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| A year ago, residents and officials prepared to get rid of the MCSO as their law enforcement agency. This year, Arpaio returned in full force, and he is there to stay. |
| Multimedia Coverage by Eduardo Barraza |
| M U L T I M E D I A |
| CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW PHOTO GALLERY |
| Guadalupe's Residents Protest Against Sheriff Arpaio as Officials Act to Keep Him |
Guadalupe, Arizona (March 28,
2009) As if it were an
anniversary celebration to
remember the sweeps his
department conducted in
Guadalupe a year ago, Sheriff
Joe Arpaio made an impressively
ridiculous visit to the town on
March 26. The underlying
message is there, subject to any
interpretation, but Arpaio’s
heavy deployment of deputies
seemed to be intended to
remind people that in spite of all
2009) As if it were an
anniversary celebration to
remember the sweeps his
department conducted in
Guadalupe a year ago, Sheriff
Joe Arpaio made an impressively
ridiculous visit to the town on
March 26. The underlying
message is there, subject to any
interpretation, but Arpaio’s
heavy deployment of deputies
seemed to be intended to
remind people that in spite of all
the controversy, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department
(MCSO) is still the law enforcement authority there. That he, as
one famous Mexican song goes, “continues being the king.”
In any case, the unnecessarily wasteful use of MCSO’s
resources –a battalion of vehicles, deputies, and plain-clothes
employees– showed either the extent of Arpaio’s despise for
this small community or the size of his fear. An unfamiliar visitor
to Guadalupe would have thought a dignitary or perhaps even
President Obama himself was in town, not an old sheriff from
one of the 15 Arizona counties.
From the standpoint of the sheriff deputies who stood there
trying to impress the crowd of protestors with intimidating
postures and bored-to-death faces, the night was a total waste.
Guadalupe’s families, along with their mischievous, activists-in-
the-making children, were not in any way or at any point a
threat to the safety of the town. Most sheriff deputies observing
the crowd were facing the sunset of the windy and dusty
evening, and some were probably annoyed about the ludicrous
position they were assigned of protecting their boss from
citizens from rival points of view exercising their freedom of
expression, by yelling, screaming and gesturing at each
other.
But if Arpaio’s message to this proud community of about 5,500
people was to remind them about his April 3 and 4 of 2008
sweeps, they were prepared to remind him as well how bravely,
defiantly and spontaneously they confronted him a year ago,
giving the septuagenarian sheriff a black eye to his arrogance.
For on the second day of his immigration sweep, he had to
gutlessly move his command center to the safety of his
department’s complex, a few miles east of Guadalupe.
The night of April 3, 2008, as the crowd of protesters that
included public officials angrily confronted him, Arpaio was boiling
in anger, challenging the former mayor of Guadalupe to end the
contract they had to receive law-enforcement services from the
MCSO. Back then, there was almost a general consensus by
town officials and the community to go ahead and “fire” Arpaio
and to kick him out of town. Guadalupe supported Maricopa
sheriff’s candidate Dan Saban, and were ready to contract with
another law enforcement agency to take care of their safety.
But even before Sheriff Arpaio was reelected for a fifth term in
November of last year, the likelihood of his department leaving
Guadalupe began to fade. Attempts to contract another police
department were unsuccessful. As the alternatives to have a
(MCSO) is still the law enforcement authority there. That he, as
one famous Mexican song goes, “continues being the king.”
In any case, the unnecessarily wasteful use of MCSO’s
resources –a battalion of vehicles, deputies, and plain-clothes
employees– showed either the extent of Arpaio’s despise for
this small community or the size of his fear. An unfamiliar visitor
to Guadalupe would have thought a dignitary or perhaps even
President Obama himself was in town, not an old sheriff from
one of the 15 Arizona counties.
From the standpoint of the sheriff deputies who stood there
trying to impress the crowd of protestors with intimidating
postures and bored-to-death faces, the night was a total waste.
Guadalupe’s families, along with their mischievous, activists-in-
the-making children, were not in any way or at any point a
threat to the safety of the town. Most sheriff deputies observing
the crowd were facing the sunset of the windy and dusty
evening, and some were probably annoyed about the ludicrous
position they were assigned of protecting their boss from
citizens from rival points of view exercising their freedom of
expression, by yelling, screaming and gesturing at each
other.
But if Arpaio’s message to this proud community of about 5,500
people was to remind them about his April 3 and 4 of 2008
sweeps, they were prepared to remind him as well how bravely,
defiantly and spontaneously they confronted him a year ago,
giving the septuagenarian sheriff a black eye to his arrogance.
For on the second day of his immigration sweep, he had to
gutlessly move his command center to the safety of his
department’s complex, a few miles east of Guadalupe.
The night of April 3, 2008, as the crowd of protesters that
included public officials angrily confronted him, Arpaio was boiling
in anger, challenging the former mayor of Guadalupe to end the
contract they had to receive law-enforcement services from the
MCSO. Back then, there was almost a general consensus by
town officials and the community to go ahead and “fire” Arpaio
and to kick him out of town. Guadalupe supported Maricopa
sheriff’s candidate Dan Saban, and were ready to contract with
another law enforcement agency to take care of their safety.
But even before Sheriff Arpaio was reelected for a fifth term in
November of last year, the likelihood of his department leaving
Guadalupe began to fade. Attempts to contract another police
department were unsuccessful. As the alternatives to have a
| More Multimedia Coverage on the Town of Guadalupe, Arziona |
 |
 |
 |
new agency providing police services to the town died away, and new leadership in the town’s Council took over, the
problem shifted from how to get rid of Arpaio to how to convince him to stay. So a year later after Guadalupe began
to seek out either to end its contract with the MCSO or help elect Dan Saban, Arpaio returned on March 26, invited by
new Mayor Frank Montiel, for a sweet revenge with an excessive, insulting and intimidating show of force.
For hours before Arpaio’s arrival, sheriff deputies were driving their cars up and down Guadalupe’s main avenue,
Avenida del Yaqui, as well as going in and out of the town’s streets. The town’s council building became a fortress
that seemed to be on alert for a possible bomb threat. Groups of deputies were pouring in to the small town in
shuttle vans, as if they were arriving to the scene of a hostage situation. They surrounded the building on what
seemed like a drill for a terrorist attack. Why did Guadalupe authorities allow the sheriff to deploy such a needles
and abusive apparatus of force against their peaceful citizens?
This year’s protest, unlike 2008’s, was not as intense, even though a couple dozen of Arpaio’s groupies, who not
just support him but literally love him, showed up. Some of these supporters were standing on the opposite side of
the sidewalk across the driveway of the parking lot, when a load of sheriff deputies arrived. These officers, some of
them elderly men who look like members of the sheriff’s posse, were received like war heroes returning home from
Iraq with cheers and clapping from Arpaio’s fans. These deputies dutifully rushed to the “emergency” zone to join the
battalion that surrounded the building to protect it from housewives, working men, teenagers and children.
BARRIOZONA’s multimedia coverage video of this protest shows this moment.
Verbal confrontations among Guadalupe’s residents and Arpaio’s followers abounded. At one point, there was even
a sort of singing match between fans and foes of Joe Arpaio. “Nananana, nananana, hey, hey, hey, goodbye,” the
patriots sang in chorus, led by an elderly man who in the Fall of 2007’s protests outside the Pruitt’s furniture store in
East Phoenix, adapted this old song to say “goodbye” to undocumented immigrants. On the other side of the
driveway, led by Puente Arizona’s organizer Salvador Reza, town residents intoned a Mexican popular song,
parodied for the occasion: “We will run Arpaio out of Guadalupe, from Guadalupe we will run this “guey” out!”
As Arpaio made his appearance before the town’s council, a youthful relief of MEChA group members, led by ASU’s
student and youth activist Sandra Castro, attracted the youngest members who over-shouted the opposite side with
the chant “racists, go home!, racists, go home!, racists, go home!,” that infuriated some anti-demonstrators. After
Arpaio left, and MCSO’s operative was disassembled, the small crowd began to dissipate as the night fell over
Guadalupe.
There was not the slightest indication that this protest was going to turn into a riot. Arpaio is frequently trying to
play with people’s minds using deceptive rhetoric that is actually lying. One needs to remember in his early career he
was trained to be a professional liar as an undercover narcotics agent. In past protests, he has actually given place
to volatile atmospheres. This time it was Arpaio’s payback to a town that had the courage to defy him.
Aside protests and the sheriff’s likelihood to return to do more sweeps when he pleases, without any other
alternatives at least for now, Guadalupe residents are stuck with the MCSO and its boss Joe Arpaio. The contract
with the law enforcement agency he heads will continue, just as the people’s struggle against him there and
elsewhere is far from being over.
problem shifted from how to get rid of Arpaio to how to convince him to stay. So a year later after Guadalupe began
to seek out either to end its contract with the MCSO or help elect Dan Saban, Arpaio returned on March 26, invited by
new Mayor Frank Montiel, for a sweet revenge with an excessive, insulting and intimidating show of force.
For hours before Arpaio’s arrival, sheriff deputies were driving their cars up and down Guadalupe’s main avenue,
Avenida del Yaqui, as well as going in and out of the town’s streets. The town’s council building became a fortress
that seemed to be on alert for a possible bomb threat. Groups of deputies were pouring in to the small town in
shuttle vans, as if they were arriving to the scene of a hostage situation. They surrounded the building on what
seemed like a drill for a terrorist attack. Why did Guadalupe authorities allow the sheriff to deploy such a needles
and abusive apparatus of force against their peaceful citizens?
This year’s protest, unlike 2008’s, was not as intense, even though a couple dozen of Arpaio’s groupies, who not
just support him but literally love him, showed up. Some of these supporters were standing on the opposite side of
the sidewalk across the driveway of the parking lot, when a load of sheriff deputies arrived. These officers, some of
them elderly men who look like members of the sheriff’s posse, were received like war heroes returning home from
Iraq with cheers and clapping from Arpaio’s fans. These deputies dutifully rushed to the “emergency” zone to join the
battalion that surrounded the building to protect it from housewives, working men, teenagers and children.
BARRIOZONA’s multimedia coverage video of this protest shows this moment.
Verbal confrontations among Guadalupe’s residents and Arpaio’s followers abounded. At one point, there was even
a sort of singing match between fans and foes of Joe Arpaio. “Nananana, nananana, hey, hey, hey, goodbye,” the
patriots sang in chorus, led by an elderly man who in the Fall of 2007’s protests outside the Pruitt’s furniture store in
East Phoenix, adapted this old song to say “goodbye” to undocumented immigrants. On the other side of the
driveway, led by Puente Arizona’s organizer Salvador Reza, town residents intoned a Mexican popular song,
parodied for the occasion: “We will run Arpaio out of Guadalupe, from Guadalupe we will run this “guey” out!”
As Arpaio made his appearance before the town’s council, a youthful relief of MEChA group members, led by ASU’s
student and youth activist Sandra Castro, attracted the youngest members who over-shouted the opposite side with
the chant “racists, go home!, racists, go home!, racists, go home!,” that infuriated some anti-demonstrators. After
Arpaio left, and MCSO’s operative was disassembled, the small crowd began to dissipate as the night fell over
Guadalupe.
There was not the slightest indication that this protest was going to turn into a riot. Arpaio is frequently trying to
play with people’s minds using deceptive rhetoric that is actually lying. One needs to remember in his early career he
was trained to be a professional liar as an undercover narcotics agent. In past protests, he has actually given place
to volatile atmospheres. This time it was Arpaio’s payback to a town that had the courage to defy him.
Aside protests and the sheriff’s likelihood to return to do more sweeps when he pleases, without any other
alternatives at least for now, Guadalupe residents are stuck with the MCSO and its boss Joe Arpaio. The contract
with the law enforcement agency he heads will continue, just as the people’s struggle against him there and
elsewhere is far from being over.
| VIDEO |