ckaihatsu
5th March 2016, 16:57
http://socialistorganizer.org/jan-26th-protest/
The Significance of the Jan. 26 Immigrant Rights Protest in CA: An Interview with Two Leading Activists
The Organizer: Can you explain the immigrant rights protest that took place on January 26, 2016, here in California?
Itzel: After we heard that there would be raids targeting Central American refugees in early January, we knew that there needed to be a quick response from the immigrant community to call out the Obama administration for targeting women and children who were fleeing their countries for reasons like gang violence and poverty; both being direct consequences of U.S intervention in those countries. So we decided to make a call to action for Jan. 26th in California and reach out to supporting organizations that would be willing to support rallies and escalations in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Yadira: In addition to protesting the Obama administration's targeted raids against Central American refugees, in San Francisco we had local demands directed to newly elected Sheriff Vicki Hennessy, demanding that she reject any collaboration between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local police by rejecting the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP).
Here in San Francisco we had a group of 16 participants who took part in the civil disobedience that shut down the streets in front of the ICE building. Elders to students with different immigration statuses risked an arrest that day.
The Organizer: What was your level of participation the day of?
Itzel: I was one of the organizers in the Bay Area. I knew that along with that, I had to be a participant in the civil disobedience.
We had 16 people arrested that day. One thing that stood out to me was the amount of people who came out. Around 200 to 250 people showed up at the action. I don't think I've seen that many people before for one of our rallies.
Here were 16 people putting themselves at risk for the benefit of the community. Our community in California saw that there are folks fighting for our rights and not willing to compromise. We also got a shout-out from ICE Free NYC, who had done a civil disobedience just a week before we did. After our action, Chicago joined us, and then Wisconsin -- and soon I believe the actions will start spreading across the country!
Yadira: I also participated in the direct actions shutting down the streets in front of the ICE building in San Francisco. A key moment for me was getting ready to get arrested by SFPD. Seeing rows of police officers lined up was at first intimidating. But witnessing the power of the community standing there next to us and really protecting us from them was empowering.
There was a sense of solidarity, something hard to put into words but witnessing how everyone was there in solidarity to demand ICE out of SF, ICE out of CA, SHUT DOWN ICE was inspirational and awesome.
The Organizer: Why did you think it was necessary to take the risks that you took?
Yadira: As an undocumented person, you are constantly being put at risk. At any given moment there's a possibility of getting detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Being part of the civil disobedience is a serious risk, but it doesn't compare to the larger risk our undocumented communities face on a daily basis. To put our bodies on the line is a symbol of resistance against the threat that undocumented families have to face in this country, a resistance that sends a message that enough is enough; we demand more than piecemeal bills, federal temporary programs. With our action we sent a clear message that we demand an end to the injustice and inhumane detention and separation of undocumented families.
With these civil disobediences we become unafraid and unapologetic, we are visible, and our strength as people power overcomes this "fear." These actions are necessary to bring change. For example, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) wouldn't have happened if it weren't for our mobilizations. This can also happen now with our demand to SHUT DOWN ICE.
This action was necessary to keep the momentum of actions that are taking place around the nation. It's time for the community to unite strongly as one to fight back; I think slowly but surely it's happening!
The Organizer: What do you think is next for the movement?
Itzel: Since January, there have been multiple actions across the country in direct response to the mass detention of immigrants, deportations, and the collaboration of Police and ICE (Poli-Migra).
What's needed is collective action just like how we did in California; we now need to extend it to the whole country.
A day of action is needed that is centered on our core demands that we've stood by for so many years. Stopping the deportations, ending the police-ICE collaboration, shutting down detention centers, rejecting the TPP that would further force migration of people and would cause more environmental damage.
We have the numbers, as proven in the March that happened last week in Wisconsin -- where 40,000 people marched with the slogan "UnDiaSinLatinos." The conditions are there to build a national day of action, it's up to us to push for this, not only for one day; but use this day to build a stronger community, a stronger movement, and bring out a larger sectors of immigrants that wouldn't necessarily attend a rally or a march and start flexing muscle so that the politicians that seek presidency can see that we are organized and will pressure them into meeting our demands. We've done it in the past, and I think we're reaching that moment again nationally.
The Significance of the Jan. 26 Immigrant Rights Protest in CA: An Interview with Two Leading Activists
The Organizer: Can you explain the immigrant rights protest that took place on January 26, 2016, here in California?
Itzel: After we heard that there would be raids targeting Central American refugees in early January, we knew that there needed to be a quick response from the immigrant community to call out the Obama administration for targeting women and children who were fleeing their countries for reasons like gang violence and poverty; both being direct consequences of U.S intervention in those countries. So we decided to make a call to action for Jan. 26th in California and reach out to supporting organizations that would be willing to support rallies and escalations in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Yadira: In addition to protesting the Obama administration's targeted raids against Central American refugees, in San Francisco we had local demands directed to newly elected Sheriff Vicki Hennessy, demanding that she reject any collaboration between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local police by rejecting the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP).
Here in San Francisco we had a group of 16 participants who took part in the civil disobedience that shut down the streets in front of the ICE building. Elders to students with different immigration statuses risked an arrest that day.
The Organizer: What was your level of participation the day of?
Itzel: I was one of the organizers in the Bay Area. I knew that along with that, I had to be a participant in the civil disobedience.
We had 16 people arrested that day. One thing that stood out to me was the amount of people who came out. Around 200 to 250 people showed up at the action. I don't think I've seen that many people before for one of our rallies.
Here were 16 people putting themselves at risk for the benefit of the community. Our community in California saw that there are folks fighting for our rights and not willing to compromise. We also got a shout-out from ICE Free NYC, who had done a civil disobedience just a week before we did. After our action, Chicago joined us, and then Wisconsin -- and soon I believe the actions will start spreading across the country!
Yadira: I also participated in the direct actions shutting down the streets in front of the ICE building in San Francisco. A key moment for me was getting ready to get arrested by SFPD. Seeing rows of police officers lined up was at first intimidating. But witnessing the power of the community standing there next to us and really protecting us from them was empowering.
There was a sense of solidarity, something hard to put into words but witnessing how everyone was there in solidarity to demand ICE out of SF, ICE out of CA, SHUT DOWN ICE was inspirational and awesome.
The Organizer: Why did you think it was necessary to take the risks that you took?
Yadira: As an undocumented person, you are constantly being put at risk. At any given moment there's a possibility of getting detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Being part of the civil disobedience is a serious risk, but it doesn't compare to the larger risk our undocumented communities face on a daily basis. To put our bodies on the line is a symbol of resistance against the threat that undocumented families have to face in this country, a resistance that sends a message that enough is enough; we demand more than piecemeal bills, federal temporary programs. With our action we sent a clear message that we demand an end to the injustice and inhumane detention and separation of undocumented families.
With these civil disobediences we become unafraid and unapologetic, we are visible, and our strength as people power overcomes this "fear." These actions are necessary to bring change. For example, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) wouldn't have happened if it weren't for our mobilizations. This can also happen now with our demand to SHUT DOWN ICE.
This action was necessary to keep the momentum of actions that are taking place around the nation. It's time for the community to unite strongly as one to fight back; I think slowly but surely it's happening!
The Organizer: What do you think is next for the movement?
Itzel: Since January, there have been multiple actions across the country in direct response to the mass detention of immigrants, deportations, and the collaboration of Police and ICE (Poli-Migra).
What's needed is collective action just like how we did in California; we now need to extend it to the whole country.
A day of action is needed that is centered on our core demands that we've stood by for so many years. Stopping the deportations, ending the police-ICE collaboration, shutting down detention centers, rejecting the TPP that would further force migration of people and would cause more environmental damage.
We have the numbers, as proven in the March that happened last week in Wisconsin -- where 40,000 people marched with the slogan "UnDiaSinLatinos." The conditions are there to build a national day of action, it's up to us to push for this, not only for one day; but use this day to build a stronger community, a stronger movement, and bring out a larger sectors of immigrants that wouldn't necessarily attend a rally or a march and start flexing muscle so that the politicians that seek presidency can see that we are organized and will pressure them into meeting our demands. We've done it in the past, and I think we're reaching that moment again nationally.