San Jose, CA – Around 200 community members rallied at Mexican Heritage Plaza on the evening of Friday, January 9 to demand justice for Renee Good, a mother of three who was fatally shot by ICE officer Jonathan Ross two days earlier in Minneapolis.

The program featured speakers from Community Service Organization San Jose, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, San Jose Against War, San Jose State University Students for a Democratic Society, and SIREN Immigrant Rights. Through song, chants, and prayer, those gathered called for an end to the violence faced by Chicanos, immigrants, and their allies.

Misrayn Mendoza, a longtime community organizer and member CSO San Jose, opened the rally with the Prayer of the Farmworker’s Struggle, reflecting on how the historical legacy of César Chávez and the United Farm Workers movement continues to live on in San Jose.

After chants of “Say her name: Renee Good,” Jessica Aniles of CSO San Jose read aloud the Legalization for All Network’s statement.

Aniles read, “If they are not backing down, neither should we. We must fight back as the Trump administration escalates their attacks on the undocumented and immigrant rights movements.”

Maria Blaze from SIREN Immigrant Rights and a student at De Anza College added, “We must not let Renee’s and many other deaths go in vain. We must keep fighting with resilience and the absolute belief that change will come but only if we step up.”

Blaze continued, stating that the escalation of repression in Minneapolis comes as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem plans to increase ICE presence in San Jose for Super Bowl LX, urging community members to get further organized.

John Duroyan, of SDS SJSU, said “Now is the time to fight,” and emphasized solidarity, “What unfolded in Minneapolis… is the same cruelty that unfolded against Keith Porter, an innocent who was murdered by an off duty ICE agent on New Years Eve. The same cruelty is unfolding against the people of Venezuela.”

Duroyan continued, “The students say no more, the workers say no more, the people say no more.”

After the program ended, protesters then began a march down Alum Rock Avenue to the US 101 overpass and back to the Mexican Heritage Plaza, chanting, holding candles, and carrying a large poster with Renee Good's photograph at the front of the march.

#SanJoseCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #ReneeGood #CSOSJ

San Jose, CA – On December 14, San Jose Against War gathered dozens of people to commemorate International Human Rights Day. The U.S. has been a primary facilitator of human rights violations, including selling weapons to Israel, bombing fisherpeople off the coast of Venezuela, and a host of sanctions imposed on countries striving for national sovereignty.

Protesters held picket signs reading, “San Jose divest from genocide,” “U.S. hands off Venezuela” and “Stop the deportations.”

Philip Nguyen, co-chair of San Jose Against War, said to the crowd that the struggles are connected and that human rights such as “Food, housing, healthcare, education are a second priority for the ruling class; second only to the profit motive especially through war profiteers!”

Nguyen continued by elevating San Jose Against War’s divestment campaign targeting the city of San Jose saying, “The precedent is there – Hayward and Richmond have divested from Israel! Dublin and Alameda County have already passed an ethical investment policy. Now, it is time for San Jose to pass theirs as well.”

Drusie Kazanova of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization told the crowd, “From Palestine to Venezuela, people are fighting for self-determination and liberation from the chains of imperialism. And here at home, from San Jose, to Los Angeles, to Chicago, to Portland, we are fighting for our liberation from the very same oppressors, the imperialist class!”

Lyla Salinas, member of Community Service Organization San Jose, highlighted Trump’s year full of human rights violations including, but not limited to, deportations, saying that, “Trump continues to push a racist agenda aimed at oppressing immigrants and Chicanos. We say no more!”

Salinas continued, “Trump’s administration has continued his attacks on women, trans and queer people, Black people, students, on workers, on Palestine and now on Venezuela. We must not let this stand!”

Megan Sweet, member of Students for a Democratic Society at San Jose State University addressed the crowd, saying, “The people of Venezuela cannot wait for suggestions or proposals, they need the people from within the belly of the beast to rise up and demand from their government: ‘Hands off Venezuela!’”

Sweet said that SDS at SJSU continues their campaign to demand the school administration disclose their investment portfolio, divest from all corporations that facilitate human rights violations and the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and to cut ties with Lockheed Martin.

The crowd marched up the busy Market Street and along the annual Christmas in the Park installation, chanting to the tune of Jingle Bells, “Palestine, Palestine. Free, free Palestine! From the river to the sea ‘til Palestine is free!”

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #ImmigrantsRights #CSOSJ #SJAW

San Jose, CA – On October 23, over 200 community members rallied together at San Jose City Hall to protest the Trump administration’s deployment of over 100 ICE and CBP agents into the San Francisco Bay Area, and to demand an end to the terror inflicted on Chicano and immigrant families by ICE.

Uriel Magdaleno of the Community Service Organization (CSO) San Jose addressed the crowd, “We do not back off of our movement, we do not cower at a time like this, we continue to push our mass movement.” Magdaleno continued, “we will not back down, we will not tolerate ICE in our neighborhoods.”

In addition to CSO, several other organizations joined in the action, including the League for Filipino Students, Latinas Contra Cancer, and Amigos de Guadalupe. Local politicians including Peter Ortiz and Betty Duong also spoke.

Finn Albano from the League for Filipino Students addressed the crowd, “The struggles that we all face such as deportations and detentions in the U.S., as well as the poverty and corruption back in the Philippines all stem from the same fundamental problems – imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism.”

As the crowd got riled up, Albano continued “This is why we must come together and only through mobilization in the South Bay can there be genuine change because when people are organized, people also learn to fight with us!”

The rally finished with chants that show solidarity with the undocumented and Chicano community. John Duroyan from Students for a Democratic Societychanted “When immigrant rights are under attack what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

Trump deployed CBP agents to Alameda, but, due to protest actions and large mass pushback, Trump called off the deployment.

#SanJoseCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #CSOSJ #Trump #ICE

San José, CA – On September 21, CSO San José and Human Agenda joined the Legalization for All National Weekend of Action to protest the Supreme Court ruling allowing racial profiling. Activists present demanded legalization for all, freedom for Ulises Peña López and an end to masking of ICE agents and law enforcement in San José.

On September 8, the Supreme Court gave the green light to racial profiling in Southern California. This comes after the District Court in July ordered the Department of Homeland Security to stop racially profiling Chicanos, Centro Americanos, Mexicanos, and Latinos in southern California during ICE stops.

Chief of staff for District 5 City Councilmember Peter Ortiz’s office, Brisa Morales, gave a statement on behalf of Ortiz against the Supreme Court ruling. Morales stated that the ruling was “a direct attack on the dignity, safety and humanity of our immigrant neighbors.” Peter Ortiz, along with others, are currently in the process of passing a memorandum to ban ICE agents and law enforcement from masking their identity.

Activists with the Community Service Organization San José gave statements in response. Misrayn Mendoza, long time community organizer, stated, “Our communities are under pressure, our faith in these institutions is further deteriorating and that is why we must continue to keep organizing, go door to door in our barrios here.”

Uriel Magdaleno spoke about CSO San José's monthly barrio walks, saying, “We are able to engage with community members on a one-to-one basis and educate them how to protect themselves from ICE as well as build with them as CSO San José and continue to mobilize.”

Larissa Bitterli of CSO San José spoke about community defense of detainees. CSO San José has been publicly active in protests and community outreach for Ulises Peña López, who was detained in the South Bay Area. Bitterli stated, “He is currently being held at the California City detention center, we are calling upon the community to participate in a call in to Representative Ro Khanna to visit Ulises at California City detention center.”

Felipe Romero Jr., an immigration lawyer with Human Agenda, stated, “The court in granting the state of injunction essentially allowed immigration enforcement officers to continue making stops based on a set of vague and subjective criteria that disproportionately targets people of color.” Romero Jr. continued, “This decision will have a chilling effect on immigrant communities, our communities.”

Other cities cited as participants include LA, Oakland, Orange County, Jacksonville, Florida and Aurora, Colorado.

#SanJoseCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #CSOSJ