May Day 2007 — Stand Up and Be Counted
The recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in New Bedford has properly focused a great deal of outrage on the inhumane treatment of immigrant workers and families. [ Pictured: "Man at the Crossroads" by Diego Rivera ]
Progressive organizers and activists of all stripes should jump on this repulsive situation in order to turn it around into something constructive, to transform the bristling energy of this outrage into effective action and a basis for the ongoing forging of inter-community solidarity.
For those of you with the inclination and ability, it's time to pound some pavement and make some noise.
The Boston May Day Coalition is organizing a protest tomorrow:
¡Protesta las redadas de ICE, AHORA!
Protest ICE Raids, Now!
Proteste Contra os Ataques do ICE, Agora!
TUESDAY, MARCH 20 - 4-6pm
Government Center, Boston (Take Blue/Green T line)
IN FRONT OF THE JFK BUILDING – REGIONAL OFFICE OF ICE
Obviously this is very last minute, but if you live in the Boston area and can somehow swing it, put your body in front of that building tomorrow and be counted.
If you can't make it tomorrow, then how about May 1? It's time to start thinking about May Day 2007 protests all across the country. Start fixing your schedule, making arrangements, talking friends and allies into attending, and otherwise getting organized, now, before a month slips by and suddenly you find that nothing is in place for you to make it happen on May 1.
If you can't physically make it to a protest, you can download postcards/flyers, print out a bunch, and hand them out as you run errands around your town.
From the Immigrant Solidarity Network:
We are calling
A national day of multi-ethnic unity with youth, labor, peace and justice communities in solidarity with immigrant workers and building new immigrant rights & civil rights movement!
Wear White T-Shirt, organize actions to support immigrant rights!
WE ARE ALL HUMANS! NO ONE IS ILLEGAL!
Please Join May Day 2007 National Organizing Conference Call:
Monday, April 9, 7:00 - 8:00 EST
Monday, April 16, 3:00 - 4:00 PM EST
Monday, April 30, 7:00 - 8:00 PM ESTDial-In Number: (605) 725-3600 Participant Access Code: 91030
Points of Unity
On May Day 2007, National Immigrant Solidarity Network is calling for a multi-ethnic, decentralized, multi-topic and multi-tactic national day of mobilization to support immigrant workers rights.
Our ten points of unity (based on our Jan 29, 2007 open letter to the Congress):
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 citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
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 LGBT immigrant legislation.
We acknowledges that there'll be multiple call to actions from across the country to organize May Day 2007, and each coalition will present their sets of demands. We should respects each other organizing and encourage and supports everyone's issues:
1) Multi-ethnic, Decentralized and Multi-topic mobilization: while everyone will pledge to support immigrant workers rights at May Day 2007, local groups can choose to includes any other topics for their mobilizations: civil rights, anti-war, Katrina, labor rights, health care, etc.
2) Decentralized Multi-Tactic May Day organizing: We will encourage everyone to organize their actions at May Day, but will let local groups to decide what they want to do at the day: march, boycott, strike, lunch action, vigil, community event, conference or congressional lobby day, etc.
Understanding the connections between our individual conditions of life and the lives of people everywhere in the word allows us to come together and organize across all borders. WE NEED to link the connections between: wars in Africa, south America, Asia, Iraq, Palestine & Korea with sweatshops in Asia as well as in Los Angeles, New York; international arm sales and WTO, FTAA, NAFTA & CAFTA with AIDS, hunger, child labors and child solider; multinational corporations and economic exploitation with racism and poverty at home--then we can win the struggle.
Let's all come together, on May Day 2007, to build a new immigrant rights and civil rights movements!
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