Las Vegas illegal immigration conference to be protested
By Chris Kelly   ·   May 26, 2005 09:28 PM

From the AP report "Anti-immigration conference in Las Vegas spurs plan for protest":

A conference on the dangers of illegal immigration has drawn calls for protests from a coalition that claims the weekend meeting is designed to stir racial bias.

"We feel like they are attacking our community and trying to change the mentality of the people against us," said Alan Torres, who is planning a protest outside the conference in Las Vegas.

The event, called "Unite to Fight Against Illegal Immigration," is being organized at the city's Cashman Center by Mark Edwards, a radio talk show host and founder of the Wake Up America Foundation.

The two-day conference starting Saturday is scheduled to feature U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, a leading congressional voice against illegal immigration, and Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project...

...Torres represents Asociacion Civil del Estado de Durango, a group of Mexican emigrants living in Las Vegas...

This AP report appears to be based on the Las Vegas Sun report "Illegal immigration forum protested". Unlike the AP report, the LV Sun article quoted Torres as calling the event organizers "Nazi white supremacist(s)."

However, the LV Sun story left out Torres' affiliation. Thankfully, a quick search turned up the May 6 report from the same reporter in the same paper entitled "More Mexicans in Las Vegas lead dual lives":

Alan Torres, a local mortgage broker who is secretary of the Civil Association of the State of Durango, a civic group that helps Durango natives in Nevada...

Torres helped organize the first Congress of Communities of Duranguenses... The event featured groups like his from around the nation, as well as the mayors of almost half of Durango's 39 municipalities...

Perhaps the AP, the Las Vegas Sun, and the Review-Journal should look into this protest in a bit more depth. What are Torres' affiliations and who exactly is he protesting on behalf of? In brief, which country does he represent? Please ask the AP to look into this matter: feedback *at* ap.org



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