Tampa, FL – On Nov. 6, Raices en Tampa rallied on a busy street corner in solidarity with the immigrant families being held, without due process, in a Texas detention center. The Legalization for All Network called for a national day of action demanding the U.S. government release the children, end family detention and halt deportations.

“It’s important to stand in solidarity with the families that are being unjustly detained in Texas,” said Oscar Hernandez with Raices en Tampa.

Twenty activists rallied with signs and a banner reading “Legalization for all.” Michela Martinazzi, with Raices en Tampa, led chants, “Not one more!” and “Liberation, not deportation!”

Elizabeth Kramer of Students for a Democratic Society explained, “Many immigrants come to the U.S. as a result of military intervention in Central America and abroad. Yet this same country – that trains death squads, upholds dictatorships and controls the economies of these countries from which these immigrants leave – wishes to expel or detain the people that run from U.S.-backed terror.”

Kramer continued, “Because of this, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society stands with those displaced by U.S. military intervention, and subsequently, against the deportation and detention of immigrants in the U.S.”

The protest continued as cars honked their horns and friendly drivers waved at the activists. The rally ended in high spirits, just before the Florida rain started falling.

Raices en Tampa will continue to organize to support Legalization for All, and, specifically to get driver’s licenses for all in Florida.

#TampaFL #LegalizationForAllNetwork #RaicesEnTampa

Tampa, FL – On Sept. 26, Raices en Tampa hosted a vigil and rally on the anniversary on the kidnapping and disappearance of 43 Mexican students. Approximately 20 activists gathered holding signs that read, “Activism is not a crime!” and “They thought they could bury us, but they didn’t realize that we were seeds.”

On Sept. 26, 2014, 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College went missing in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico. The students were on their way to a protest. Sometime during the trip, local police intercepted them and kidnapped them. A year later, the families of the 43 students and Mexican activists demand that the culprits be brought to justice.

The rally was led by Daisy Garcia, who gave a background on what occurred a year ago. She spoke about the importance of the event, “It is important to understand that the 43 students were more than activists, they were students, sons, brothers, they were loved ones. The injustice caused by those that wanted to silence these 43 activists also destroyed many families, but it backfired on them because now we have all united to make their voice stronger than ever. We are here to remember those 43 students and salute them for their struggle and demand that justice be served! We are all Ayotzinapa!”

Garcia introduced speakers from Tampa Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Tampa Committee to Stop FBI Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and Raices en Tampa. In between speeches she led chants such as, “When activists are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!”

Chrisley Carpio, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Students for a Democratic Society, spoke about how the U.S. oppresses Mexico. Carpio stated, “To show solidarity for the Ayotzinapa 43 and the Mexican people -what does this really mean for us, for FRSO, as Communists in the U.S.? We see our own imperialist government that helps create militarized walls, whether on the Mexican border or within Palestine, that drives indigenous people from their lands and into oblivion, to make way for Coca-Colas, Walmarts and SodaStreams. We can talk about holding people accountable, we can talk about decolonizing land, we can even talk about breaking down walls and ending inequality. But it is through revolution that the people of Mexico, the peoples of the U.S. and Aztlan, and the oppressed peoples of the world become free.”

The rally ended with a round of chants and with the attendees remembering the struggle that the Ayotzinapa students waged.

Alicia Gazga, an organizer with Raices en Tampa, summed up the rally, stating, “As Raices in Tampa it was very important to us to show solidarity with Ayotzinapa and also with all the other thousands of people that disappear each year. It is not only happening in Mexico but also in my country Honduras where activists are killed all the time because of them trying to expose the government.”

Raices en Tampa will continue organizing the Tampa community to win drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants and will be hosting more events in the near future.

#TampaFL #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #Mexico #PoliticalRepression #RaicesEnTampa #Ayotzinapa #Americas

Tampa, FL – Two dozen people gathered here June 19 at La Mexicana Bakery to demand an end to deportations and legalization for all. Community members and activist alike were represented in the crowd. Among the groups present were Raices en Tampa, Students for a Democratic Society, Committee to Stop FBI Repression and others.

Protesters gathered and held signs visible to traffic headed down Fletcher Avenue during rush hour. Many signs read “Not one more deportation,” “Legalization for all now,” “No human is illegal,” and “Drivers licenses for all now.”

Speakers drew connections to the discriminatory deportation practices now being implemented in the Dominican Republic and how these practices have already existed in the U.S. for quite some time. Speakers from the community brought up the fact that they have seen first hand how deportations separate families, an important aspect to Father’s Day in immigrant communities.

Recently, President Obama’s executive action to extend DACA to the parents of citizens, known as DAPA, has been delayed due to a lawsuit on behalf of 26 states, including Florida.

”Raices en Tampa demands a stop to deportations. Thousands of families are separated each day. While the president extended DACA, DAPA is being delayed. We are here demanding legalization for all! We need to stop living in fear! Keep families together!” said Alicia Argenal with Raices en Tampa.

The group plans to keep fighting in the community and city hall to get the drivers licenses immigrants deserve like any other workers, and to keep demanding “Legalization for all.”

Daisy Garcia with Raices stated, “Over 2 million deportations of fathers, mothers, sons and daughters since Obama took office. Families are being separated and are left suffering with the void of their relatives, spouses and children. Today we stand and demand not one more deportation! We demand that Obama give legalization now!”

#TampaFL #RaicesEnTampa

Tampa FL – Over 200 people gathered in downtown Tampa’s Lykes Gaslight Park, May 23, to rally against Monsanto and march in support of fair labeling practices. Protesters held signs saying “Hell no GMOs,” “We are not a science experiment,” and “Stop eating cancer.” The crowd chanted, “Wendy’s and Micky D’s, stop using GMOs please.”

The crowd listened to speakers talk about the importance of honest labeling practices and healthy, sustainable agriculture after some time of sign making and petition signing. A large contingent of the organizers as well as the marchers was dressed as honeybees. Speakers reminded the crowd of how Monsanto’s practices are designed to make more profits for the big agriculture companies.

The crowd marched down Kennedy Boulevard for about a mile before turning back and ending at the park.

Marisol Marquez, of Raices in Tampa summed up why she was marching, “Connecting the dots between what U.S. consumers are purchasing, that comes from places like Colombia, and how the workers are being exploited there, is why I am here today. Monsanto products are used to the destroy crops of poor farmers in Colombia. Stop U.S. war in Colombia!”

#TampaFL #EnvironmentalJustice #RaicesEnTampa #Monsanto #MarchAgainstMonsanto

Tampa, FL – Organizations around the Tampa Bay joined together here for a press conference, April 24, in front of the Ybor Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office, holding two banners, one that read “May Day” and another saying “Stop the deportations.”

Daisy Garcia of the Tampa community group Raíces en Tampa said, “Immigrants risk everything in order to cross the border into the U.S. and to provide a better future for their families. We demand that President Obama end the record-high deportations and that the hold of DAPA be lifted!”

Jessica Schwartz of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR) said, “As a group that fights against political repression, we stand with the undocumented and against deportation as a tool used against immigrants.”

Students from the University of South Florida are also joining Tampa’s May Day. Gage LaCharite of Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) said, “We demand that the trend the Florida state legislature started last year – with the passing of HB 851, which granted in-state tuition to the undocumented in Florida – expand to allowing financial aid to these same students! May Day SDS will join in force to demand, ‘Not one more deportation.’”

The press conference ended with Marisol Márquez of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) stating, “Border militarization and deportations will continue if we keep having a system like the one that currently rules the U.S. On May Day we will take to the streets just like our brothers and sisters who took to the streets in 2006. We will demand legalization for all of the undocumented who need and demand liberation, not deportation!”

May Day in Tampa will occur on May 1, at 6:00 p.m. in front of the ICE office located at 1624 E 7th Avenue in Tampa. To view the event online go here: https://www.facebook.com/events/821962151210671/

#TampaFL #Labor #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #May1 #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #RaicesEnTampa #Not1More

Tampa, FL – A dozen people came together here, Feb. 26, to confront the city council and demand its members support drivers licenses for the undocumented. Alicia Gazga led the rally and chanted, “City council, shame on you!” and “What do we want? Licenses! When do we want them? Now!”

“We were standing in the cold right outside the city council windows, demanding that they hear us out,” said Michela Martinazzi of the Tampa Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR). “The city council members and their aides were there too, they even stared down at us but ignored us and ignored our demands!”

Feb. 26 marks the one-year anniversary of when the first protest against Tampa city council on this issue took place. The protests were called by Raíces en Tampa to pressure the city council to publicly support drivers licenses being issued to the undocumented. The first protest in 2014 was called to pressure the city council to even meet with Raíces en Tampa.

“Back in 2014, Tampa city council and their aides refused to even return our phone calls to meet with us,” said Marisol Marquez of Raíces en Tampa. “After the protest, they began to call us back and we even met with six of the seven council members.”

During a public city council meeting, Raíces en Tampa tried to put their resolution up for a vote. City council meetings occur on Thursday mornings at 9:00 a.m., which are nearly impossible for most workers to attend. Over 20 community members took time off of work anyway to attend this meeting and publicly expressed to the city council why they should vote in favor of the resolution. Led by Councilman Charlie Miranda, the Tampa city council simply would respond with, “Thank you,” after every community member spoke in favor of the resolution. Not documented on the minutes of the public meeting, at one point Councilman Mike Suarez silenced Raíces en Tampa member Marisol Marquez who to their faces, reminded city council they had indeed, met with Raíces en Tampa when they lied and said they did not.

Some of the groups present with Raíces en Tampa were the Tampa CSFR, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society and the Student/Farmworker Alliance.

“My mom was driving with an expired license,” says Alicia Gazga. “She was pulled over and was asked for her license and insurance. The cop told her that her insurance was not active, when it was. Then the cop told her to step out of the car, to call someone to pick up my two-year-old sister because she [the mother] was going to jail. When I came to pick her up my mom was already handcuffed and on the back of the cop car. My sister was terrified crying. No mother should she put in that situation!”

Next steps for Raíces en Tampa include organizing for International Worker's Day – which will occur on May 1, 2015. There, Raíces en Tampa will organize for drivers licenses to be issued to the undocumented in Florida and for deportations to stop. Be sure to follow them and their upcoming events here: http://facebook.com/RaicesEnTampa