Mexican Fiesta not letting gang members attend festival

Suspected gang members created some controversy at Milwaukee's annual Mexican Fiesta last year, and that's got organizers on alert as the fiesta gets under way again Friday.

Last year some festival goers were kicked out of the Mexican fiesta. Some believed it was  because they had tattoos. Alexander Ayala, an officer for Latino Peace Officer Association said that's not true.

He said they were kicked out because they were members of a gang. This year gang members will be kicked out again.

Mexican Fiesta is giving permission to the Latino Peace Officer Association to not allow gang members to go to the festival.



\"It's not the tattoos that we are targeting, that's a misconception. It's the person  that is actively involved in a gang,\" said Ayala.

If someone from the Milwaukee Police Department identifies someone as being in a gang, that person is refunded his or her money and kicked out of the festival.

CBS 58's Lila Carrera reports.