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04/04/93
Diverse group rallies for Koresh's rights; Most differ with him but oppose U.S. actions
By Diane Jennings and John Yearwood / The Dallas Morning News
WACO-Bibles in hand and the U.S. Constitution in mind, an unlikely combination of preachers, civil libertarians and white supremacists has come from across the country to rally behind David Koresh.
Some warn darkly about a police state in America. Others cheerily offer to explain the connection between the standoff and the Kennedy assassination. Yet all seem to share a quintessentially American passion for freedom and a distrust of government.
"The fringe groups are the ones down there demonstrating,' said Dr.
Lonnie Kliever, professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University. "But I promise you that these questions about government invasion and intrusion are on lots of people's minds.'
Saturday, about two dozen people demonstrated against federal authorities near the Branch Davidian compound, waving signs with messages such as "Take Media Into Compound,' "Due Process for Everyone' and "Texans, Arm Yourselves Against Government Thugs!'
The group later drove a back route toward the cult home, hoping to get inside. Authorities stopped them about two miles from Mount Carmel, and the protest ended without arrests.
George Nanos said he came from San Antonio with his wife and two children to support the sect leader.
"We are here to show our solidarity with David Koresh and his people so if this ever happens to us, there would be people supporting us as well,' Mr. Nanos said.
Mr. Nanos said he doesn't necessarily share Mr. Koresh's religious beliefs, but he disagrees with how the government is handling the case.
"There are more people out there that are supporting him than he could possibly know,' Mr. Nanos said. "We are on his side.'
Other groups take a similar stance: They are not followers of the messenger or the message. And they don't take a position on whether Mr. Koresh is responsible for the bloodbath Feb. 28.
That's not the point, they say: The Bill of Rights is.
"This is a classic case of government gone completely haywire,'
said Leonard Zeskind, research director of the Center for Democratic Renewal, which monitors right-wing organizations.
Spokesmen for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have defended their actions, saying they raided the compound to arrest Mr. Koresh and search for illegal weapons.
The Rev. W.N. Otwell of God Said Ministries, a veteran of battles against government regulation, has journeyed to Waco from the Dallas-Fort Worth area several times. He said he is "embarrassed really that more preachers haven't stood up and come down there.'
"It's an attack on everybody's religious faith,' Mr. Otwell said.
SMU's Dr. Kliever agreed. "All minority groups, whether they be
political or religious or ethnic, all minority groups have something to lose in the long run if we stand idly by when freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are trampled,' he said.
Others that have used Waco as a forum include the Dallas-based Associated Conservatives of Texas; Kirk Lyons, executive director of the Cause Foundation, a legal group that has helped defend several white supremacist cases; and Louis Beam, a former Ku Klux Klan leader.
The demonstrators who tried to enter the compound Saturday said they plan to protest "indefinitely or until the FBI and ATF decide to repent and go home.'
Neither snow, rain. . .
The U.S. Postal Service has added another element to its list of what won't stand in the way of delivering mail. Besides snow, rain, heat and gloom of night, there is now David Koresh.
In this case, the postal service has dispatched inspectors to its Waco office to ensure that its Waco/Bellmead operations run smoothly.
"Things addressed to Santa Claus get delivered-there's a special branch that we set up,' said Jim Travelle, a postal inspector in Fort Worth whose office dispatches inspectors to Waco/Bellmead. Likewise, "there's no address "ATF-FBI Task Force, Waco, Texas,' but they get their mail.'
People who live within the area cordoned off by law enforcement officers since a standoff began five weeks ago have been picking up their mail in Bellmead's post office. Letters and packages sent to the ATF and the FBI are being sent to their temporary offices.
Staff writers Maggie Rivas and Victoria Loe contributed to this report.
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