News and Views from the People's Struggle
Tucson, AZ – “This law is unwise. This law is stupid, and it’s racist. It’s a national embarrassment…if I were a Hispanic person in the state, I would be humiliated and angered.”
_“Make UC a Sanctuary!” _
Berkeley, CA – University of California (UC) students here took to the streets to protest the state law passed in Arizona that legalizes racial profiling of Latinos and Native Americans. Several hundred people, mainly Chicano and Latino, blockaded the historic Sproul Gate while Aztec dancers and drummers performed for the lunchtime crowds. Afterwards, the protesters marched to the intersection of Bancroft and Telegraph Avenues and sat down, blocking traffic to observe a minute of silence for immigrant communities being targeted by ICE raids and deportations. Then the march resumed down Bancroft, chanting, “Boycott Arizona!” and “Make UC a sanctuary!” Students vow further actions.
On Friday, April 23rd, Republican Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona signed SB1070. This law makes it a crime to be an undocumented immigrant and requires police to stop and arrest people who they suspect of being undocumented. While the law will not go into effect for more than three months, some police and sheriffs in Arizona are already stopping and arresting Latinos, including native-born citizens.
Minneapolis, MN – On April 26, 100 supporters of immigrant rights gathered at an emergency protest in downtown Minneapolis. They came together to voice outrage at the new anti-immigrant law passed in Arizona. Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer signed into law the most extreme anti-immigrant legislation in the country, (SB-1070) on April 23, provoking large protests in Arizona and outrage around the country.
Fight Back News Service is making available the video Arizona Resiste, which shows some of the inspiring struggles that took place in Arizona before the anti-immigrant Jim Crow type bill SB1070, was signed into law.
#Arizona #AZ #ChicanoLatino #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #SB1070
Tucson, AZ – Arizona’s Apartheid bill, SB1070, was signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer, April 23. The law gives local and state police the authority to stop anyone, anywhere, to demand proof of citizenship based only on “reasonable suspicion.” In Arizona, “reasonable suspicion” of being an undocumented immigrant means being Latino and speaking Spanish. The bill also lets citizens sue government institutions for not enforcing immigration law aggressively enough.
Tucson, AZ – “They have every right to be here. This is about civil rights. And the youth are leading the way.” Those were the words of Pima County Board of Supervisors Chair Richard Elias as we talked across the street from where over 100 students had gathered to protest Arizona’s SB1070 – the harshest, most anti-immigrant legislation in the country.