https://socialistaction.org/2017/01/15/national-day-of-action-immigrant-rights-supporters-protest-attacks/
National Day of Action: Immigrant rights supporters protest attacks
/ 22 hours ago
feb-2017-chi-immigration-2By MARK UGOLINI
— CHICAGO — Over 1000 immigration rights activists and supporters packed
the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) hall on Jan. 14 to protest attacks on
immigrants and refugees, and new Republican administration plans to
continue and escalate harassment and mass deportations.
The event was part of a National Day of Action for Immigrant Rights,
with protests in more than 70 cities that mobilized thousands from
Washington and Miami to Houston, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Albuquerque.
The actions were organized in response to the widespread wave of racist
rhetoric during the election campaign and new attacks planned on
immigrants and refugees, including Donald Trump’s pledges to build a
wall on the U.S.-Mexican border and to crack down on Muslims entering
the U.S.
The largest event took place in Washington, D.C., where several thousand
from throughout the Eastern U.S. converged for a rally in the
Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal church that overflowed into the
streets. The Washington protest was organized by CASA, Center for
Community Change/Fair Immigration Reform Movement, Make the Road, the
New York Immigration Coalition, United We Dream, and SEIU.
The Chicago rally, held in an industrial district on the West Side, was
sponsored by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
(ICIRR) and supported by the CTU, Service Employee International Union,
United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 88, various Teamster
union locals, and some 44 community and religious organizations
representing the city’s Latin American, Arab, and Asian communities.
Sponsoring organizations arranged bus transportation to the event, and
the widely diverse crowd included broad representation from Muslim
communities who demanded a halt to harassment and outrage over Donald
Trump’s call for a Muslim registry system. Signs saying “Resistance,
Unity and Respect,” “Stop the Deportations” and “No Muslim Registry”
were prominently scattered throughout the crowd.
Many low-wage workers from Fight for $15 were in attendance, making a
strong stand for immigration rights. One of the group’s leaders spoke at
the rally and pledged on-going solidarity.
Attending with her family, Rehab Alkadi, 31, a Syrian refugee, spoke of
their worries of deportation, particularly in light of Donald Trump’s
incendiary rhetoric targeting Muslims. She spoke of how hateful, racist,
and xenophobic rhetoric has the effect of “criminalizing” refugees and
creates fertile ground for harassment, intimidation, and violent
physical attacks against them.
Representing the Japanese American Service Committee, Michael Takada
called for unity to stop the coming ramp-up of “the deportation
machine,” and warned of local agencies and police departments that are
nearly always complicit with U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE).
He echoed calls of other speakers demanding local city governments
provide protection for immigrants by adopting sanctuary policies to help
shield them from ICE. Some U.S cities have taken steps toward
this.feb-2017-chi-immigrants
Rally organizer and head of ICIRR Lawrence Benito told the Chicago
Tribune that the immigrant community is not sure what specific attacks
are coming next but, “We’re going to be prepared … for the fight to come.”
He said now it’s time to “join hands with immigrant, refugee, faith and
labor brothers and sisters and their allies to declare, in no uncertain
terms, that we will stand in the way of criminalization, mass
deportation and hatred in our communities. … We are our own protectors.
We will resist. We will continue to fight for dignity and respect for
our communities.”
The Chicago Teachers Union was at the center of labor movement
solidarity for the event. Recently, the union passed a resolution
pledging full support for immigrant and refugee victims of government
attacks: “The CTU will not tolerate hate or discrimination … and shares
a responsibility to support and protect students and their families …
[from] policy decisions made by the President Elect … and acknowledges
that the policies of deporting and criminalizing immigrants are policies
[Chicago Democratic Party] Mayor Rahm Emanuel devised as adviser and
chief of staff of the Clinton and Obama administrations respectively.”
The CTU resolved to not “participate in or perpetuate the divisiveness
created by politicians by labeling undocumented immigrants as good or
bad immigrants” and to “oppose any efforts to create a Muslim registry
system, build a wall, enforce massive deportations, and impose stop and
frisk civil rights violations upon our communities.”
The CTU also pledged to “support rallies, marches or other actions that
further protections for students and their families against harmful
policies that aim to divide or incarcerate students and/or their
families including but not limited to local and national protests such
as those in Washington, D.C. on the 20th and the 21st for January 2017.”
For the complete CTU resolution see:
http://www.ctunet.com/blog/ctu-resolution-to-defend-targets-of-president-elect-donald-trumps-attacks
Photos of the Jan. 14 Chicago rally by AP.
.
.
Share this:
Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
5Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)5
Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
January 15, 2017 in Immigration.
Related posts
Walkout by immigrant workers rocks the nation on May Day
Immigrant Rights Under Attack
Hundreds Meet to Launch New Immigrant Rights Alliance
Post navigation
← Standing with Standing Rock
Get Involved!
Donate to help support our work
Get email updates
Join Socialist Action
Newspaper Archives
Newspaper Archives Select Month January 2017 (6) December 2016 (12)
November 2016 (19) October 2016 (12) September 2016 (10) August 2016
(10) July 2016 (14) June 2016 (14) May 2016 (9) April 2016 (12)
March 2016 (14) February 2016 (8) January 2016 (11) December 2015
(11) November 2015 (9) October 2015 (8) September 2015 (10) August
2015 (7) July 2015 (13) June 2015 (9) May 2015 (10) April 2015 (12)
March 2015 (9) February 2015 (11) January 2015 (10) December 2014
(12) November 2014 (11) October 2014 (9) September 2014 (6) August
2014 (10) July 2014 (11) June 2014 (10) May 2014 (11) April 2014
(10) March 2014 (9) February 2014 (11) January 2014 (11) December
2013 (10) November 2013 (11) October 2013 (17) September 2013 (13)
August 2013 (10) July 2013 (11) June 2013 (15) May 2013 (14) April
2013 (14) March 2013 (12) February 2013 (10) January 2013 (17)
December 2012 (7) November 2012 (8) October 2012 (19) September 2012
(2) August 2012 (27) July 2012 (18) June 2012 (3) May 2012 (19)
April 2012 (14) March 2012 (17) February 2012 (19) January 2012 (17)
December 2011 (3) November 2011 (33) October 2011 (14) September
2011 (13) August 2011 (34) July 2011 (24) June 2011 (19) May 2011
(19) April 2011 (15) March 2011 (15) February 2011 (16) January 2011
(15) December 2010 (17) November 2010 (1) October 2010 (6) September
2010 (3) August 2010 (8) July 2010 (7) June 2010 (2) May 2010 (9)
April 2010 (3) March 2010 (8) February 2010 (3) January 2010 (9)
December 2009 (6) November 2009 (5) October 2009 (16) September 2009
(3) August 2009 (2) July 2009 (5) June 2009 (2) May 2009 (7) April
2009 (6) March 2009 (16) February 2009 (9) January 2009 (10) December
2008 (11) November 2008 (8) October 2008 (16) September 2008 (14)
August 2008 (18) July 2008 (12) June 2008 (3) May 2008 (2) April
2008 (3) March 2008 (14) February 2008 (11) January 2008 (11)
December 2007 (8) November 2007 (1) July 2007 (1) June 2007 (1)
April 2007 (1) March 2007 (1) February 2007 (3) December 2006 (11)
November 2006 (11) October 2006 (13) September 2006 (15) August 2006
(11) July 2006 (18) June 2006 (7) May 2006 (14) April 2006 (6) March
2006 (14) February 2006 (5) January 2006 (2) December 2005 (9)
November 2005 (8) October 2005 (13) September 2005 (12) August 2005
(9) July 2005 (16) June 2005 (16) May 2005 (16) April 2005 (12)
March 2005 (14) February 2005 (19) January 2005 (15) December 2004
(14) November 2002 (17) October 2002 (19) September 2002 (22) August
2002 (21) July 2002 (15) May 2002 (21) April 2002 (21) February
2002 (15) January 2002 (15) December 2001 (17) October 2001 (24)
September 2001 (18) July 2001 (19) June 2001 (18) October 2000 (17)
September 2000 (21) August 2000 (19) July 2000 (16) June 2000 (26)
May 2000 (21) April 2000 (22) March 2000 (28) February 2000 (18)
January 2000 (20) December 1999 (20) November 1999 (26) October 1999
(25) September 1999 (18) August 1999 (40) July 1999 (38) June 1999
(24) May 1999 (27) April 1999 (25) March 1999 (26) February 1999
(29) January 1999 (24) July 1998 (12)
Search
View socialistactionusa’s profile on Facebook
View SocialistActUS’s profile on Twitter
View SocialistActionCT’s profile on YouTube
Subscribe to Our Newspaper
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
Category Cloud
Actions & Protest Africa Anti-War Arts & Culture Black Liberation Canada
Caribbean Civil Liberties Cuba East Asia Economy Education & Schools
Elections Environment Europe Immigration Indigenous Rights International
Labor Latin America Latino Civil Liberties Marxist Theory & History
Middle East National Oppression Police & FBI Prisons South Asia
Uncategorized Vote Socialist Action Women's Liberation
View Calendar
Blog at WordPress.com.
