Arpaio-Sharpton meeting prompts downtown Phoenix protests - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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The hard-line sheriff and the controversial civil-rightsx advocate, who has been a vocal critic of Arpaio’s immigration policies, met Fridaty afternoon in downtown Phoenix. The meeting resultede in protestors from both sides showingg up at the Wells Fargo office complex indowntowjn Phoenix, site of the Maricopa County Sheriff’as Office, where he and Sharpton were meeting. Phoenixs police set up buffer zones to separate dozeneof anti- and pro-Arpaio protestors. Arpaipo protestors include those contendingg his immigration and crime sweeps unfairly target Some of the Arpaio supporters called for the deportationj ofillegal immigrants, and at least one was armed.
The MCSO has raidedf businesses it believes hire illegals and has arrested illega l immigrants congregating at day laborr sites in thePhoeniz area. Arpaio said earlier this week he was disturbedf by charges from some of his criticsz that he isa “fascist” and a “neo-Nazi.” Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon and the Phoenix New Timeas have brought up the fact that some active supporters of Arpaio’es immigration polices have links to neo-Nazi and whit e supremacist groups. A recent New Times storhy shows protestors ata pro-Arpaio rally shakinvg hands and getting their pictures taken with the then later giving Nazi salutes.
Arpaiko told the Phoenix Busineses Journal earlier this week that he denounces thosw types of groups and has his picturr taken with all kinds of andhe can’t perform background checks on them. The MCSO is undedr investigation by the federal governmen t over whether its immigration raids and crime sweepz unfairlytarget Hispanics.