Alamogordo NM
Opinion
Monday June 16 2025 7:43pm

Peaceful Protest vs. Riots: A Commentary by Gary Perry

One of the great things about America is a citizens' right to differ in opinions and conduct peaceful protest in support of their views.

Over the past 10 days most of America has witnessed what has been happening in the Los Angeles area. Mayor Bass has claimed the situation has been, and is, under control. The national news media has publicly said the protest have been "largely" peaceful and only small pockets of disturbances.

Under control, small pockets of disturbance?

One news commentator making similar statements, while in the background tear gas, and rubber bullets were being used to push back a crowd that was throwing rocks and bricks at law enforcement. Burning cars, looting stores, smashing windows and yes, even trashing the American Flag while waiving the Mexican Flag. I guess that's Mayor Bass and the media's idea of under control. 

Apparently, Mayor Bass has a problem distinguishing the difference between a peaceful protest and a riot.

Of course, in reality we know that isn't true. She and many others simply can't come to terms with the fact that they can't control the situation and seek to downplay it and place the blame on the National Guard being deployed.

I support a citizens' right to peacefully protest.

For several weekends local protests in Alamogordo have been conducted at the corner of White Sands and 10th street.

No one has blocked traffic. Walgreens hasn't been looted, and they packed up, cleaned up, and went home in the late afternoon. Now that's a "peaceful protest."

The situation in Los Angeles is nothing more than a riot providing opportunities to destroy property, loot businesses, and interfere with the daily lives of residents. The mayor of Las Angeles and the news media seem to think they can convince the public otherwise, but the truth is in the pictures and videos. 

"A picture is worth a thousand words!"
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6-17-2025 7:06am

The main reasons the protests have remained peaceful here is two fold.
First, there's no national media here to cover story of out of control police attacking peaceful protestors.
Second, to enhance the narrative of largely peaceful protests, they need to be able to point to places that remained peaceful.
Quite a few of the protestors here were not local. They were paid protestors brought in from Las Cruces, El Paso, and even as far as California.  Their presence here was to start trouble if there was a camera to perform for.

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6-17-2025 8:28am

Please provide proof that these protestors were paid. Provide us a paycheck stub and a notarized statement from a local participant that was bussed in and paid. Individuals keep claiming this assertion yet no one has produced for us a shred of factual evidence to prove that assertion.

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6-17-2025 12:07pm

Pam Bondi is in the process of getting that documentation, and it should be available sooner rather than later.
But speaking of fact checks, I haven't seen a peep from you about accusations that Trump and his administration are violating the constitution and federal law, without the slightest word of what action they're talking about, or what laws, or sections of the constitution have been violated.
In particular I have asked Tom Mitchel on numerous occasions to give specific details on his accusations, which are never forth coming.
The No Kings Protest is another good example of blanket accusations without a single detail to hold up as evidence.
You claim to be a conservative, and also claim that you strive to keep Alamogordo Town News as a non-biased forum.  Yet I have pointed out numerous times recently that your articles, and particularly headlines, have a very left lean to them.
If you're going to start calling out things that haven't been substantiated, that's fine with me, I can live within that realm quite easily.  But if you're going to call out one, then you must start calling out all.

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6-17-2025 4:03pm

Again Pam is not interested in Alamogordo. We have searched for these so called locals that were paid protesters in Alamogordo that you assert were paid. We don’t care about elsewhere prove the local protest was staged with actors and paid. As a conservative I want to have proof in hand or else your credibility is lost. I keep hearing the accusation and will happily publish a check stub and payment made to an individual that is local from George Siri’s. Until someone can produce for me local evidence it is just a conspiracy theory plain and simple. If you don’t like the platform you are welcome to join some other. We are happy to host points of view that are fact based and have documents to support the claims.

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6-18-2025 1:08pm

i am calling you out.  you say you ask for proof, and ignore what is sent in return!
recently, you were gushing about what a great job elon musk was doing - and i told you that he had benefitted millions of $ by over-riding numerous potential fines and penalties outstanding against him and his business interests.  you asked for proof (and said that YOU would prosecute him), and when i provided said proof...crickets.

you told me that dear leader had "many" civic and civil rights awards - and i sent you a search engine address that referenced 3.4 million articles to undermine the absurd statement you made.  since then, dear leader has chosen to remove MLK's bust from the white (boy is it ever!) house - and in return the NAACP has, for the first time in 116 years NOT invited a sitting president to their national convention. here's just one - Fair Housing Act Anniversary: Trump and His Father Were Sued for Racial Discrimination, and These People Still Want an Apology - Newsweek

but, civil rights violations are pouring in - you continue to ask for proof that dear leader is violating the constitution.  OKAY here goes, in the first 100 days general bonespurs has had 220 lawsuits filed against him in federal courts across the nation. please understand, these are not personal injury lawsuits - not estate/wills lawsuits - not NDA lawsuits - not patent infringement lawsuits - THEY ARE 100% CONSTITUTIONAL LAWSUITS.  that means they accuse your dear leader of VIOLATIONS of our constitution.  here's one of many sources to attest to this FACT -   How Trump is faring in the courts, in four charts - CSMonitor.com

as for the journalist who provides this venue for our use - he may indeed be a conservative, i don't know the fellow - but he is obviously not a fool.  one of the most alarming things about these times is the fact that only a tiny fraction of republicans have the guts to speak out when they know full-well the damage that is being inflicted on our institutions.  

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6-21-2025 7:24am

The constitution of the United States is 18 pages long including amendments and signatory pages, why haven't you read it?

There have been upwards of 270 lawsuits filed against the Trump administration since Jan.  Many activist judges have issued preliminary injunctions against the administration, some of which have been stayed on appeal.
Many cases have already been dismissed, including some in which a preliminary injunction was issued.  Which in my opinion shows a clear political bias by the issuing judge.  How can a judge issue an injunction based on the merits, when there are no merits warranting a trial?

This is lawfare being waged by the Democrat party and nothing else.
I have seen no cases charging a violation of the constitution that are valid.
So now the onus is on you yourself to provide details of where Trump has violated the constitution.
I have provided on more than one occasion details of where the constitution allows Trump to take action, and in some cases where it demands him to take the action he has. 
Anyone can file a lawsuit, and any activist politically biased judge can issue an injunction.  Show me a valid lawsuit and the section of the constitution that Trump has violated.
Yes, this means you have to read, and think.

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6-21-2025 9:59am

rest assured that i have read the constitution, and the bill of rights, and the various amendments added over the centuries. 

what you seem to imply is that judges with whom you disagree are somehow defective, and their incompetence (as determined by YOU) should render their rulings null and void.  please detail how you would separate competent vs. incompetent federal judges.

how about those 61 court cases initiated by dear leaders faithful followers challenging the results of the 2020 election? a grand sum total of one of them was adjudicated in his favor - the other 60 were either dismissed or ruled against dear leader. and now, he's going to open ANOTHER INVESTIGATION into the humiliation of his defeat: 
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114715950565535905
does it seem odd to you that dear leader's ego seems to insist on such ridiculous maneuvers?
 
and i will note that you continue to ignore the information that i have posted in response to your senseless assertions.

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6-21-2025 11:03am

As I keep pointing out, you haven't posted anything other than accusations.

You say you've read the constitution, open it up and point to the sections you think he's violated and why.

One of the many things you'll find upon a careful reading of the constitution is that contrary to popular belief, congress does NOT hold the exclusive power to declare war.

The only power granted exclusively to congress in Article I, section 8, is the power to exercise legislation over D.C.
There may be other LAWS preventing the president from declaring war, but the constitution doesn't bar him.

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6-21-2025 1:09pm

i am pointing to the 220 court cases (and you have updated to 270+) wherein attorneys general, numerous national organizations, and other interested parties have ALREADY accused your dear leader of violations of the constitution and laws of the nation.  if you would bother to investigate, you would find that he has been found guilty of more than a few of those charges.
you do remember that dear leader has the distinction of being the sole and only person ever to hold the office as a convicted felon.
why do you keep changing the subject?  looks weak to me.

but, i recognize that it is a cult - and you are not only marching in the parade...but carrying a banner.    

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6-18-2025 9:35am

I don't know where John Baake gets his information, but I am sure he does not have a direct line to Pam Bondi... 

I started the protests on President's Day of 2025. We have been on the same corner EVERY SATURDAY SINCE THEN. That is 18 weeks of peaceful protest. The only issues we have had were a inebriated homeless person who shouted at us, one motorcycle wipeout in the intersection and a fender bender in front of the pot shop. Of course we have the really mature people who throw the finger and try to drown us out with revved motorcycle engines and large plumes of diesel smoke

We have all kinds of people who attend. I have seen a family in a large RV, just passing through, stop and join the protest. We have have people from Las Cruces (yes, I guess they were "imported", but NOT PAID) who came to help our cause. We have Texans vacationing in the mountains who come down regularly. 

I stand on my rights to protest and believe it is my right to wave my flag and make my statements. Others feel the same way, and if you do not, then just ignore us. PROTEST IS PATRIOTIC.

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6-18-2025 1:16pm

those who attend these protests - here and elsewhere - are not imported....they have come of their own free will - and paid their own way. they are exercising their CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

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6-21-2025 6:32am

While I don't agree with any of the reasoning behind your protest, I do agree with your right to protest.  I commend you on keeping your protests peaceful.

You stage these protests to get a response, and then complain about responses that are negative.  The sign language and revving of motors are also forms of free speech.  I'm not sure what other type of response you're looking for.
If you think a more proper response would be a counter protest, then your looking for escalation.
The reason there has been little to no counter protests, is that few take your protests seriously.  Most would consider it a waste of time.

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