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Protest To Target Santa Fe Fiestas Performance

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Demonstrators will gather at Cathedral Park in downtown Santa Fe on Friday, September 8, 2017 at 1:00 p.m.

Native American activists and their allies are planning a third straight year of protests during Santa Fe’s annual Fiestas celebrations.

Friday’s La Entrada is the re-enactment of Diego de Vargas’ reconquest of the city after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and critics are calling for the performance to be abolished, saying it celebrates the genocide of Native Americans under Spanish colonization.

“Santa Fe has a unique relationship with its past and really is very proud of its culture and history and the way that these different groups of people have interacted over time,” said city of Santa Fe spokesman Matt Ross. “It hasn’t always been peaceful. We’re trying to be honest about that.”

Ross said the city is planning for a larger protest this year and coordinating with law enforcement agencies from around the state. They’ve also prohibited certain items from the plaza during the events including weapons, masks, and amplification systems.

Protest organizers say some young women were groped and hit while participating in last year’s La Entrada protests.

Elaine Baumgartel was KUNM's News Director from 2013 to 2019. She was local Morning Edition host from 2007 through 2012 and she regularly hosted the station's live news and public affairs show for some years. Elaine originally came on board at KUNM as a volunteer and student employee in 2003.
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