Psst! Could you protesters/rioters at least fake patriotism by waving American, not Mexican, flags?
The Los Angeles Times is fretting that Mexican flags displayed in the violent anti-Trump protests in Costa Mesa, Mexifornia – er, California – Thursday night will have “unintended consequences” come election time.
First, the Times noted the violence that plagued the protest:
Hundreds of demonstrators filled the street outside the Orange County amphitheater where Trump held a rally Thursday night, stomping on cars, hurling rocks at motorists and forcefully declaring their opposition to the Republican presidential candidate. At least 17 were arrested.
Traffic came to a halt as protesters walked in the roadway, some waving American and Mexican flags. Protesters smashed a window on at least one police cruiser, punctured the tires of a police sport utility vehicle and at one point, tried to flip a police car.
Video footage showed some demonstrators hurling debris at a passing pickup. One group carried benches and blocked the entrance to the 55 Freeway along Newport Boulevard, with some tossing rocks at motorists near the on-ramp.
Newsbusters reports that the Times went on to demonstrate less concern about the rioting and more about the possible pro-Trump blowback. Here is the leftist rag suggesting a scary (for Democrats) scenario:
It’s hard to know how such protests will impact the GOP race.
Some conservatives pointed with outrage to the use of the Mexican flag during the Costa Mesa protest.
During the anti-Proposition 187 rallies of 1994, the flying of the Mexican flag may have increased support for the initiative, which would have denied public services to immigrants here illegally. It was passed by voters but overturned by the courts.
Protesters carrying the Mexican flag during the 2006 protests also sparked debate.
As those protests continued, there were fewer Mexican flags and more American flags. That happened in part because Spanish-language DJs who promoted the demonstration during their radio shows urged participants to carry American flags to show their patriotism.
“If we want to live here, we want to demonstrate that we love this country and we love the American flag,” DJ Eddie “El Piolin” Sotelo said at the time.
As Newsbusters points out, the subtle message there is:
Psst! Could you protesters/rioters at least fake patriotism by waving American, not Mexican, flags? It’s only temporary in order to fool public opinion.
By waving those ubiquitous Mexican flags during their violent rampage, those protesters did more to drum up support for Donald Trump than any number of rallies he could have attended.
Source: http://blogdogcicle.blogspot.com/2016/05/psst-could-you-protestersrioters-at.html
