About 40 people, mostly Hispanic, protested in front of the Republican-American newspaper over what they said were biased editorials and articles

Robyn Adams:

Several people held placards and small flags of Puerto Rico during the nearly hourlong showing.

"We demand an apology for racist comments in editorials and commentary," said Jeffrey Rodriguez, his voice amplified through a bull horn.

Rodriguez, of Latinos in Action, said Hispanics took exception to a wire story published recently on drug trafficking in Puerto Rico that gave the impression Puerto Ricans were drug addicts.

"Every community has them," Rodriguez said. "We were very offended by that."

Last week, media around the state received e-mailed news releases from James Griffin, president of the Greater Waterbury NAACP, about the protest.

William J. Pape II, editor and publisher of the Republican-American, said editorials are not slanted one way or the other.

"We speak our piece and point out for people who is doing a good job and who is not," Pape said. "As far as offending people, we are accused of being racist, Zionist and anti-Hispanic, and we are not. This is nonsense."

Pape said Griffin could have discussed concerns about news content with editors.

"Jimmy Griffin, who is in our offices all the time asking for news coverage, cooked this up without discussing it with us, and I resent it," Pape said.

Jorge Irizarry said Latinos In Action sought the NAACP's support and Griffin accepted.

Griffin has been at odds with newspaper editorials over proposals to change Waterbury's system of electing aldermen to one in which aldermen would be elected by district.

Such a system, which Griffin favors, would improve the chances of minorities being elected to the Board of Aldermen.

The Dec. 4 Sunday Republican included a column by Griffin promoting election of aldermen by district and criticizing a Nov. 26 Republican-American editorial, "Hispanics need to get involved," which he said was offensive to Hispanics.

That editorial noted a low turnout by Hispanics in the Nov. 8 election.

It argued a higher turnout by Hispanic voters could result in the election of Hispanic candidates under the current at-large election system.

Among the participants in Saturday's protest was Waterbury Alderman Sandra Ramirez, a Democrat, who lost her seat in the September primary.

Ramirez, chosen last week by Mayor Michael J. Jarjura to fill a vacancy on the Board of Aldermen, said she was "supporting the community."

Oscar Nieves, owner of WPRX radio in Hartford, and a Waterbury resident, stood with Ramirez. Nieves said the article that portrayed Puerto Ricans as big drug users put the wrong light on his people.

When told it was a wire story, Nieves responded: "Why put something like that in the paper? If you don't know the people or the island, you cannot do that."

If Puerto Ricans want more positive media coverage then they should deal with the criminal activity in their community instead of blaming newspapers for reporting on it.