The tragic events of last year were no impediment to youth organizing in Pomona. Rather, they sought to begin the new year with a fresh and invigorating spirit of unity and hope. They also planned to showcase their artistic talents and unite social and artistic movements. By planning a concert just after the rally, they were able to bring people into the movement that otherwise might not have participated, and also exposed young activists to the innovative arts movement centered around downtown Pomona.

The afternoon's events began with a march from the corner of Mission and Garey up Pomona's main artery. Participants flaunted banners reading "Undocumented and Unafraid" and "Con o sin papeles, Pomona se organiza," as well as numerous posters bearing the stenciled image of a blindfolded person with the words "Take your blindfold off and fight!"

Returning to Mission via the transit station, students spoke.

Here are some of their words:

¡Sí se puede!



"We came together as a community to stop playing defense. As a community, we need to get on the offensive. We need to become vocal, and active members in our community. So our intention tonight--you have a couple of clipboards walking around--please sign your name. In a matter of two, three weeks, we'll be contacting you people; the next step will be to create a meeting, create a movement, create solidarity. Not just with immigrant rights, but against the war, LGBT rights, against checkpoints, e-verify, immigration reform. We're part of a lot of movements. We want to become a vocal voice in Pomona. We want the city council members to hear us, to know our face, to know who we represent. The undocumented and documented community represent Pomona. And we're not leaving!" Roll call. "This is what movements are made of, out of families. This is what we need to make vocal to the city councils, to the so-called legislators making racist laws. That our communities have families, kids, working hard to support families. We're tired of this shit! We're not gonna take this anymore! That's why, as a community, we need to stand up, become active participants in our lives, in our communities, and in our streets."

"Today we're in the streets, but tomorrow--well, not tomorrow, but maybe Wednesday, or whenever the city council meets over there, we're gonna take this, and we're gonna take it into the city council. A lot of people say, 'Well, you know, we march through the streets, we parade the streets, and we don't act in our--our civil engagement. We don't vote. We don't go to our city council.' Well that has to change in Pomona, and that is gonna change in Pomona. So this is about accountability. We wanna stop checkpoints. We wanna stop 287(g). We want Pomona to become a sanctuary city. It begins with every single one of us actually saying that we're gonna engage in the civil process, that we're gonna take responsibility for what goes on in our community."

"Hi you guys, I'm Lizbeth. I'm showing support all the way from La Puente, and my mom's showing support too. Thank you guys. This past year has been a very painful year for all of our communities. We're either being targetted by policies and legislation that are driven by fear, or personal interest. This is a time where we do not have the luxury of living at peace. Our families are being separated. Our youth is being denied an education. All the while we are sustaining this country with our cheap labor and exploitation. Our communities have endured a lot of pain and unfortunately, it will continue. But only if we allow it! We are here because we care about Pomona and because we need to be active participants of what happens in our communities."

"We are gathered here as a community to support each other in our quest for social justice and equality for our undocumented people: students, families, workers, it's time to stand up for our community and put a stop in criminalizing our people by dividing families, wasting money and resources on deportations instead of education."

"My name is Rene, along with Norman, Javier, and IDEAS Mt. SAC--they're part of this, too--Chuy, and everybody else that came out here, I wanna thank you guys all, like, deeply from the bottom of my heart for coming out here and supporting. My question to you guys is, how do you take the blindfold off people? I don't know if you guys saw the stencil right there. How do you do that? How are we gonna make other people realize that change needs to occur? We need to come up with tactics, we need to meet, we need unity, and this is what this rally is about. Growing up, I had a lot of friends, and one of my best friends--she's a girl. But we were like really cool, and then she would tell me all these things that she wanted to accomplish, and she wasn't able to. And it kinda hit me when I realized that people in this world have dreams, and they can't accomplish them over some silly things. I mean, that's how my blindfold was taken off. That's how I realized, personally, that people live here and struggle, and it's every day. Like, they constantly deal with it. And it's a problem. And it's coming to a boiling point where something needs to be done. And this is what the point of this rally is for: to unify and to create community amongst each other."

They then opened up the megaphone for other speakers, and several members of the community stepped forward to speak as well.

Shortly after the speeches, the marchers were welcomed to a free show, also held by the march organizers, at a nearby independent business.

all of this wasted public energy to treat the symptoms.

Of the criminal trades policies that have brought this nation to its knees.

Sure we want human rights.

Like a chance to earn a living without the foot on our necks that GATT, NAFTA and the other assaults against the living standard and the wage standards while the banking cartels who designed these polices rake in the bailout candy and laugh at the herds of dupes and flummoxed.

When I see a mob demanding an end to GATT and NAFTA etc. I'll join them in brotherhood.

Sorry, Rockero...

Otherwise, it aint gonna play for me.

was was this hidden? Truth interfere with spook ops here?

***again?

by So Damn Bad • Monday, Jan. 31, 2011 at 5:32 AM

all of this wasted public energy to treat the symptoms.

Of the criminal trades policies that have brought this nation to its knees.

Sure we want human rights.

Like a chance to earn a living without the foot on our necks that GATT, NAFTA and the other assaults against the living standard and the wage standards while the banking cartels who designed these polices rake in the bailout candy and laugh at the herds of dupes and flummoxed.

When I see a mob demanding an end to GATT and NAFTA etc. I'll join them in brotherhood.

Sorry, Rockero...

Otherwise, it aint gonna play for me.

oh my

by Censored again? -why? • Tuesday, Feb. 08, 2011 at 5:09 PM

was was this hidden? Truth interfere with spook ops here?

***again?

by So Damn Bad • Monday, Jan. 31, 2011 at 5:32 AM

all of this wasted public energy to treat the symptoms.

Of the criminal trades policies that have brought this nation to its knees.

Sure we want human rights.

Like a chance to earn a living without the foot on our necks that GATT, NAFTA and the other assaults against the living standard and the wage standards while the banking cartels who designed these polices rake in the bailout candy and laugh at the herds of dupes and flummoxed.

When I see a mob demanding an end to GATT and NAFTA etc. I'll join them in brotherhood.

Sorry, Rockero...

Otherwise, it aint gonna play for me.

You're offtopic.

You're stuck in your own mind, all focused on the things you're thinking about, not paying attention to the thread topic.

I do it too, but you are seriously waaaaay out.

and exactly what is incorrect about the linkages between the NAFTA, GATT destruction of indigenous export markets causing ruination of independent farmers / ranchers and the influx of illegal migrants oh, excuse me, undocumented aliens flooding across the border in search of work in order to survive?

NAFTA and the assault on Maze prices against subsidized grain exports crushed the Mexican farm economy.

So 'mous' [ spook ], are you too stupid to understand this concept or are you just playing with keyboard?

You have a one-track mind. Unfortunately, your narrow perspective impedes you from seeing beyond the FTAs as "the root of all evil," as if there were justice before NAFTA was passed, or as if capitalism's abuses would cease to exist if they were repealed.

I don't know why your comments were hidden, but there is plenty of commentary about "free trade" agreements on other articles, so I'm assuming it was your trolling and spamming rather than anything to do with the content.

You want to do something about the FTAs, go ahead. Let us know. Write about it and post it up. You will likely receive support from economic justice activists.

Get your head out of your ass with your paranoid accusations about the hardworking LAIMC collective who are probably just looking out for Rockero, one of the most consistent contributors of ORIGINAL CONTENT to this site, and make a positive contribution.

Your offering of solidarity only when this immigrant movement supports your anti FTA platform is weak.

If you think they're aligned with your position on political issues, you should meet them halfway, and find the allies in their movement. All politics are coalition politics, and if you can't get along, you can't get ahead.

Besides, if you haven't noticed, the immigrant rights movement is huge, and the antil-neoliberal movement is comparatively puny. The labor movement is comparatively small.

So, like, fuck your "my way or nothing" attitude. It's a losing attitude.

obviously, you don't understand the forces underpinning these economic refugees and the possible solution to divisional dysfunction. The one singular common solution.

I hate to say that you're all wrong but I do a lot of hateful things like speak unfashionable truths.

bite me