Immigration Protest
I went to the May Day Pro-Immigration protest with Matt Welch, Coleman Collins, Pat and Justin, Grayum Vickers, Ceaser Ulloa, Carlos, and Alonso from Control de Estado. It was great to see everyone out there, even non-latinos (like me) who were out there for solidarity. The story in pictures.



I did the protest drumming thing. It was fun. I was drumming along with shouts of "El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido" ("The people united will never be defeated") and "Si, se puede" ("Yes we can"). It was intense.



Some pictures of our side.







The counter-protesters. Among them Minutemen and Neo-Nazis. Not cool.







Good thing there was only like 20 to our about 5000



Carlos getting hassled by the police for having a sign with profanity on it and going over to the "counter" side. Everyone was screaming "let him go" and such. The police were pushing him around (illegal) and stuff, but he got to come back.



So true



Me and Matt protest drumming



Notice the "Ya Basta!" ("Enough Already!") painting on my drum.



This IWW organizer just got back from Columbia, where she went to the funeral of a man who was "disappeared" (probably) by the government. Scary and sad. I was totally loving the Zapata shirt.



The final march.







Little Drummer Boy



Yeah!



So Carlos, after his run in with the police, made the sign below. The lady who organized the protest came over to him and said that his sign was giving a bad name to the positive movement and protest. I could understand that. But then, the lady started making a big deal about how all of us were legal immigrants and didn't know anyone who had "drowned in the river" or died trying to get over. She basically insinuated to me that because I was not Latino, I shouldn't be protesting, and dissed Alonso and Carlos for being legal. Fuck that! I came out to support my latino friends and for Solidarity. I may not be illiegal, but I support their rights. It's not just about Latinos, either. What an idiot.



All in all though, it was a succesful protest. Lots of good signs, not radical enough for my tastes and too many American flags, but at least it got people glavanized for immigrant rights!