Kline-Rowley Fact Check #2: Did Kline Slander Immigrants?

During Friday’s debate between Rep. John Kline and challenger Coleen Rowley, Kline made a strong statement with regard to American antipathy toward immigration.

During the debate, Kline claimed that Americans have been horrified” by “riots in the streets, people who claimed that they want to become Americans and want to come here were waiving Mexican flags and burning American flags.” 

But it appears that Kline’s statement was factually incorrect, and that the things that he said horrified Americans never actually happened.There were pro-immigration rallies throughout the country in March, and again in May.  During these rallies, it is true that Mexican flags were waived–as were American flags.  There are no documented instances of flag burning during any of these demonstrations, and indeed, the only incident of flag-burning that can be attributed to an immigrant occured in July, in an incident wholly separate from the demonstrations.

Furthermore, Kline’s description of these demonstrations as “riots” completely mischaracterizes the nature of the events.  While there were, no doubt, loud and massive protests, not one news account describes the demonstrations as “riots.”  Indeed, even staunch anti-immigration blogger Michelle Malkin does not describe the demonstrations as riots.

In short, Kline’s statement was completely off-base, and was deeply misinformed at best, disturbingly xenophobic at worst.  Hopefully in the next few days Congressman Kline can be coaxed to clarify his comments.