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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
Over 100,000 march to protest racist Arizona "immigration" law; diverse crowd shows broad support against law
2010-may1-march-header.jpg, image/jpeg, 676x491
LOS ANGELES - May 1, 2010
The air was electrified by a presence not felt since the Gran Marcha of 2006. At least 100,000 people marched through Downtown in solidarity with Arizona's victims of a new law that legalizes racial profiling. It is a law that has been denounced by President Obama, DHS Head Janet Nopalitano, the Mayor of Phoenix, the Sheriff of Pima County (Arizona), and even some Republicans who see it as draconian legislation.
Many of the protest signs carried bold statements calling the Arizona law "racist" and "Nazi"-like. There was a sense of urgency in their voices, demanding to "Boycott Arizona" and overturn Arizona's SB 1070 law on the grounds that it was racially discriminatory and unconstitutional.
Unlike other marches where several other "niche issues" are brought into the march, this May Day march was focused like a laser: Arizona's new state law is a modern-day version of legalized White Supremacy, smacking of the Nuremberg Laws in Nazi Germany and Apartheid "Pass Laws" in South Africa.
As usual, the march began at Olympic and Broadway and continued north about a dozen blocks, ending near City Hall. The crowd surged with optimism as music played and ralliers chanted to Boycott Arizona and pressure President Obama to take swift action against Arizona's legalized Apartheid.
It should also be mentioned that Los Angeles Police Department had a very light footprint at the march, with only a few officers monitoring from the sidelines. And just as well: the march was peaceful, upbeat, and a proud statement of civic resistance to "legal" fascism.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was pleasantly surprised to see the diversity of protesters in the crowd. There was a noticeable amount of White, Chinese, and African-American protesters who all felt that they also had a reason to stand up against what SNL's Seth Myers labeled as "dry fascism" on national TV.
This is a reminder to us all that there are non-racist Whites out there who are willing to speak out against White Supremacy. They see that this is a Human Rights issue (the humanity of Mexican and "Central American" people is being totally violated) and the human part of them also feels violated by Arizona's law.
Walking to the march, I happened to get flagged down by a European-descent couple vacationing from Australia. They asked me to explain the march and the issues. We had an excellent conversation about the ongoing legacy of European colonialism and how that applied to "wild west" Arizona. Again, I was reminded that truth and logic will prevail in this struggle. But we also have to summon the courage to demand that our rights be recognized. Those of us Mexicans and "Central Americans" are NOT immigrants to this continent. We are Indigenous (mixed and full-blood) people of this land. Our blood is native to this soil, and has been spilled over and over on it, paying for this land many times over. We absolutely cannot remain dehumanized as we have been during the last 500 years since Europeans invaded and colonized our continent. This is OUR time for CHANGE (to borrow a phrase).
Below are some of the most interesting protest signs I saw.
www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
stop-sb1070-its-racist1.jpg, image/jpeg, 595x480
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
az-law-is-nazi-law.jpg, image/jpeg, 570x550
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
boycott-arizona.jpg, image/jpeg, 755x634
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
american-indians-against-pr.jpg, image/jpeg, 600x556
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
jan-brewer-fuhrer.jpg, image/jpeg, 453x611
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
did-washington-have-papers.jpg, image/jpeg, 301x431
ANSWER: NO Europeans invaded these lands, killed 95% of Indigenous People, violated the sovereignty of every First Nation Government, and have REFUSED TO ASSIMILATE into Indigenous cultures, languages, etc.
www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
end-american-apartheid.jpg, image/jpeg, 472x601
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
im-in-my-homeland.jpg, image/jpeg, 594x480
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
injustice-anywhere.jpg, image/jpeg, 472x587
error
www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
brown-is-beautiful.jpg, image/jpeg, 600x475
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
kkkfi-radio.jpg, image/jpeg, 401x506
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
no-somos-ilegales.jpg, image/jpeg, 385x223
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
obama-where-is-the-reform1.jpg, image/jpeg, 600x480
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
reform-immigration.jpg, image/jpeg, 548x470
error
www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
sb1070-is-racial-profiling1.jpg, image/jpeg, 595x480
error
www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
smash-1070.jpg, image/jpeg, 480x640
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
these-borders-are-illegal.jpg, image/jpeg, 500x605
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
we-didnt-cross-the-borders.jpg, image/jpeg, 455x604
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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by Manuel Alderete
Sunday, May. 02, 2010 at 3:29 PM
info@protestarizona.com
today-i-march-tomorrow1.jpg, image/jpeg, 600x535
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www.ProtestArizona.com
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