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News :: Civil & Human Rights |
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April 10 March for Immigration Reform |
Current rating: 0 |
by Ricky Baldwin
Email: baldwinricky (nospam) yahoo.com (verified)
Phone: 217-328-3037 |
31 Mar 2006
Modified: 11:16:41 AM |
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On Monday April 10 Latino/a students from UIUC and area high schools will march with supporters in support of important immigration reforms pending in the US Congress as part of a National Day of Action. Locally the march begins at the mini-park on Neil and Green at 11 AM and ends at the UIUC Quad for a noontime rally. For more info call Diana at 773-727-2580. |
(Champaign) Demonstrations in Chicago, LA, and elsewhere, perhaps the largest ever in US history, have taken cities by surprise over the few weeks. Local news outlets have covered these, but as Democracy Now! reported recently, there has been an almost total news blackout in the national media.
But the most surprising part is how many leftists and progressives didn't even know these were coming. Still don't.
A group of area students aims to change that with a massive walkout, march and rally on Monday April 10th, part of a national day of action coordinated with many other cities. The march begins in Champaign at the mini-park on the corner of Neil and Green Streets, continues along Green St. to campus, where a noontime rally on the Quad will spread the word about this growing movement.
The issue is immigration reform, an idea that is unfortunately not yet on the radar screen for even many progressive or left organizations made up of non-Latino people. It's no surprise to the United Farm Workers, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Service Employees, Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees and a few other unions whose membership includes many Latino workers. But for most other groups the upcoming National Day of Action for Immigration Reform represents new ideas.
Anti-immigrant legislation currently making the rounds in the US House of Representatives -- and supported by our own Rep. Tim Johnson -- is part of a startlingly draconian trend. Proposals to build a Berlin-type wall between the US and Mexico, once so ridiculous that few took them seriously, are now on the table and not yet meeting stiff resistance.
Meanwhile humane problem-solving legislation, such as that promoted by immigration reform Freedom Rides many months ago, languish in committee in the Senate.
But wakouts, marches and rallies in cities across the country hope to change that, too, by demonstrating the massive numbers and strength of immigrants in the US, who are integral -- have always been integral -- to US society and economy. After all, the US began as a nation of immigrants.
To get involved, contact Diana at 773-727-2580. |
This work is in the public domain |
