Arizona May 1st Marches 2010

Here is the flyer for the May 1st 2010 March - La Gran Marcha - in Tucson, to be held tomorrow beginning at 9am.


More information can be found at the Tucson May 1st Coalition website. There are events scheduled all over the country, including in Phoenix and Flagstaff:

Flagstaff, Arizona
May Day Freedom March

Time: May 1, 3:30pm
Location:Flagstaff City Hall 211 W Aspen
Details: Meet at City hall @ 3:30 p.m. We will be at city hall demonstrating our support for immigration reform! We must get our point across to our elected officials and get immigration reform passed this summer. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Bring signs

Phoenix, AZ

Midnight Vigil April 30th: Gather at 10:30pm, service at 12:00am (midnight)
Evening Vigil: May 1, 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Location:1700 W. Washington Street, State Capitol, Phoenix, AZ
Organizer: Raquel Teran

May 1st Marcha - gather at Veteran's Coliseum at 8:30am
March to State Capitol for rally

To find an event near you, please see the Reform Immigration For America website. There are actions happening all over the country this weekend to fight against extremism like AZ's SB1070.

Immigration Solidarity provides the following tips for participation:

Wear White T-Shirt, organize local actions to support immigrant worker rights!

1. No to anti-immigrant legislation, and the criminalization of the immigrant communities.
2. No to militarization of the border.
3. No to the immigrant detention and deportation.
4. No to the guest worker program.
5. No to employer sanction and “no match” letters.
6. Yes to a path to legalization without condition for undocumented immigrants NOW.
7. Yes to speedy family reunification.
8. Yes to civil rights and humane immigration law.
9. Yes to labor rights and living wages for all workers.
10. Yes to the education and LGBTQ immigrant legislation

SB1070 - Week of Action

Even though SB1070 was signed into law on Friday by Governor Jan Brewer, those of us opposed to this unjust and unconstitutional move by Arizona will keep holding vigil and protesting.

The Arizona Republican Party is going to learn that they underestimated the determination we have to rip away their political power. They've already embarrassed our state, now it's time for them to be embarrassed politically. George W. Bush loved to say that "history will judge my Presidency" when faced with criticism. Well, so will Governor Jan Brewer, Russell Pearce, Joe Arpaio, and the rest of the Minutemen Caucus of the AZ GOP - and it won't be positive if we have anything to say about it.

Here's what's on the agenda, so far, this week:

Protest Governor Jan Brewer today in Tucson
DoubleTree Hotel - 445 Alvernon Way (between Broadway & 22nd Street)
4/26 - Noon to 3pm

Derechos Humanos is hosting sign-making and carpools from their office, details here

City of Phoenix Council Policy Meeting
200 W. Jefferson, Phoenix AZ
Tuesday, 4/27 at 2pm

Support Mayor Phil Gordon, who has already signaled that he will direct his legal offices to challenge SB1070. More info on the mayor's plans at AZCentral.

Educational Forum on effects of SB1070
Carl Hayden Community Center in Phoenix - Facebook Event Page
Wednesday, 4/28 at 6pm

Saturday, May 1st National Day of Action
Marches & Rallies
Tucson May 1st Coalition Website
Phoenix - 8:30am March from Veteran's Coliseum to State Capitol

NOTE: I'll be updating this post as I read about new events

Nat'l Day of Action - Saturday, Jan 16th

Join thousands of human rights activists as we gather in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, January 16th at 9AM. There will be a march from Falcon Park to the downtown complex that serves as headquarters for the notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Full information on the event can be found at the Puente AZ website. There is also a Facebook page devoted to the event.

Leading the march will be UFW matron Dolores Huerta, Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha, and internationally-famed singer Linda Ronstadt. There will also be a concert at the end of the march featuring Little Joe y La Familia.

This will be the second march I've attended to protest the human rights abuses of Sheriff Joe, who is under several federal investigations for racial profiling and harassment of political foes in Maricopa County.

Federal investigators are apparently looking into Arpaio's actions stemming from his anger over budget cuts handed down by county officials. The budget cuts were part of a long-running feud between Arpaio and county leaders.

In one instance, Arpaio is accused of investigating a $340 million project for a new courts building in downtown Phoenix because he thought that the money should instead be spent on plugging holes in his office's budget. In other cases, he sent deputies to workers' homes on nights and weekends.

"Their way of showing their displeasure was to investigate, using the criminal justice process on people who were simply doing their jobs," Smith said.

ABC15

If you can't attend the march, please consider donating toward water bottles for the participants via the National Day Laborer Organizing Network

May 1st Events for Immigrant and Human Rights

There are events happening all across the country today in solidarity with migrant and human rights. Check out A New Day for Immigration's website for ways to get involved.

Arizona

City: Phoenix

• Time: 8:30 am
• Location: March from Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum to State Capitol
  

City: Tucson

• Time: 8:00 am
• Location: Rally at the South Gate Shopping Center

Protest Sheriff Joe Arpaio This Weekend

Phoenix, Arizona has been a hotbed of activism recently. With spending cuts gutting education and social service programs, many people have taken to the streets near the state capitol complex to make their voices heard. This form of raw democracy continues on Saturday (tomorrow) as many pro-human rights groups unite to protest the abuses of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Who: National Day Laborer Organizing Network, Puente Arizona, and Zach de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine

What: March to Stop the Systematic Persecution of Migrants and Latinos in AZ.

Where: March Start Location for Feb 28th: 300 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85012

When: March to Stop the Hate in Phoenix to be held 9:00 am on February 28.

(More info available from the Arizona Advocacy Network at AZNetroots.com)

For many years, Arpaio has taken any opportunity to exploit state law and his 287g agreement with the Department of Homeland Security so he can target undocumented workers in Maricopa County, and because of his racism, the greater latino community. Pressure has been building against the sheriff, who is already under investigation by the FBI for abuses. The scope widened recently when the chairman and several members of the House Judiciary Committee issued a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano raising many of the same concerns of latinos in the Valley.

This Saturday is an opportunity for bottom-up politicking by those of us who feel threatened by Joe Arpaio's control of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. We are already seeing the national spotlight move in his direction, and while he loves to be flogged by the media, it's only a matter of time before the greater Phoenix area realizes that the sheriff is bringing attention that is not welcome; hopefully tightening the leash around Arpaio's neck.

If you can't make it to the protest tomorrow and would like other ways to get involved, our friends at America's Voice have several starting points. The petition is just shy of our goal of 10,000 signatures, so please spread the word.

paz

ACTION ALERT: Support TUSD Ethnic Studies

Just received an urgent action alert regarding a rally that will be held tomorrow, 6/12/08, in support of the four ethnic studies departments at Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). The Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, has been relentless in his opposition to these programs that successfully lift graduation rates and improve test scores of participating students. I first reported on his nonsense back in November of 2007. Here was the news item at the time:

TUSD's ethnic studies program has come under the lens of Arizona's education czar.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has asked the Tucson Unified School District to provide information on funding for its ethnic studies programs.

The request also calls for all training materials used in Mexican-American and African-American studies, syllabuses, videos, films, teachers' guides, reading materials, audio recordings and other instructional materials.

Horne said his inquiry is not based on a question of academics or education, but "values."

linkage

Horne will be in Tucson tomorrow in order to talk "about reasons TUSD should abolish its Ethnic Studies department". Prior to his press conference, however, community members will gather in opposition to this deluded strategy of axing programs that lift up minority students.

Community members representing the four TUSD Ethnic Studies Departments (AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES, NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES, MEXICAN AMERICAN/RAZA STUDIES, and PAN ASIAN STUDIES) will be holding a PRESS CONFERENCE in SUPPORT of ETHNIC STUDIES

Where: TUSD's GOVERNING BOARD ROOM , 1010 E. 10th Street, Tucson, AZ 85719
Time: 9:30 a.m., Thursday, June 12, 2008

May 1st Coalition Events in Arizona

Tucson:

March: 8:00am
Southgate Shopping Center
(I-10 and 6th Avenue)

Rally: 11:30am
Armory Park
(220 S. 5th Avenue)

Stop the Raids and Deportations

Legalization for All

Stop the Border Deaths

Stop the War

Education, Healthcare, Housing and Jobs for All,

Stop the Prison Building

Stop the Free Trade Agreements

Stop the Militarization of our Society

More venues across the country at Vivir Latino

Opportunities on the Horizon

Ya know, it's amazing how quickly things can move. This site is quickly approaching three years old and, while I've been blogging a lot longer than that at other places, there's always a special place reserved for your own site in the heart.

I leave to Washington D.C. today to do some major networking with other blogging activists around the country. I'm deeply grateful for this opportunity and was flattered to be invited. Hopefully I will be able to add to the discussions that are planned on how to build a better online progressive/liberal presence that translates to change in the streets and throughout the electoral process.

As part of my trip, I'll also be attending the Take Back America Conference, which you will see linked at the top of the right sidebar. I'm looking forward to spending a week in the District of Colombia, but more importantly, getting better versed on how to come back and build a better network of activism.

We have a lot of work ahead of us and it's easy to get discouraged, but I am hopeful that with a more engaged electorate sprouting up all over the country, we can finally get this system of injustice and inequality on a more forward-looking trajectory.

I'll try to check in throughout the week, but until then, feel free to lay around and slack.

Louis Mendoza Completes 31 State Bike Trip

Chicano studies profesor Louis Mendoza was honored at an assembly last Friday at the University of Minnesota, where he shared about his six month-long bicycle trip across the U.S. to raise awareness about the complexity of migrant workers' lives.

Mendoza said he couldn't pick just one highlight of his trip.

"Part of the highlight was talking to so many people who were working really hard to make a living," he said. "I was humbled by the fact that these people who work so hard were willing to take time and share things with me."

Going on a trip like this is a great way to put a face on immigration, Marianne Bueno a visiting Chicano studies professor, said.

"I think it's an important way to get a chance to hear and listen and see the everyday stories and the everyday lives," she said. "Being on the ground in the way that he was with his bike will help put faces to the language, to the talking, to the policies."

linkage

Urgent Action Alert For AZ State Legislature

Border Action Network alerts Arizona residents to the following proposals set for a vote this coming Thursday. We are urging everyone to call the following state legislators and request that they vote "NO" to preserve the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and avoid the creation of clearly divided lines of citizenship types. (unless, of course, they're willing to make it retroactive back to the signing of the Constitution...then I have no problem with it).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Urgent State Legislative Action! You've heard about the bill to mark birth certificates of immigrant children and deny citizenship to children born to non-citizens? Well, they are up for a committee vote this week!

FIVE absurd bills will be considered this Thursday, February 7th at 9:00am by the Arizona Senate's Public Safety and Human Services Committee. Please contact the committee members TODAY to let them know that you DO NOT SUPPORT these bills and urge them to VOTE AGAINST THEM.

Your email or call makes a difference! The anti-immigrant, Minutemen types bombard elected officials with phone calls, emails, and faxes. Don�t let their fear-mongering and immigrant scapegoating by the only voice they hear.
How to Take Action:

Below are brief descriptions of each bill, talking points and contact information for the Committee members. For more information visit www.azleg.gov If you are in the Phoenix area, join us at the Committee hearing on Thursday at 9:00 am

Contact the Border Action office for more information at ban@borderaction.org or 520-623-4944).

*Make sure to include your address in your email. Keep it short and sweet and be sure to clarify that you want them to VOTE AGAINST THESE BILLS.

S1072 Illegals; AHCCS; Proof of Citizenship
Senator Harper; Representative Pearce: Senators Burns, Huppenthal
"AHCCCS eligibility workers must reject applicants who present identification from jurisdictions which issue IDs but do not verify the immigration status of the applicant. Further, AHCCCS must report to federal immigration authorities any undocumented immigrant who applies for benefits. An AHCCCS employee who fails to do so is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor as is the employee's supervisor if the supervisor knew of the failure and did not order the employee to make the report. Any resident of the state has standing to bring suit against AHCCCS for violation of this act. Courts must give preference to actions brought under this act over other civil actions pending in the court. A class 2 misdemeanor carries a jail sentence of up to 4 months and a fine of up to $750."

S1009 Immigration Status; Benefits; DHS
Sponsor: Senator Harper
"The Dept of Health Services must verify the immigration status of applicants for any benefits or services provided by the department. The department must refuse to accept an applicant's identification if it was issued by an agency that does not verify immigration statutes before issuance. DHS employees must report violations of federal immigration law to federal authorities, and failure to do so is a class 2 (mid-level) misdemeanor. If a DHS employee fails to report the violation and the employee's supervisor knew of the instance and did not direct the employee to make the report, the supervisor is also guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor."

SCM1003 Illegal aliens; children; noncitizenship status
Sponsor: Senator Johnson; Burges, Kavanagh, Pearce, L. Gray, Harper
"The Legislature urges Congress to pass legislation clarifying the 14th Amendment as denying citizenship to children of illegal aliens simply by virtue of being born in the U.S."

SCR1012 Secure and verifiable identification
Sponsor: Senator Harper; Burges
"The 2008 general election ballot is to carry the question of whether to amend statutes to require political subdivisions of this state to accept only verifiable (defined) identification documents and prohibit disbursement of public services unless the recipient produces identification that is issued by a political subdivision of this state, a federally recognized Indian tribe or a state or federal authority and that is verifiable (defined) by a law enforcement or Homeland Security agency. A legislative history section states that the purpose of the referendum is to give the qualified electors the opportunity to override the governor's 2005 veto of SB1511."

SCR1016 Birth certificates; illegal aliens; children
Senator Johnson; Representatives Groe, Pearce: Senators Gould, Harper, Verschoor; Representatives Anderson, Kavanagh
"The 2008 general election ballot is to carry the question of whether to amend statutes to recite that unless at least one parent of a child born in this state is able to prove US citizenship, the child will be issued a certificate that states it was born to parents who were not in this country legally and that the child is not eligible for benefits that require US citizenship."

Senator Members of the Public Safety and Human Services Committee:
Linda Gray (R-LD10), Chairman (602) 926-3376 lgray@azleg.gov
Jack Harper (R-LD4), Vice Chairman (602) 926-4178 jharper@azleg.gov
Chuck Grey (R-LD19) (602) 926-5288 cgrey@azleg.gov
John Huppenthal (R-LD20) (602) 926-5261 jhuppenthal@azleg.gov
Leah Landrum Taylor (D-LD16) (602) 926-3830 llandrumtaylor@azleg.gov
Rebecca Rios (D-LD23) (602) 926-3830 rrios@azleg.gov
Victor Soltero (D-LD29) (602) 926-5342 vsoltero@azleg.gov

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Link to talking points can be found here. Please don't let this slip under the wire.

Solidarity With Catalina High Student Protestors

We need more of this to raise the awareness that the U.S. is operating under a new era of Operation Wetback.

Some 100 to 125 Catalina High Magnet School students protested outside Tucson police headquarters Tuesday after a fellow student was arrested on suspicion of drug possession and he and his family were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol agents.

Border Patrol returned the family of four to Mexico because they admitted to being in the United States illegally for six years.

linkage

This is just one incident out of many where people are being systematically deported without even a flinch from the U.S. government. That's exactly what the hardliners are salivating over, but they are showing their true colors when the victims of banishment are young people.

Xicanopwr fills us in on another abhorrent example

Kelsey Peterson, a 25-year-old sixth-grade math teacher and basketball coach at Lexington Middle School, accused of running away with an undocumented 13-year-old boy to plan some sort of life together in Mexico was arrested on Friday night in Mexicali, Mexico, on the California border.

The boy was released to relatives in Mexico and is being reported that he will not be allowed to come back to US because of his immigration status. The only way he will be able to allow back is if he is needed to testify. To make matters worse, the family will now be deported according to the Omaha World-Herald.

Tim Counts, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, would not say whether Fernando’s parents would come under scrutiny for their immigration status, saying the department does not discuss prospective cases.

more from XP

There should be a moratorium on human roundups and workplace raids until Congress gets off its collective asses and decides what it is going to do about the millions of people living in the shadows of U.S. society who are only looking for an opportunity to provide for themselves and their families.

The movement of peoples across this earth is never a crime and the U.S. needs to stop acting like they're a bunch of stuck up country club dwellers that are too arrogant to see how shameful they are acting towards the rest of the world with their policies and attitudes.

My hope is that the students involved in today's protest will grasp deep inside themselves that they have power to end the farce of American Exceptionalism by demanding basic dignity and justice for all human beings no matter which plot of land they were born.

Honoring Lorraine Lee's Legacy

Just got back from the services for longtime community leader and activist, Lorraine Lee. Losing a force of nature like her always reminds me that the work we do as a people to make the promises of equality and justice available to everyone may be difficult, but are always worth the effort.

Lorraine may have lost her battle with the body, but her spirit of inspiration is untouchable - if there's one thing I'm convinced of today, it's that the work she organized and implemented will be carried out by new generations who will look to her as a solid point of reference.

I first met her years ago at a leadership institute I attended with other young Xicano activists. At the time, I was considering a career in politics (heh) and her words of empowerment to build grassroots community mobilization resonated within me. A leader is someone who can inspire all of their direct and indirect followers. A great leader, however, is one who does so for reasons that bring about a better world. Lorraine was, and is, a great leader.

I join the many activists across the U.S. and especially Baja Arizona in honoring the memory and work that Lorraine Lee devoted herself to with Chicanos Por La Causa and many, many other initiatives. If you would like to sign the online guestbook for her services, the link is here.

Más información:

• Activist Lorraine Lee dies after 11-year cancer fight
• Community mourns and lauds activist Lorraine Lee
• Our Opinion: Lorraine Lee's death leaves a hole in Tucson
• "This was her town": Tucson loses warrior for the poor, Latinos, women
• Because of Lorraine, 'we are in a much better place'
  

Día de los Muertos Pilgrimage

237...

Día de los Muertos Pilgrimage

Please join us this Saturday as we honor the 237 individuals whose bodies were recovered on the Arizona-Sonora border this past year.

Saturday, November 3, 2007
8:30am

From St. John's Church
(12th Avenue and Ajo Way)
to
San Xavier Mission
Tucson, Arizona

Sponsored by Coalición de Derechos Humanos

Cross-Border March in Nogales

[bumped up - Man Eegee]

Next This weekend in the sister cities.

The Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice presents:

Border Mobilization
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora

Join us in a mass demonstration at the U.S.-México border to demand justice in our communities!

We demand:

· The removal of failed border enforcement policies known as Operations Gatekeeper, Hold the Line, Rio Grande, and Safeguard, which have included the construction of walls, stadium lights, drag roads, and checkpoints

· An end to the deaths of migrants along the U.S.-México border

· An immediate halt to the construction of walls between the U.S. and México

· The immediate removal of the U.S. National Guard from the Arizona border

· An investigation of the effects of border enforcement policies on border communities, particularly from an environmental and health perspective

· The creation of an independent entity, with full investigatory powers, to look into allegations of abuse by law enforcement officials under the Department of Homeland Security

Nogales, Arizona, US: 10am: Meet at Techea City Park (777 N. Grant Ave.) in Nogales. The march to the border will begin there.

Nogales, Sonora, Mx: 10am: Meeting place to be announced.

“We are one family; we have no borders”


For more information, please contact: U.S: Coalición de Derechos Humanos: 520.770.1373 o www.derechoshumanosaz.net

Sponsored by: Coalición de Derechos Humanos, Alianza Indígena Sin Fronteras, Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc, Fundación México

Paula Crisostomo's Work Continues

My padre is one of those archetypal people who despises politics to his core. He has never voted, has no intentions of voting, and, unless one of my cousins who's politically active ever decides to get off her duff and run for office [hint, hint], won't be voting anytime soon. He's a victim of the "what's the point?" virus, one that I feel surging through my veins every now and then.

It was last summer while I was visiting for a weekend and, to my surprise, my dad stopped the channel on HBO. Edward James Olmos' presentation Walk Out was on.

A film with a powerful message that resonates 38 years after the events it depicts occurred, Walkout is the stirring true story of the Chicano students of East LA, who in 1968 staged several dramatic walkouts in their high schools to protest academic prejudice and dire school conditions. Aided by a popular and progressive young teacher, Sal Castro, Paula Crisostomo and a group of young Chicano activists battle parents, teachers, bureaucrats, the police and public opinion to make their point. Along the way, the students learn profound lessons about embracing their own identity and standing up for what they believe in. Set in 1968, a tumultuous year that shook America to its foundation, Walkout is a vivid reminder that people can change the world.

Man Eegee, Sr.: "Hey, have you seen this yet?"

Man Eegee, Jr.: "Nope, have you?"

Sr.: "We caught it the other day. It's a good movie...I remember those days."

Jr.: "We're living in them again."

Sr.: "Yeah..."

Keep in mind the context of this conversation. We were coming off the spring solidarity marches across the country that denounced HR4437 and called for a comprehensive reform of the immigration system that included a path to citizenship for millions that are living in a shadow economy. Immigration politics is not a latino issue, contrary to the constant drumbeat you'll read here and at other latino/latina blogs, but it is certainly one that is affecting our people in a meaningful way.

An overhaul of the immigration system (that is done humanely), will address educational deficiencies, health care snowjobs, mixed-status families, and trade policies with other nations that are exporting human beings instead of inventories due to the dire straits we've saddled their economies with, all in the name of the Almighty Dollar. These are worthy causes to fight for, and in order to cause a strong enough reaction to create meaningful change, we must learn how to reach people like my dad who have solidarity with our worldview but don't see the political system as a means to uprooting the rot of inequality and injustice.

The title of this post is "Paula Crisostomo's Work Continues", but really, it is our work; and I'm inspired to know that she hasn't given up. This past weekend she was the keynote speaker at the Wyoming Latina Youth Conference, sponsored by Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne.

"Education is extremely important for their future. It is up to them to prepare themselves for a brighter future, but they must know there are lots of us who believe in them and are willing to do whatever we can to help them succeed," she said.

Even now, Crisostomo believes the system is still broken, especially when it comes to educating the Latin American community.

"I think it's a shameful state of affairs ... In 1968 we saw some gains, but I've seen it being chipped away both nationally and locally by legislation. Primarily by administrations that have challenged a lot of policies that do outreach and provide education opportunity and finances for students," she said.

Ann Esquibel Redman organized the Wyoming Latina Youth Conference and invited Crisostomo because she was inspired by her story.

"I felt she has the message to persevere to move forward in spite of negative things that happen in our lives," Redman said.

linkage

An important message to take to heart as the bad news continues to flow. We mustn't give up. Our very lives are livelihood are worth the fight.

Nat'l Day of Action - 08/28/07

Courtesy of the tireless human rights advocates at Derechos Humanos

National Day of Action to Stop Anti-Immigrant Repression and Migrant Deaths at the U.S. - Mexico Border

Tuesday, August 28, 2007
4:30 - 7:00 pm

Federal Building
300 W. Congress Street, Tucson, Arizona

Urgent call for:

* Socially just legalization
* Justice for Elvira & Saul Arrellano
* Stop the deaths at the border
* An end to all raids
* A moratorium on all immigration detentions and deportations
* Restore and expand the due process rights of all immigrants
* Protect and expand the labor, human and civil rights of all immigrants and refugees

Cosponsored by:
Derechos Humanos, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, May 1st Coalition, Borderland Theater, Fundación México, Tucson Samaritans, Salt of the Earth Labor College, Humane Borders

For more information, contact Derechos Humanos at: 520.770.1373

Minutemen outnumbered by Human Activists

There is a story in the Oregonian about the Children of the Del Monte Human Raid

[link here] (Manny if you can, fix the linkage thingy... por favor) [Done!]

This is no longer America. I am no longer "fighting" to get my country "back". I am now fighting for our right to BE. I am fighting so that we all can live together. I am fighting so that we can HAVE a country, a world, a planet.



As you can see, the Peace Activists, unlike the Hate Mongers, didn't need to cover their faces or identities. Most of the Minutemen and their supporters wore headcoverings or bandanas. They looked and acted like terrorists. People stood right next to the "terrorists", at many times they blocked their signs with their own or with their bodies, families. Which was much more effective than a typical stand-off where people took up sides on opposing streets. I think the Minutemen and their supporters were caught off guard by this tactic.

The below was written by a fellow Portland peace activist who goes by the name Joe Anybody. The "Seriously Pissed Off Grannies" (mostly made up of CodePinkers) are part of the notorious and effective Surge Brigade. They had been arrested during Fleet Week for attempting to block tanks in the street.

More photos are at Portland Indymedia's site and I'm sure more stories and accounts will come out.



"I went to show support and solidarity against the HATE protest

I am posting the minutemen signs as "news to those who were not there" but don't want to post these in a way to help spread their message

There is a 20 min video I took that I will post here on Indy Media by tomorrow morning at the latest.

It was a nice turnout of Human Right Supporters

The Seriously Pissed Off Grannies had a city Hall meeting on an un related issue of having TANKS on our city streets. When they came out of the front doors into the "protest zone" they were chanting and marching side by side. I didn't quite hear well what they were saying ...but I got it on film. When they came out with their march .....the energy ratcheted up and the minute men started getting louder to voice their (sic) message.

Those Grannies are everywhere.... (thank goodness)
Good Support and solidarity by lots of loving people for the Human Rights of all people."

I am very honored to be a member of CodePink, a friend of Manny's and most importantly - a human being. Wars are illegal. People aren't.

Manny thank you for granting me the ability to post my thoughts on your most impressive blog.

Paz & Courage.

I Believe That's Called A Mandate

Hey, if George can claim one based on a 50.7%/48.3% poll, and terrorize 100% of us as a result of it, then what is Congress waiting for?

While Congress and the White House remain divided over what to do with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the USA, a new poll shows the American public appears to have reached a consensus on the question.

A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken last weekend found that 78% of respondents feel people now in the country illegally should be given a chance at citizenship.

linkage (emphasis mine)

Atrios is "utterly astonished" at the numbers, and to be honest, it is somewhat surprising to me that it's that high; but one of the biggest gripes that those of us connected to the info hub had/has is the complete lack of balance within the political debate.

It is, as Nezua aptly describes, La Lente Blanca - The White Lens - working in overdrive.

BECAUSE OF THE SUBTLETY OF THESE SYSTEMS that privilege those perceived to be "White," it takes an actual about-face in translation, a swivel of the mental lens to become aware of the lens, itself. It requires a dramatic change in orientation, we may even say a breaking of the lens. The very tool of analyzation has been perverted to channel distorted information, because (again) were sane humans to meditate upon the situations required today to continue the American lifestyle, they would be shocked and disgusted. If I return to the train metaphor, I could say that were the passengers to actually sit up and look out the window, they would be horrified at the corpses along the ground. But the line to our hearts has been detoured past mirrored cul-de-sacs so that we can only see beautiful scenery.

When I started blogging a couple of years ago, I knew that a big part of the message I wanted to get out to whomever stumbled upon my words would be to tell the stories of those who are trampled by our immigration system. Personas como la familia Dominguez-Rivera y muchas mas que no tienen nombres.

The dry river beds of the desert Southwest run with the blood of innocent people everyday, yet the power structure of the U.S. is being dragged, kicking and screaming, into action to address the issue. It's like being caught in a continuous loop of the storyline in The Running Man, where reality is treated like a game yet the death is real.

Ironically, some of the cast members are the same.

So what needs to happen now? Aside from hauling in a defibrillator to the U.S. Capitol and shocking the Suits and Pearls out of lethargy, it is important to support the work of those agencies and coalitions that are in our communities making sure that families are not separated, basic human rights are upheld, and the dignity of the roots of those affected by the power games are honored. Groups like the Border Action Network, Coalición de Derechos Humanos and No More Deaths.

It wouldn't hurt to get out into the street on May 1st either.

Jewish-Muslim Peace Walk This Sunday

If you're free, this will be happening in downtown Tucson. It will be a great show of solidarity along with presentations on the history of both religious traditions here in southern Arizona.

Sunday afternoon's fourth annual Jewish-Muslim Peace Walk for the first time will begin at a Downtown locale — the Historic Stone Avenue Temple, 564 S. Stone Ave. — and proceed north for 2 1/2 miles, ending at the Islamic Center of Tucson, 901 E. First St.

At least 200 walkers are expected. Organizers say they'll stick to sidewalks, and no street closures will be required.

Though the walk itself isn't scheduled to begin until 3:30 p.m., festivities start at the Stone Avenue Temple at 1:30, with a talk about Jewish history in Tucson, as well as henna painting, crafts, games, puppets and food.

more information from the Az Daily Star

Fighting Back Against the Human Round-Ups

Activists are speaking out against the Human Hunting Season that is underway across this country. In California, they are also getting something desperately needed - media coverage.

From Mendota, CA:

Asking other cities in the San Joaquin Valley to follow their lead, members of the City Council unanimously endorsed a resolution condemning recent immigration raids that resulted in the arrests of 200 residents.

Federal immigration agents swept through Mendota, which has a population of 8,775, last month. The council's resolution asks immigration officials to stop deportations of undocumented workers because such sweeps "are extremely detrimental to an already economically depressed community."

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While their resolution has no jurisdiction over the federal agents conducting the raids, it is a strong signal for the local authorities to send to their residents. We already know that families are being separated and concentration camps are being filled by this government. It sends an unspeakable chill throughout the neighborhoods and communities that suddenly find themselves less populated overnight.

Look at what happened in Texas after the Virgen De Guadalupe Meatpacking Roundups:

The streets of this small, isolated city in the Texas Panhandle are virtually empty nowadays, and "For Rent" signs decorate dilapidated trailers and shabby 1940s-era military barracks that just weeks ago were full of tenants.

Sales of tortillas and other staples are down. Money wire transactions to Central America have mostly dried up. The "Guatemalas," as local residents call them, are almost all gone, and so are a significant number of Mexican nationals.

An estimated 12 to 18 children are now living with only one parent because the other was arrested in a massive immigration raid at the biggest employer in town.

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Did everyone in the town get put in prison? Unlikely. Those 'Left Behind' merely moved elsewhere, further into the shadows of society. This inhumane cycle will continue unimpeded until more city councils and local activist groups send a strong message that it must be stopped.

The youth understand this, and are organizing as you read this via MySpace. As of the writing of this post, there are 5018 friends of this particular MySpacer.

On Friday March 30, we close our schools and march to honor California’s César Chávez Holiday. A year ago, we closed our schools and marched to defeat an unjust law, HR4437. This year, we close our schools and march to enforce the spirit and letter of a just law declaring César Chávez birthday a school holiday in California.

When we take to the streets on Friday, March 30th, we will reassert the power of the new civil rights movement we are building and give living expression to the heartfelt pride and dignity of the Latina(o) communities. A year after the struggle to defend immigrant rights gave rise to the biggest and potentially most powerful civil rights movement in more than 100 years, it is up to us to keep the movement alive and to provide the leadership needed to increase the power of our movement.

On Saturday, March 31, and Sunday, April 1, the weekend following our statewide Chávez day actions, the young leaders who have been organizing our mass actions will come together in Los Angeles for a conference. The conference sponsored by BAMN is being organized to develop, consolidate, and build the collective leadership of our new civil rights movement. The movement’s ability to become stronger and bolder relies on our building a more politically conscious and accountable leadership. The conference of the new civil rights movement will give the young leaders of the movement an opportunity to discuss and draw out the lessons we have learned from the struggles we have led so that we can chart a course for our future.

Don't be caught by surprise this year. Find out if any local groups are planning solidarity events next Friday, March 30th. If there is nothing, well maybe it's the time to roll up your sleeves and become an Accidental Activist and create one. I'll be in Portland, OR that day and will see what I can do to join mis herman@s to fight for justice.

The Arizona César Chávez Holiday Coalition is sponsoring several events featuring one of our strongest advocates - Dolores Huerta. There will be a movie screening on Friday evening and the annual Marcha at 9:00am on Saturday, March 31st beginning at Pueblo High School in Tucson. Click here for more information.

Time to step it up a notch.

Crossposted at My Left Wing