ACTION UPDATE: Sign the petition at http://www.presente.org Receive a free anti-Arizona 1070 sticker or order many for a small donation: http://presente.org/...
May Day. Workers' Day world round. In Dallas, many of those workers did a reprise of the historic 2006 Dallas immigration march of 500,000 people. Begun on shorter notice, with less radio promotion, and held on a Saturday afternoon when many are working, today's march drew an estimated 25,000 participants including non-Latino church groups, workers from all walks of life, people of all ages and races. [Updated figures below the jump!]
Updated: 28,000 - 50,000 per final Dallas police figures. About 50,000 participated in the march, but not all stayed at City Hall for the rally after. http://www.dallasnews.com/...
The march was one of several dozen similar May Day rallies from New York to Los Angeles that ranged in size from hundreds to tens of thousands. By nearly all accounts, Dallas drew one of the largest crowds.
...
Authorities pegged the crowd at around 28,000 when it arrived at City Hall. The crowd might have been larger, perhaps twice that size, when the march began, authorities said.
Although the march was smaller than 2006's, as one of today's largest in the country, it was no less impressive. Beginning promptly at 1:00 pm at Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the marchers wound through a mile and a half of downtown streets, for one and a half hours. The tail of the march ended at Dallas City Hall at 2:30 pm with more arriving from every direction at the time they could.
Check the photos at: http://www.dallasnews.com/... especially #5! (warning: they have photos of the Know-Nothings and the T-gaggers - ugly stuff)
Several Dallas area churches joined in the effort and supporters lined the streets along the way.
Justice and Dignity for All Immigrants
Immigration is a family issue. Unsurprisingly, Republicans and TbagParty members don't see it that way. They only see.... people different from them in some superficial way. We are all human. We all have families.
Determined Young Men
I visited with these two young men briefly. The young teen on the left is in middle school and his cousin on the right is in grade school. They made their own signs with their own ideas: "Latinos Unidos" and "Keep Our Families Together". In the corners of the sign on the right, it reads: "We are humans too", "Stop the Racism", "Stop the Deportations", "Mexicans Have Rights." Pretty deep thoughts for a grade school boy.
They are worried about their parents being deported. Imagine being in grade school and worrying your parents will be taken away from you? What does that do to childrens' lives?
The march stretched on for blocks — a sea of white shirts and American flags.
El Pueblo Unido - the People United
The people united - what could be more American that this? Exercising First Amendment Rights to peaceably assemble, to freely speak, to petition their government for a redress of grievances? The people marching today are more "American" in their behavior than many couch potato conservatives I know.
This next fellow showed up in the middle of the march. He's just paid $5 to park in the lot and joined the crowd from the side. As he raised his sign in the air, the roar of the crowd echoed off the buildings along the block. Will Arizona's SB 1070 be the Republicans' nationwide California Prop 187? Today's crowd certainly is not ever going to be Republican. And the memory of what Republicans are doing is etched on the minds of everyone, young and old alike.
Deport Racist Republicans
The march goes on....
I Support Immigration Reform
Bilingual shirts were worn by many - English on the Front and Spanish on the back. Other t-shirts were being sold for only $3.00! I found one that says Mexico, Land of Sun (in Spanish) with a big Mexican flag. It's something for this old gringo to wear to other political events.
A small part of the crowd at Dallas City Hall:
There is a stage in the upper left corner, about 8' off the ground level. You can see the stage roof which is two stories high to give a perspective on the size and distance. Even more people were behind me and to the right, filling the huge plaza and city streets beyond.
All ages attended, but the majority of the crowd were younger men in their 20s and 30s. Even so, there were many complete families, mom, dad and the kids, quite a few abuelas (grandmothers) marching with determination in their eyes.
"Stop Deportations" reads the sign behind these two marchers.
The protest march stage, fronted by a huge crowd and two of the large US flags carried throughout the march. As they listened to speakers, the flag holders raised them up and down, creating a wonderful billowing. Soon, tiny children of many families were playing beneath the rising and lowering flags, laughing and jumping around. The whole event was filled with good cheer, but a firm resolve. People were angry about Arizona's new law, but saw no reason to take it out on each other.
Old Glory gains New Loyalists
Along the way, there was a smattering of T-bagger resistence. Ummm... if you could call it that. Several people with missing teeth (no exaggeration) were flying the yellow snake flag ("Don't tread on me") that I believe reveals the nature of their souls. There were scattered shouts of "Go Back Home, Ya'all" and "What Part of Illegal do you not understand?" Hilariously (for me anyway), the crowd - thousands upon thousands would magically chant "Si Se Puede" with a roar up and down the streets whenever these miscreants were encountered.
On one corner, there were a couple local AM radio talk (hate) show radio hosts with megaphones. (no photos - they do not deserve to see the light of day) At one point, in an apparent attempt to taunt the marchers, the counter-protesters took out their drivers licenses and waved them at the crowd, who spontaneously burst into laughter. A good number of drivers licenses were waved back....
Although promoting the counter-protest for a couple weeks on their "popular" shows, the Dallas police characterized their numbers in "scores".... as in 2 or 3 score people = 40-60 anti-immigrant counter-protesters. That's a pretty weak response here in the heart of Good Ol' Boy country. A portent for times ahead?
Back to our regularly scheduled program: LULAC Represents!
League of United Latin American Citizens is 81 years old this year. They've got lots of energy going for them in Dallas.
What do you see here? Determination? A weary dedication to continuing the fight no matter how long it takes? Hope for the future? Strength? Resolve in the face of adversity?
I call it "Dignity"
An Eight Year Old Speaker. Well, like a fool, in the middle of the crowd, I didn't make sure the focus chose the speaker instead of the signs in front. But the words were no less effective:
"Don't separate our families! Do not take our homes away! We are Americans, too!" The out of focus child in the white shirt facing the crowd in the center of the pic is 8 years old!
Eight-year-olds against Arizona sb 1070!
It is a shame these kids are getting a political education at such an early age. Shouldn't they be free to be children? To play, imagine and grow? Instead, they are terrified their families will be separated by the government of the United States. That's not the kind of country I want to live in and that's why I was there.
Pass the DREAM Act!
Many, many marchers were college age Latinos. They have aspirations for the future and want to contribute to the country where they have grown up. Support the DREAM Act: Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/...
This bill would provide certain undocumented alien students who graduate from US high schools, who are of good moral character, arrived in the U.S. as minors, and have been in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment, the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency. The alien students would obtain temporary residency for a six year period. Within the six year period, a qualified student must have "acquired a degree from an institution of higher education in the United States or [have] completed at least 2 years, in good standing, in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States," or have "served in the uniformed services for at least 2 years and, if discharged, [have] received an honorable discharge."
The cranes in the background and the marchers in front give this photo an interesting feel: both are part of our future. New buildings, new citizens. Both are needed. And both will be for the betterment of the USA.
The Future is being built before our eyes.
Sheriff Lupe Valdez! Sheriff Valdez is an openly lesbian Latina who gave an uncharacteristically fiery speech today. She is known as a quiet and efficient worker who has carefully been undoing many years of Republican underfunding of the county jails and law enforcement. Every time a budget cut had to be made, the formerly all Republican county administrators (known as "judges" here but they aren't), would cut the jail and medical care for prisoners. Under Sheriff Valdez, jail conditions have improved greatly and received praise from state inspectors after years of demerits.
Anyway, I digress. Sheriff Valdez prefers to stay out of the limelight and simply be efficient at her job. She was on fire today! She harshly condemned Arizona sb 1070 as racist and destructive to law enforcement and the trust of the people. Huge cheers went up for her introduction and at the conclusion of her speech.
Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez.
After speaking, she wandered through the friendly crowd and took pictures with many of the attendees. Lupe! was one of the most popular attractions today. Next time someone tries to tell you that Latinos are "conservative" don't let them do it. Yes, Latinos are family-oriented, but lesbians have family too. And today, people hugged Sheriff Valdez, shook her hand, congratulated her, thanked her, had their picture taken with her over and over. Before leaving, she walked the circuit of the plaza and thanked each of the Dallas City Police Officers for their time today. (I could fill this diary with the huge assortment of people having their pictures taken with her, from the mohawked college student, to the white-haired white grandmother, to the little children and proud parents and many more.) Looks like re-election again!
Down with NAFTA!
Anyone who thinks that Latinos are not deeply aware of all the issues, just don't know any. This handmade sign says it all! "Legalize Hardworking People Now! God Bless America!"
No more NAFTA.
I've been checking news accounts trying to find the name of this young man who MC'd the event and now I have it! (Update 5.2.10) Manuel Rendon in the white shirt and purple tie. Wow - what an impressive speaker! If not a future in politics, then maybe in law. This is where I get my hope for the future: Brilliant young people today! Their energy and enthusiasm is a positive force in changing America for the better.
The Youth of Today are our Future!
And that's the photorama of the Dallas Immigration March from today, May 1st.
A tired marcher gets a wagon ride home.
Update 12:33 CDT 5/2/10: Some of the Dallas area religious organizations who participated were: Temple Shalom (where an organizing meeting drew a huge overflow crowd of 2000 days before the march!); Dallas Interfaith Alliance; Dallas Catholic diocese; Northaven United Methodist Church.