COALITION IN DEFENSE OF IMMIGRANT RIGHTS (CDIR) Los Angeles, California

PRESS STATEMENT

April 15, 2006

Reference: Al. P. Garcia (213) 241-0906



ALL-OUT FOR April 15 Mass Student Action—Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win!

The Coalition in Defense of Immigrant Rights (CDIR) – People’s Community Organization for Reform and Empowerment (People’s CORE) calls on all students and youth, immigrants and advocates to go all-out today, April 15, to the streets!

DARE TO STRUGGLE! The politicians and their corporate backers would like to see this new mass movement end because they know it could be the spark that ignites a revived nationwide anti-racist labor movement They have ordered a crackdown on the students by closing schools (lockdowns), posting police forces, arresting students, giving them sanctions like truancy fines, harassing their leaders and exerting pressure on the parents to control their children.

We pay tribute to Anthony Soltero who died for this cause. It is but fitting and proper to dedicate the April15 march to his memory. Just like the walkouts for student rights, the youth and students of Los Angeles are blazing a new trail, this time for their own rights and the rights of all immigrants as well.

The students and youth will be the victims of the racist and oppressive HR 4437 and the discriminative immigration reform overhaul bill in the US Senate that will put a lot of barriers to earned legalization.

The Republicans were right in saying that this is not an amnesty bill. It is akin to the Nazi selection system in the concentration camps separating the immigrants from their families, immigrants that have been for 10 years and those who are less than 5 years and treating them as “guest workers.”

They are re-instituting the slavish and feudal indentured servitude while professing that capitalism has no borders and we are in the age of globalization.

The CDIR-People’s CORE and the ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition are supporting the call for student action for April 15 and for the May 1 National Boycott. The boycott – which means no work, no school, no shopping, buying, or business as usual – will show the country that the immigration debate is not a choice between bad and worse.

We should all raise our voice, and the people say, "Full rights for Immigrants! Amnesty for Undocumented Workers!" No human being is illegal – full equality is not only a reasonable and achievable demand, it is also a fundamental right.

Dare to struggle against the Bush administration's criminal war drive, and its assault on civil rights and civil liberties. Dare to link the fight against war and militarism with the struggle against racism and for social justice. WE WILL WIN!!

"Full rights for Immigrants! Amnesty for all TNT’s and Undocumented Workers!" Legalization Now! #