Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Immigration activists call for Great American Boycott 2007

One of the groups behind last years massive march in Los Angeles that drew a reported one-half million people is calling for a repeat of the last year’s boycott in support of immigrant’s rights.

Members of the March 25th Coalition, a coalition of labor unions, human rights activists, and immigrant rights groups called Monday for a national "Great American Boycott Two" on May 1, 2007.

The event is designed to raise awareness for immigrant’s rights and their contributions to the economy.

Group members said the boycott will be held to protest federal immigration raids on businesses that employ illegal immigrants and to press for "real legalization" for undocumented immigrants.

Last years boycott, fueled by anger over legislation that would have criminalized undocumented immigrants and fortified the U.S.-Mexico, temporarily shuttered businesses and schools across the country as over a million people took to the streets in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, and other cities.

Organizers are hoping to recreate last year's success, and believe that recent events make this years boycott even more important.

According to the groups website, the boycott, "must take place in order to now put an end to the intense raids and deportations taking place around the country, and stopping the President’s push towards guest workers programs which only benefit corporations and enslave immigrant workers."

"This urgent and immediate need must be addressed as the first step towards achieving full legalization for the 12 to 20 million human beings living in the shadows and persecuted in this country while their labor and consumption is a cornerstone of this country’s economy."

"May 1 is the next necessary step towards a comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill that does not tear apart families or criminalizes the millions of people who have been forced by globalization and the so-called Free Trade agreements to leave their families, communities, country's of origin, and ways of life, to risk their lives and come here to work."

At an afternoon news conference press conference held on the steps of the downtown Los Angeles Federal Building. leaders said the raids on employers of illegal immigrants are "part of an intimidation campaign, strictly carried out in Latino residential communities and workplaces," and are "part of the nationwide `Return to Sender Operation' officially begun in June 2006 by (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents, under strict orders of the Department of Homeland Security and President Bush."

The organizers are also asking for the termination of free trade agreements such as NAFTA and CAFTA, workers rights, and an end to border vigilantism among other things, according to the group’s website

Pointing to a protest this past Saturday in downtown Los Angeles, that drew an estimated crowd of 10,000 to 15,000 marchers, leaders believes that now that immigration legislation is once again being discussed in Washington, the time is ripe for another round of marches and boycotts.

"The massive outpouring of immigrants and allies on the streets of downtown L.A. clearly points in the direction of another successful round of mega marches to inject the immigrant community, once again, into the national debate to influence Congress" one leader said.

More information on The Great American Boycott 2007 can be found at May Day Movement, or March 25 Coalition

UPDATE: For a list of May 1st events see:
Locations of May 1st Immigration Rallies



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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why Duke, why would you link to such an anti-Hispanic forum such as Alipac.us

Duke Reed said...

if you're referring to the link in the above story, it's because LA Times stories usually disappear after about a week.

As no one else, including the afl-cio, has reprinted this editorial yet, and the Alipac forum reprinted it in its entirety (albeit for all the wrong reasons) it's there as an alternative reference for when the Times archives the story away.

As soon as I can find someone else with a permanent copy of the editorial I'll switch it out.

Often I have to go to right-wing sites to get permanent copies of articles that will be archived away, or put behind firewalls after a short period of time.

Since I always like to post an active alternative source for any articles I quote so there can never be a question in the future about the veracity of the quote, I sometimes have to use sources that are not ideal

hope that answers you question

Duke Reed said...

you know what...

on second thought you're absolutely right

I'm dumping the link.

The link becomes a tacit vote of approval I really don't want to afford them.

Thanks

Duke Reed said...

my thanks to Nezua, whose writing on the lens was most instrumental in my reevaluation of that link...sometimes "you just don't get it" applies to even the best intentioned..Gracias

Anonymous said...

Ok...

a) How many of the protestors in the Great American Boycott are actual Americans?

b) Why the hell would you boycott America... IN America? I mean, if you're not going to actually partake in the education and jobs and health care that you stole across the border to secure, then why not go home to where you came from?

c) Our immigration policy is broken. In no other realm of existence but politics do you fix something by saying "Ok, all these broken pieces are actually right where they're supposed to be. Fixed!"

There has to be

1) A way for migrant workers to get legal employment in the US. There's an amazingly simple way to do this. Sadly, it doesn't benefit the farm corporations as much as 10-cent-an-hour labor does, so no chance the lobbyists will support me here.

2) A penalty for coming into the nation illegally. If we've decided (and apparently we have) that it's inhumane to ship 11 million people back to where they came from, then the penalty has to be financial. There's an easy way to do this, as well, but since these people had no problems with breaking the law to get here, or breaking the law to work here illegally, then what misphincter of hell do you have to live in to think they'd be willing to follow the law any other time it's not convenient for them to do so?

3) A practical benefit to being a citizen or legal resident of the United States. No child here illegally should be allowed an education. No man or woman here illegally should be allowed a job. It's honestly that simple. Fix the methods by which they can have jobs legally, and remove the methods by which they can have jobs and social services illegally, and the illegal population will find a better way.

Anonymous said...

Another word for 'Undocumented Immigrant' is CRIMINAL