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On October 19th, in a federal court house in Los Angeles, Alex Sanchez was once again denied bail. Sanchez, a nationally recognized activist and peacemaker, is accused of maintaining ties to his former gang and participating in a conspiracy to murder. Bail was denied after Judge Real suppressed testimony from father Greg Boyle, an expert in Los Angeles gangs.
With Mexican flags and music, Cinco de Mayo was celebrated in San José on May 3rd with the usual pride and enthusiasm. People were just trying to have some safe fun driving slowly down Santa Clara Street, the main thoroughfare from Mexican Heritage Plaza and the east side of the city into downtown. The crowds were smaller than previous years, but that did not stop San José police from targeting Latinos.
Last year, Mountain View Day Worker Center supporters purchased an abandoned cinderblock building next to railroad tracks on Escuela Avenue in Mountain View, California. Plans are in place for day workers to help renovate the building and make improvements to the neighborhood, but NIMBY ("not in my back yard") neighbors nevertheless called in a Washington D.C. based group, Judicial Watch, to advise them on protecting their neighborhood from "illegal" immigrants.
Judicial Watch is a right-wing organization that initiates legal battles against day laborer centers around the country. Through their "sanctuary busters" program, they make the claim that day laborer centers violate federal immigration law by hiring undocumented immigrants. In April, a representative of Judicial Watch addressed a meeting of Escuela Avenue residents, calling it a "public education effort."
Judicial Watch has filed lawsuits in Herndon, Virginia, and Laguna Beach, California. But Chris Newman, the legal director of a national group of day laborer centers, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, called Judicial Watch's lawsuits baseless, pointing out that they are meant to generate anti-immigrant sentiments and intimidate people.
The city council remains stalwart in the face of threats of a lawsuit by members of the neighborhood group. The council initially approved the Day Worker Center's permit on May 5. On May 12, with a unanimous vote, the council turned down the NIMBY group's appeal of the council's earlier decision. Read more
Nimby Group Loses Anti-Day Worker Center Appeal | National Day Laborer Organizing Network
On Wednesday, April 29, UC Berkeley Police, apparently acting on behalf of ICE and introducing themselves as ICE agents, arrested Jesús Gutiérrez, a worker at the Clark Kerr Campus Dining Commons and a union activist in AFSCME Local 3299. Acting on information alleging that Gutierrez was using false papers to work at UC Berkeley, the UCPD charged him with identity fraud. Gutiérrez has been placed under ICE immigration hold as he sits in Santa Rita Jail.
Gutiérrez is suspected of no crime apart from the allegation of working using false identification. He is currently charged with felony identity fraud, a charge that is reserved for people who use identity information to steal money.
In a statement, Ronald Cruz, a member of BAMN, writes, “There is a strong likelihood this is an effort by UC Berkeley to intimidate organized labor. Jesús was a rank-and-file union activist in AFSCME Local 3299, which just had a strong one-week strike in summer 2008 and won a contract that includes language requiring ICE to contact AFSCME before arresting a worker. Surprisingly, the arrest has come from UC Berkeley itself.”
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On Wednesday, May 13th, a rally and a march was held at Sproul Plaza, UC-Berkeley, to demand the release of Jesús Gutiérrez from ICE custody.  Video
ICE kidnaps UC Berkeley employee | Berkeley Protests ICE Raids | AFSCME Strike Postponed -- What's Next?
In San Francisco, calling for mass action in defense of jobs and families, union contingents, students and an anarchist bloc gathered at Dolores Park in San Francisco at noon and marched to Civic Center for an afternoon rally. The Alexander Berkman Social Club sponsored a picnic at Dolores Park.
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Also in San Francisco, a May Day Anti-Capitalist Action Struck Union Square
In the East Bay city of Hayward, participants gathered at Weeks Park then marched to City Hall to demand passage of an ordinance that would make Hayward a Sanctuary City. In Oakland, a program at Fruitvale Plaza preceded a march to City Hall. At UC Berkeley, a rally at at Sproul Plaza, was followed by a march to Ashby BART.
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In San José, demonstrators were greeted by entertainment at City Hall by the Raging Grannies. The immigrant rights action started off with a march from King and Story. After the rally, spontaneous singing and dancing broke out on the street in front of the City Hall plaza in celebration of International Workers Day and the upcoming Cinco de Mayo events planned in the city.
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In Fresno and Reedley, the day was marked with songs of the labor movement. Pre-recorded Raging Grannies' singing was broadcast on KFCF (  Audio). Speaking events focused on worker-related topics from farms, to the threat of fundamentalism, to justice and sustainability. A March for Legalization started at Fresno's Eaton Plaza.
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At UC Santa Cruz, students rallied in the Bay Tree Plaza and then marched to the Beach Flats. In Watsonville, rain canceled a rally and march, however dozens of people demonstrated in front of Wells Fargo to protest to their abuse of immigrants, including being a major shareholder in the GEO Group which builds and operates immigrant detention centers.
Wells Fargo Attacked in Santa Cruz
See also: Immigrant Rights Marches Still ON Despite Swine Flu Hysteria ||  Report by the Immigrant Soldarity Network || Filipinos Demand Legalization and Immigrant Rights
May Day 2008: May Day Revival on Three Fronts: Labor, Immigrant, and Antiwar || Thousands March on May Day in San José and Demand Inclusion in U.S. Society || May Day 2008 Actions in Santa Cruz and Watsonville
On Friday, May 1st from 4:00 - 9:00pm there will be May Day activities in the Watsonville Plaza, including speakers, free consultations with lawyers, films, and more. At 6:00pm, people throughout the Monterey Bay Area will rally and march to demand justice, human rights, and comprehensive immigration reform with pathways to citizenship. Read more
see also: May Day at UCSC and in Santa Cruz | Bike to Watsonville for May Day March
Previous coverage of May Day in the Monterey Bay Area: 2006 | 2007 | 2008
A day of anti-tax, anti-immigrant demonstrations in San Jose started at noon in front the IRS building and didn't end until after 7:00pm. An estimated 150 right wing demonstrators, whipped into a frenzy by national conservative broadcasters, took over four corners of an intersection in the downtown area, jostling and shouting at the handful of counter-protesters who showed up in the early hours of the demonstration.
At 5:00pm about 40 student activists marched from San José State to Plaza de César Chavez where they were joined by more anti-war/immigrant rights demonstrators. The group chanted calls for tolerance and unity as they entered the park and were met with boos and cries of "U-S-A, U-S-A" by about 500 anti-tax demonstrators. When the former attempted to approach the stage they were pushed back by police wielding batons while riot police stood in formation across the street.
In San Francisco a smaller group of immigrant rights activists carried signs with phrases such as "Not Welcome MinuteKlan" aimed at countering the presence of the Golden Gate Minutemen. Both San Francisco and San Jose are official sanctuary cities for immigrants.
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Phoenix, AZ - Organizations from around the country are calling for an end to the immigration raids of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and specifically to revoke his controversial contract with the Department of Homeland Security.
A national organizing conference will be held in Phoenix, Arizona on February 27th, as well as a Peaceful Dignity Walk and Demonstration on February 28th. Demonstrators will carry a simple message: Stop the raids and revoke all 287(g) agreements that allow local law enforcement departments to arrest people suspected of being in the country without proper documentation.
On February 4th, Arpaio forced undocumented immigrant inmates to march to a segregated area in his notorious "Tent City." Organizations universally condemned the action and pledged to assist the people of Maricopa County to overcome Sheriff Arpaio's reign of terror. Read more
Arizona Indymedia || Puente || Democracy Now! coverage || Petition to Congress || 2/20 Protest in Los Angeles
This Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31, hundreds of youth from throughout the Bay Area gathered with community members and families to denounce the atrocities committed against immigrant communities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Youth demanded an immediate end to all ICE raids, the shutdown of all detention centers, and the creation of real sanctuary cities.
The protest started at 10 am in San Francisco’s Ferry Park (Washington between Davis and Drumm) with blessings from Danza Azteca and community organizer and author Betita Martinez, skull face painting, and other festivities. At 11:30 am, a funeral march made its way to the ICE office at 630 Sansome, followed by a mass rally in front of ICE.
The protest was a response to ICE attacks on immigrant communities, attacks that have taken place even in so-called “sanctuary cities” like San Francisco. The protest also brought attention to the repression and violence faced by immigrant communities during a presidential election season that has seen neither major candidate address the issues facing immigrant families.
Breaking News From 10/31:
2:15pm: In Oakland, 400 people were reportedly prevented from attending the protest because of BART's closure of the Fruitvale station.
2pm: Protesters have surrounded the ICE building on Sansome. Several people have locked down with 55-gallon drums on both ends of the building's driveway, where vans normally load and unload detainees.
11am: BART police have shut down at least three stations - Richmond, Fruitvale, and Coliseum - from which groups of protesters were gathering to commute to the protest in downtown San Francisco. At least three protesters were arrested in Richmond. Some trains were delayed, and others were bypassing Fruitvale and Coliseum stations.
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California Youth Skip Halloween to Protest Scary Anti-Immigrant Policies | Stop ICE!
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H.O.M.E.Y.
Recent ICE Coverage:
ICE Raids More Than a Dozen Bay Area Homes
On Wednesday, Oct. 22, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security raided more than a dozen homes in San Francisco, South San Francisco, and Richmond. San Francisco homes targeted in the raid include ten in the Tenderloin, six in Bayview, and one in the Mission district. The attacks were purportedly linked to an investigation of the El Salvadorian MS-13 street gang.
Victims of the attack included a San Francisco family, reportedly all US citizens. The home of Julio Cesar Hernandez was raided around 4:30 am by ICE officials who broke down doors, tossed around the family’s belongings, pointed a pistol at Hernandez, and then handcuffed all the adults in the home. Hernandez’s two children, one 4 years old and the other 7 months old, were traumatized by the ordeal.
On Thursday, Oct. 23, community members gathered in front of the ICE office in San Francisco for an emergency protest against the raids. Dozens of people attended the protest, including independent Congressional candidate Cindy Sheehan and progressive candidate for supervisor Eric Quezada.
Photos from 10/23 Demo |
Quezada, Rights Groups Blast ICE Raids |
10/23 Event Announcement
Other Recent ICE Coverage:
Eleventh Hour ICE Raids Resolution (Palo Alto)
The indynewswire show airs weekly on Free Radio Santa Cruz 101.1 FM, Friday mornings 10-12 noon, broadcasting news and opinion from independent media worldwide, focused on indymedia sites but also drawing from other websites. The October 3rd episode features discussion of sexual violence, patriarchy, and militarism across Mexico. This show is dedicated to Sali (Marcella Grace Eiler), found dead September 24th in San Jose del Pacifico, Oaxaca, Mexico.
On September 27th, four windows, a glass door and an ATM were smashed out at the Wells Fargo on the corner of Soquel Drive and Thurber Lane in the unincorporated area of Santa Cruz. Wells Fargo is one of the largest single stockholders in the GEO Group, a private prison outfit with prisons and detention centers spread across the world. Among many others, the GEO Group runs the ICE (Immigrations & Customs Enforcement) Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. The Geo Group also operates a Migrant Operations Center in Guantanamo Bay, on the grounds of the Naval Base, adjacent to the more infamous "Gitmo".
On Tuesday September 2nd, Palestinian professor and activist Sami Al-Arian was released from prison after more than five-and-a-half years behind bars. Immigration authorities released him on bail after they failed to explain his continued detention pending a trial for refusing to testify before a grand jury about a cluster of Muslim organizations in northern Virginia.
Last week, Dr. Al-Arian's attorneys filed a petition for habeas corpus with the court, challenging the continued unlawful detention by ICE. Judge Brinkema gave the government until today to respond. Their response came in the form of an order for Dr. Al-Arian's release on bail.
While he is out of prison, Sami Al-Arian is not free. He must remain under house detention at his daughter Laila's residence in Virginia, pending trial.
Dr. Al-Arian's family was overjoyed upon hearing the news. Four of his five children along with his attorney met him at an ICE facility in Fairfax, Virginia earlier this afternoon. "We couldn't believe our eyes," Leena, Dr. Al-Arian's second oldest daughter, said. "We were so relieved. It's been 2,020 days since he's last been with us."
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