleeding. He did not go to a hospital or file a police report at the time, but may have filed a report since, she said. She also said the group was “talking to our lawyers.”
Minuteman spokesman Tim Bueler said Monday that only three representatives of the group were present at the Oct. 4 event, and that none of them had physically attacked anyone.
