May Day 2010: Friends Keep Promises
"Friends Keep Promises"
"Obama, Don't Deport My Mama"
"U Got Our Vote, Now Keep Your Word"
These were some the messages at the May 1 Immigrant Rights rally in Washington D.C. I attended yesterday with other members of DreamActivist PA. Fueled by outrage at Arizona's latest racial profiling law, SB1070, participants directed most of their protest message at President Obama and Democrats in Congress who not only have failed to pass sensible immigration reform but continue to support the deportation-only status quo perpetuated by Obama's ICE.
The press was there in force, in contrast to the March 21 rally. Members of our Pennsylvania group made their way into lots of photos, including this shot in the New York Times.
I'll have more shortly about how and why the immigrant rights community is focusing their anger not on nativist conservatives but on false allies in the Senate and the White House. But for now, here are some of the photos I took yesterday afternoon:
DreamActivist PA at Lafayette Park before arriving at the rally.
Dreamers Unite!
Gaby of the Florida Trail of Dreams speaks to a reporter.
Dream Quilt on display.
Jose Luis from the New York Trail of Dreams.
Obama, Where is the Reform?
A representative from the Prince George's County NAACP spoke about her support for immigrant rights. She later was among those arrested with Rep. Gutierrez.
Oscar asks President Obama not to deport his father.
Isaac asks the president not to break up his family and force him to choose between living with his mother and his father.
Representative Gutierrez speaking eloquently and passionately, alternating between English and Spanish, about the cowardice of this country's leaders in failing to protect the rights of undocumented immigrants.
"Friends Keep Promises." Then Rep. Gutierrez and about 35 others marched over to the White House gates, where they were arrested in an act of civil disobedience in protest of President Obama's inaction on immigration reform and the punitive detention and deportation policies of his administration.
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