About 50 students from an on-campus organization are supporting aSan Diego man’s fight for human rights.

In February, Benjamin Prado, 26, coordinator of the Raza RightsCoalition, was arrested while monitoring border patrol activity in adowntown trolley station.

The day after his arrest, members of Movimiento EstudiantilChicano de Aztlan joined community members, activists, professionals,teachers and political candidates in a demonstration in front of thedowntown Federal Building. The group then marched throughout thestreets.

Prado was released an hour after the protest. He was nevercharged.

For the past month, local human rights organizations have beenconducting “trolley monitoring” to see if local law enforcement isengaging in racial profiling before making arrests.

Prado said he was videotaping in the station when a border patrolagent approached him.

“He was very overbearing,” Prado said. “He seemed very upset. Heasked for my citizenship, but I said ‘no.’ I have the right to notanswer.”

Prado said a few border patrol agents threw him on the ground andthreatened to arrest him if he didn’t answer. Prado said he was thenreleased after he responded to their request, claiming U.S.citizenship.

After resuming filming, Prado said he noticed the agent speakingon the phone and a few minutes later was “rushed” by several agents,who informed him he was under arrest.

Raleigh Leonard, public information officer for the Border Patrol,said Prado was impeding border patrol agents from performing theirjob.

“As border patrol agents, we question citizens on their right tobe in or remain in the U.S.,” Leonard said.

Leonard said Prado was stepping in front of agents with his cameraand advising people not to answer whether they were U.S. citizens.

Leonard said the Border Patrol has been assisting the FBI inmonitoring trolley stations since Sept. 11. During their aid in theinvestigation on foreign nationals in airports and publictransportation, the number of arrests made of illegal immigrants waslarge enough for them to continue to operate in trolley stations.

“Our agents do not engage in racial profiling,” Leonard said.

The Border Patrol’s monitoring of trolley stations has beentemporarily suspended.

MEChA chairman Ron Gochez said MEChA’s involvement was in supportof Prado, the RRC and their cause.

“We are not only SDSU students, we are also part of a bigstruggle,” Gochez said. “We considered this to be an emergencysituation, and we acted accordingly.”

MEChA’s support is greatly appreciated, Prado said. He saidstudents play an important role as social activists and encouragesstudents to take a participatory role in social change.

“There are students on campus who care about the community and itwas shown,” Gochez said. “Our MEChA meeting was canceled, we missedclass, we missed work and we went out there.”

The American Friends Service Committee has filed a complaint withat least three human rights organizations, including the UnitedNations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Prado said he is in the process of taking legal action.

“We are willing to give the Border Patrol the benefit of the doubtthat this was an isolated incident,” Christian Ramirez, coordinatorof the American Friends Service Committee, said. “We tend to believethat Border Patrol agents are more qualified and better trained thanthis particular agent.”