Tucson Says "No" To Sheriff Joe
by Steev Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008 at 2:22 PM

On the morning of January 25, Tucson community members met at the Sheraton Hotel on Broadway to unwelcome Joe Arapaio, the racist, anti-immigrant sheriff of Maricopa county.

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Sheriff Joe Arpaio, known for his hardball tactics targeting undocumented migrants and wholesale violations of civil rights in Maricopa County, visted Tucson Friday, invited to speak at a luncheon of the Pima County Republican Women's Club. He was met by approximately 50 protesters from local immigrant rights groups and other organizations.

In a brief exchange with reporters on his way into the Sheraton Hotel, Arpaio admitted that he was surprised to see the demonstrators, claiming that he gave lectures around the country and never has recieved such a negative reception, but asserting it was his "right as an American citizen" to come to Tucson.

He also claimed that 25% of the incarcerated criminals in his county were "illegal immigrants". Protesters disputed this claim, as do many experts nationwide whenever various anti-immigrants make wild assertions like this.

A report on the demonstration, by Narco News reporter Brenda Norrell, is below:

TUCSON -- Protesters sent a loud message to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio to "Go Home!" and take his practices of racism, xenophobia and vigilante patrols with him. Protesting outside the Sheraton Tucson on January 25, where Arpaio was the speaker at the Pima County Republican Women's Club luncheon, border rights activists and other local residents called for an end to the reign of Arpaio's repression and lawlessness.

Arpaio's practice of racial targeting of people of color and the addition of Minutemen to patrols were two of the reasons that Pima County residents sent a loud message to Arpaio. Tucson is located in Pima County, southeast of Phoenix and Maricopa County where Arpaio carries out his vigilante raids.

Derechos Humanos/Coalición de Derechos Humanos delivered a letter to Pima County Republican Women's Club.

"As members of the Pima County community, we are here today to question your decision to invite Sheriff Joe Arpaio to speak at your event. As you should be aware, Sheriff Arpaio bears much responsibility for the extremely volatile racial atmosphere in Phoenix and its outlying areas.

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