by fiona sinclair
Saturday, Apr. 28, 2001 at 10:58 AM cleugh@unm.edu
Activists from across New Mexico and beyond gathered in the small border town of Columbus.
BUILDING COMMUNITY ACROSS BORDERS
On April 21st & 22nd , in solidarity with anti-FTAA protests, actions and events everywhere, 50 activists from across New Mexico and beyond gathered in the small border town of Columbus. Over the two day period, enduring 40 – 60 mph sandstorm winds, folks worked on a variety of projects including building a monument, making a puppet, and crossing the border to Palomas to hold a food not bombs style feeding called "comida, no la migra" – Food not the INS!.
The monument, a project initiated by Columbus residents in the Spring of this year, stands some 300 yards from the border itself and is surrounded on all sides by Federal agencies including an INS building, customs, and the border patrol. Due to the predominantly Catholic population in this area, the monument has been dedicated to all those who have lost their lives crossing the border into the United States from Mexico. The "Sacredness of Life Monument" has been built as a daily reminder to those entering the U.S. of the injustices faced by those risking their lives to escape the poverty endured in their homelands. On average 300 lives are lost each year by those attempting to cross the border at the Columbus New Mexico port of entry.‰PNG