By H. Nelson Goodson
July 11, 2014
Milwaukee, WI - Last September, Mexican Fiesta representatives during a news conference limit to only favorable Fiesta media outlets announced that they will continue to follow the same practice as in 2013, to ban certaIn unfavorable tattoos and clothing worn by people attending the three-day festival in August. The Milwaukee Common Council, Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn seem to be condoning Mexican Fiesta's and the Milwaukee Police Department's (MPD) profiling of Latinos attending the event. Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) notified city officials and World Festivals Inc. who rents the Henry Mier Festival Grounds (Summerfest grounds) from the city about Mexican Fiesta's years of profiling and alleged discrimination against people with tattoos. People who were banned and kicked out from the event weren't given any refunds or were ever charged and accused of doing anything unlawful whike at the event. They were just kicked out because of clothing that they were wearing or having tattoos deemed unfavorable by local police or Mexican Fiesta security (Latino Peace Officers Association - LPOA).
Milwaukee Police Officer Alexander Ayala, the current president of LPOA and head of the volunteer Mexican Fiesta security told HNNUSA that Fiesta utilizes the MPD Intelligence Center to help identify associated, former, present and future alleged gang members. Once an officer or security identify a targeted individual, without any recourse or alternative to challenge being profiled, the victims are banned and not allowed admittance or kicked out from city property.
In a statement released by the MPD confirmed, that they work with Mexican Fiesta and that Fiesta has a right to decide who attends the event, eventhough they are practicing an act of profiling, openly discriminate and illegally using MPD resources to achieve their intent.
The profiling and discrimination acts by Mexican Fiesta against the same community they depend on survival has been practiced under former MPD retired Lieutenant Ruben Burgos when he was the president of LPOA and will continue under Ayala. Ayala is related to Teresa Mercado, the executive director of Mexican Fiesta.
HNNUSA exposed Mexican Fiesta and MPD last August for their acts of profiling and discriminating against innocent victims. None of the victims targeted, banned or kicked out from Mexican Fiesta in August of 2013 were connected to any local gangs, HNNUSA has confirmed.
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