Greensboro, NC – Fifty people marched through downtown Greensboro on Aug. 27, past the offices of the Internal Revenue Service, to protest the federal policy of ‘tax and deport.’

The protest aimed to pressure North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan to adopt a progressive line on immigrant rights and to raise awareness about the realities that undocumented immigrants face.

One of the common myths about undocumented immigrants is that they do not pay taxes. But this isn't true, said protest organizer Viridiana Martinez as she held up her IRS-issued Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN). “We pay taxes, they issue us ITIN numbers. Each year $7 billion goes to Social Security benefits that we never get back.”

“No taxation without representation”

Domenic Powell, a member of the NC DREAM Team and an organizer of the protest, said, “The tax and deport policy is a crime. We're here to say no taxation without representation.”

A press release from the NC DREAM Team, which organized the protest along with other groups, noted, “Since 1996, the Internal Revenue Service has issued over 11 million ITINs, most of which have gone to undocumented immigrants.”

The statement also noted, “Recently, members of the North Carolina DREAM Team confronted Senator Kay Hagan about her vow to ‘protect taxpayers’ – which includes undocumented immigrants. Her response was that she only meant ‘legal taxpayers.’” The statement continued, “We are asserting that there is nothing illegal about paying taxes and our elected representatives have a responsibility to defend all of their constituents.”

Community mobilizes for immigrant justice

A number of organizations mobilized for the protest, including the Cakalak Thunder, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, Faith Action International House, NC Justice Center, and the Beloved Community Center. The Almighty Latin Kings and Queens Nation (ALKQN) helped provide security for the protesters and mobilized members of the community to the march.

“This is an important issue and we're here to secure our people,” King Jay of the ALKQN told Fight Back!. “We are going to put ourselves on the front line.”

King Jay continued, “We're here to stand for the Latino community. We've been out here struggling against 287(g), SB1070. Black people were brought here in shackles, now they are deporting Latinos in shackles. We won't allow the system to oppress us and keep us divided from our Black brothers and sisters.”

The demonstrators closed the rally by vowing to continue the struggle for passage of the DREAM Act and to achieve justice for all immigrant workers and communities.

#GreensboroNC #SenatorKayHagan

The three Palestinian students at Guilford College were attacked and beaten by fifteen Guilford football players on Jan. 20. The victims, Faris Khadar, Osama Sabbah and Omar Awartani, were residence neighbors with the assailants and had no history of violence. They were kicked and beaten with fists, bricks and brass knuckles, while being called 'terrorists' and 'sand n___' among other racial slurs. One received nerve damage in his hand, another a fractured nose, and the third a fractured jaw, according to the students' attorney. Only five of the fifteen alleged assailants were arrested.

Following the brutal attack, Guilford students took it upon themselves to organize a mass walk-out in protest of the attack and to call for justice. Bryan Dellinger, one of the student organizers, explained how the unplanned protest came together.

“There were about eight core people who organized the walk-out,” said Dellinger. “It was on the 25th of January, and around 300 students total walked out in protest. It was an opportunity for everyone – students, faculty and community members – for people to share their thoughts and feelings about what happened. It was a really positive experience.”

A week later, SDS chapters, SPEAC, and other progressive organizations at UNC-Asheville and UNC-Chapel Hill were quick to mobilize local actions on their campuses. Calling for an end to anti-Arab attacks and discrimination, SDSers handed out flyers, discussed ways to show solidarity to Guilford students and demand action from the administration.

“We will not tolerate violence or bigotry in our communities,” said Haley Koch, of the UNC-Chapel Hill SPEAC. “We want to send a clear message of compassion, solidarity and inclusion to marginalized communities in North Carolina, the United States and across the globe.”

As of yet, there still has been no timely response of the Guilford administration in determining whether the attack qualifies as a hate crime or not. The case is being tried in the Guilford Judicial Board and may take several weeks longer for results. Greensboro police have stated that they dropped their investigation due to supposed lack of evidence.

Students in North Carolina and across the country have voiced strong opposition to attacks on oppressed nationalities. In the wake of 911 and the ongoing Iraq War, anti-Arab hate crimes and Islamophobia have risen throughout the U.S. and must be countered with mass mobilization, education and protest. Swift justice is needed for those who are the victims of such oppression.

If you would like to help, please call or contact the Guilford College president's office at 336-316-2146 to demand a swift and thorough investigation.

#GreensboroNC #News #OppressedNationalities #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #Palestinian #SPEAC

As the 30 members and supporters of the caravan from the Minutemen Project gathered on a sidewalk alongside of Highpoint Road, over 80 workers, students and youth rallied on the other side to let them know they are not welcome in North Carolina. The Minutemen were unable to get a permit to hold a rally downtown. Anti-minutemen protesters held signs and chanted, “No racists, no borders, no Minutemen supporters!” and, “Hey Minutemen what do you say, how many immigrants did you kill today?” as the Minutemen yelled, “Go back to Europe!” and waved American flags. When a young teacher from the Greensboro area yelled, “Hey, how many of you are in the [Ku Klux] Klan?” to the pro-Minutemen rally, it is noteworthy that at least four individuals on the other side of the street brazenly raised their hands.

The rally lasted about an hour, culminating in a confrontation between anti-Minutemen demonstrators and Minutemen supporters who had parked their cars in the lot where the pro-immigrants’ rights demonstrators were rallied. The police broke up this brief confrontation, but it was clear to all that the immigrants’ rights struggle will not be without its sharp battles.

#GreensboroNC #News #immigrantRights #antiimmigrantAttacks #SensenbrennerBill #Minutemen