Copyright © 2001 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

New Port Richey, FL - The American Indian Movement of Florida's Pasco Office is pleased to announce that it will hold at least one (1) open public "town forum" meeting on the organizations position regarding the Chasco Fiesta, and our increasingly escalated protests of the Chasco Fiesta and its Chasco Krewe.

The Town Hall meeting will occur April 11, 2001 at the New Port Richey Public Library main branch in downtown New Port Richey, FL and is cosponsored by the New Port Richey Library and the Florida AIM Pasco Office. Speakers will include Florida AIM State Executive Director Sheridan Murphy, State Information Director Mark Madrid, North Florida Director David Narcomey, and Pasco Director Ruby Beaulieu. The audience will be asked to participate in a discussion of the Chasco Fiesta.

The Town Forum comes after Florida AIM organized protests of both the pageant on March 22nd, when 35 AIM members and supporters from the Green Party protested during the entire pageant-a dozen AIM and Green Party members stood on chairs and confronted the pageant briefly before being removed by police.

On March 24th 46 AIM members and supporters protested for four hours against the parade. Eleven AIM and Green Party members risked arrest by briefly blocking the King/Queen float before being shoved off the street by police. AIM members have also vowed to protest any participation by the Chasco Krewe in the upcoming Festival of States Parade in Saint Petersburg.

The forum is part of Florida AIM's efforts to bring change to this festival-which is no different from a Sambo Festival. Florida AIM plans escalating protests, legal actions and more to bring change to this festival.

Florida AIM will no longer tolerate the gross stereotypical and racist depiction's of traditional Indigenous culture, spirituality's and peoples by the Chasco Fiesta.