San Francisco: Gonzales-free territory

Alberto Gonzales has been run out of San Francisco before he could even get here. 

In an event sponsored by the SF Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Gonzales was supposed to meet with a small group Friday morning at Medjool Restaurant to talk about immigration.  But with just about every group in the Bay Area planning to protest this architect of torture and advocate of Bush's immigration indentured servitude plan, the SFHCC (and Gonzales?) got cold feet.

The Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition states:

We are happy to report that the event with U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will not take place tomorrow.  As a result, no protest will be organized.  We express our gratitude to Medjool restaurant for supporting the cancellation of this event.

The SF Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the organizer of the event, does not intend to hold the event elsewhere - citing “security reasons.”  While the Hispanic Chamber has stated that it does not endorse Gonzales or President Bush’s immigration proposal, many people in the Bay Area immigrant community express concern that the Chamber would offer a platform to a known champion of torture and human rights abuses. BAIRC and its allies hope to continue to dialogue with the Hispanic Chamber on human rights and immigration reform.

Unfortunately, though not showing his face in SF, Gonzales will instead be hosted by the Commonwealth Club of Silicon Valley (always ready to greet war criminals with open arms) in Santa Clara, near San Jose.  A call to protest has been issued by the South Bay Mobilization:

Friday, July 21
Unwelcome Attorney-General Gonzales to the South Bay! - Santa Clara
Amnesty for All Immigrants-No 'Bracero' program!
End the Torture-Shut Down Guantanamo!
No to U.S.-Israeli Assaults on Gaza and Lebanon!
10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Santa Clara Marriott
2700 Mission College Blvd (near Great America Parkway and Hwy 101)