Centro Presente to hold Anti-Trump vigil at State House

The stomping of a sleeping Mexican homeless man in South Boston has the undocumented immigrant community ready to take a stand against the dangerous climate they say is being created by hateful rhetoric.

Centro Presente, a local immigrant’s rights advocacy group, is hosting a protest against what they are calling the “hateful bigotry” of the leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Wednesday night at the State House.

“The recent act of brutal violence against a homeless Mexican immigrant by two individuals with violent histories who were encouraged by the dangerous, hateful rhetoric of people like Donald Trump demands a response from people of conscience,” Centro Presente Executive Director Patricia Montes said.

“We have repeatedly seen the entire undocumented community painted as violent criminals and a threat to the security of this country on the basis of the act of one individual or one case,” Montes said. “But we do not view all people from South Boston to be violent racists on the basis of the acts of these two men.”

Two brothers are charged with beating a sleeping Hispanic man at the JFK/UMass T station on Aug. 19. A homeless man told investigators that he was sleeping and woke up to two men urinating on him. They then ransacked his belongings and beat him with their fist and a metal pole.

“Donald Trump was right. All of these illegals need to be deported,” one of the brothers told police, according to the DA.

Montes said that while the victim was being treated for his injuries, doctors discovered that he also had cancer.

While Centro Presente say they are not blaming the people of Southie for the seemingly random attack, they are looking to hold incendiary speakers accountable for promoting violence and prejudice.

“What is awful to see is violence and tension between white people and Hispanics. There is no need for it when we can have a more intelligent, democratic, open dialogue,” Montes said. “Fighting will not solve our problems. We have a systemic immigration problem and we need a systemic solution.”

Trump will be in the Bay State on Friday, attending a 700-person private fundraiser at heavyweight car seller Ernie Boch Jr.’s Norwood mansion.