Pima County, AZ Pima County Board set to discriminate against Hells Angels MC

OFF THE WIRE
BY: Andrew Montalbano
Source: examiner.com

On Tuesday, The Pima County Board of Supervisors will vote whether or not to purchase a property in South Tucson to the tune of $220,000, in which to install a farmer's market and future community garden. The property located at 2201 S. Fourth Ave., with it's 7 foot walls and a large iron gate, is formerly the site of Lily's Cocina restaurant. Representatives of the Arizona Chapter of The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, have also offered to purchase the property. The primary goal, officials say, is to make sure the Hells Angels don't get the property first.
It is the FBI's assertion that The Hells Angels MC is considered one of the "big four" motorcycle gangs. It has been reported that members carry out widespread violence, drug dealing, trafficking in stolen goods, murder and extortion. Aside from these claims, members of the organization have continuously asserted that they are only a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have joined to ride motorcycles together, to organize social events such as group road trips, fundraisers, parties, and motorcycle rallies. Since the club is still allowed to freely associate, they should have every opportunity to participate in the promotion of their social pursuits and values like any other social organization as protected by the First Amendment. Although it is not explicitly protected in the First Amendment, the Supreme Court ruled, in NAACP v. Alabama, 357 U.S. 449 (1958), freedom of association to be a fundamental right protected by it.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors however, seek to keep the HAMC from freely associating in South Tucson. The PCBS says that crime will rise, drugs, prostitution and loud motorcycles will upset the fabric of the community. PCBS says that their proposal to purchase the property will win quick approval, accompanied by petitions with signatures of some 60 residents. "The impact of not purchasing this property and surrendering the sale to the entity described above would result in economic death to a thriving Mexican dining destination", said one board member.
The smugness of the PCBS is upsetting. Although the membership is almost entirely comprised of white males, the HAMC is recognized worldwide in 230 chapters, 27 countries, and 6 continents. To prevent such a multinational and diverse social organization to fully participate in the cultural fabric of South Tucson is unsettling.