Feature Archives

The National Socialist Movement (a nazi white supremacist group) plans on holding an anti-immmigration rally on the west steps of the state capitol in Sacramento this Saturday at 2:00pm.

Anti-racists from all over Northern California plan to converge upon the nazi rally and stop them from spreading their message. Protesters will meet at the cactus garden at the capitol near 15th and N streets at 1:30pm. Read more

Sunday, April 23rd was a day of action in solidarity with immigrants and against the anti-immigrant bills in Congress. People gathered for a 12:00pm rally in Dolores Park, and then marched to the San Francisco Federal Building at 2:00pm.
Photos 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Report | Read a recent update about the bills

The Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition has flyers available in Chinese, English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese on its website.

Demanding recognition for their many contributions to American society, and taking a stand against discrimination, millions of immigrants and their supporters marched in over 75 U.S. cities on Monday, May 1st. Nearly one million marched in California alone. Reports from L.A. cite hundreds of thousands turning out. San Jose and San Francisco each were estimated to have had 100,000 people march. Throughout Northern California tens of thousands took the day off from work or school, refused to buy anything, and marched united for immigrant rights.

May Day Photo Gallery featuring hundreds of photos from all over the Bay Area and Northern California (Publish your own photos, reports, and video.)

SAN FRANCISCO:
An estimated 100,000 immigrants rights supporters marched down Market Street in the largest Latino mobilization in city history.
Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | Audio: 1 | 2
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21
Reports: 1 | 2

SAN JOSE:
In the South Bay, another estimated 100,000 immigrants rights supporters marched through the city, likely making it the largest demonstration ever in San Jose history. Many businesses closed for the day.
Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Reports: 1 | 2

HUMBOLDT:
12:50pm: Immigrant Rights March from Arcata to Eureka on 101 in Humboldt "attacked" by cops.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Report

SANTA ROSA:
Today's march for immigrant rights in Santa Rosa reached historic size.
Reports: 1 | 2

SAN RAFAEL: About 5-7000 people marched in in the biggest march ever held in San Rafael.
Video: 1 | 2 | Audio

RICHMOND: Immigrants rights supporters first marched in Richmond, then took BART to SF immigrant events.
Video

CONCORD:
Over 5000 marched to Santos Plaza.
Photos

OAKLAND:
Participants estimate more than 15,000 marched miles to the the federal building in downtown where speakers such as Congresswoman Barbara Lee had words of support. Line of marchers "as far as the eye can see."
Video | Photos | Reports: 1 | 2

UNION CITY:
Over 1,000 people marched through the streets of Decoto in support of the great American Boycott!
Photos

SANTA CRUZ: a total of more than 300 people are clogging up both entrances of campus, causing traffic jams and buses to run late. The main entrance has been basically shut down, and UC police are rerouting drivers to the West entrance. Students erected a mock border at the campus entrance to highlight the challenges faced by Latinos entering the US for work.
Video: 1 | Audio: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

WATSONVILLE:
A May Day demonstration in Watsonville CA, the self-proclaimed strawberry capital of the world, drew about 10,000 people in a city of 45,000 out into the streets.
Audio: 1 | 2 | 3 | Photos: 1 | 2

SACRAMENTO:
Thousands gathered at Southside Park for a march to the Capitol.
Audio | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Reports: 1 | 2 | 3

FRESNO:
At least 15,000 people rallied for immigrant rights today at Fresno City Hall, making this the largest political rally in Fresno County history. Earlier in the day, 3-400 students rallied at CSUF.
Video: 1 | Photos: 1 | 2

MODESTO:
Close to 10,000 people, most of them working class Latinos/Chicanos, came out to protest the proposed HR 4437 legislation.
Photos | Reports: 1

BAKERSFIELD:
2:30pm: FRSC report about police stopping march and making arrests.
Audio

SANTA BARBARA:
3:00pm rally begins with 5,000 chanting, "We're not just one. We're not thousands. We're millions!"

NATIONAL: Most major U.S. cities have reported large marches, in many cases the largest marches the cities have ever seen. Chicago's march was the largest in the nation with as many as three quarters of a million people having taken to the streets. LA also reported crowds numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Miami, D.C., and Denver report marches in the tens of thousands.
More Coverage Can Be Found On: US IMC, L.A., Portland, Colorado, Chicago, NYC, D.C., Miami

On Monday April 10th, 2006, immigrants and their allies continued their recent historic mobilizations in cities all over the US to oppose HR 4437. They have been demanding real immigration reform that is comprehensive, respects civil rights, reunites families, protects workers, and offers a path to citizenship for the current undocumented and future immigrants to the US. In California, organizations in cities across the state showed what California would look like if immigrants did not work in positions such as dishwashers, cooks, housecleaners, nannies, gardeners, office workers, and in dozens of other jobs.

In San Jose, there was a march at 4:00pm from Plaza Tropicana (at King and Story Road) to City Hall. Flyer
In Concord, there was a rally at 11 a.m. at Todos Santos Park on Willow Pass Road.
In Berkeley, there was a noon rally at Sproul Plaza, near Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue and a 1 p.m. march.
In Oakland there was a march at 9 a.m.from St. Louis Bertrand Church (100th Avenue and International Boulevard) to the Oakland Federal Building on Clay Street.
In San Francisco, there was an 11 a.m. news conference and rally at 24th and Mission streets and a 5 p.m. "Family March" from 16th and Mission streets back to 24th Street.
More Bay Area actions

In Fresno, a March for Legalization began at St. Anthony Mary Claret Church, at 2494 S. Chestnut Ave, and end at Fresno City Hall. A large rally was held in Washington, DC, where people demanded a stop to HR 4437, a stop to attacks against immigrants and their communities, and real immigration reform that recognizes the value of immigrants as workers and members of American society. There was also a major rally in the Philadelphia region. Event list from April10.org Event list from CIRnow.org

Photos: San Rafael · Oakland: 1 | 2 · Fresno 1 | 2 | 3 · San Francisco 1 | 2 · San Jose 1 | 2 | 3
Video: San Francisco · Fresno
Reports: Stanford · Berkeley · San Francisco · San Jose

April10.org | New American Opportunity Campaign | Immigrant Solidarity Network's No HR 4437 site | National Council of La Raza | El Tecolote | AFSC | Bay Area Immigrant RIghts Coalition | The film "A Day Without a Mexican" | San Joaquin Valley Peace and Freedom Party | La película "Un día sin mexicanos"

On Monday March 27th, word spread fast around high schools in California and across the nation that students would be walking out of their classes in protest of the anti-immigrant legislation known as HR 4437. House bill HR 4437 would make being an undocumented immigrant a felony and criminalize anyone who offered non-emergency assistance to undocumented workers and their families. The demonstrations continued Tuesday and grew in number. Locally, Northern California walkouts have included thousands of students in Fresno, Aptos, Watsonville, Hollister and Salinas. Police have dealt harshly with many of the students while other authority figures have both offered support for the student's cause and simultaneously urged students to remain in school. School districts, working with local police, have now begun to implement lockdowns to prevent students from leaving campuses. Nevertheless, the actions continued Wednesday and more are planned for the near future.

March 27 Photos and Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 · Audio: 1 | 2
March 28 Photos and Reports: 1 | 2 · Audio: 1
March 29 Photos and Reports: 1 | 2 | 3
March 30 Report
March 31 Photos and Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 · Audio: 1

Southern California Walkout Updates: LA IMC | San Diego IMC

Read more on Santa Cruz IMC and Indybay's Central Valley Page.

On March 25th, over 2,500 latino immigrants joined Gold Star Families for Peace member Fernando Suarez del Solar, and Iraq War resister Pablo Paredes for the 5 mile Watsonville leg of their 241 mile march for peace from Tijuana to the Mission District in San Francisco. Along with chants for peace, many on the march were also moved to take a stand against the draconian anti-immigrant bill HR4437.

photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
audio: Short Interviews

After the march, the Watsonville Police Department targeted one organizer (a Brown Beret) and wrote him a citation with 8-10 counts against him, including criminal charges. Read more

Shortly after the march in Watsonville, a thousand latino immigrants joined Fernando Suarez del Solar and Pablo Paredes for the 5 mile Salinas leg of their 241 mile trek. People took to the streets in opposition to war in Iraq and the anti-immigrant bill HR4437. Read more and view photos

Organizers say, "Latinos represent nearly 15% of the US population and 11% of the US military, with many serving in combat or hazardous duty occupations. In addition, an estimated 20% of the fallen service members in the early months of the invasion were Latino. With the continued growth of the Latino population and its vital importance to the future of this country, it is time the Latino community become an active and vocal part of the 60%+ of US citizens that oppose this War."

Read more about the march for peace from Tijuana to San Francisco on Indybay's Anti-War Page

Over 50 hunger strikers and organizations held a seven-day protest in front of the Federal Building in San Francisco from March 21st through March 27th to protest against anti-immigrant laws. The protesters spoke out against Senator Arlen Specter’s bill (HR4437) that designates all undocumented immigrants as aggravated felons, allows for the indefinite detention of non-citizens, and criminalizes day-labor centers, churches, health clinics and all others who serve, help or work with undocumented immigrants. There were candlelight vigils at the Federal Building every day and a march on Monday March 27th.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | Audio: 1 | Video: 1 | 2

March 25th was a National Day of Solidarity, with a press event at the Federal Building connecting the Bay Area to events that have been happening across the country. Over one million people filled the streets of Los Angeles demanding civil rights for immigrants, in what may be the largest demonstration in California history. Photos

On March 27th there were student walkouts state wide. Photos From Fresno

San Francisco Declares Opposition to Anti-Immigrant Bill | We Didn't Cross the Border, the Border Crossed Us | Fear -- the Core of Current Immigration Debate | Old Civil Rights Groups Missing-in-Action As Immigrants Hit the Streets | Hispanic Media at the Forefront of Immigration March | Si Se Puede! Illegal Immigrants Speak Up - And America Should Listen | Up to 2 Million Take to the Streets of L.A. | Immigrant Rights Protests Spread -- New Chapter in Civil Rights Movement | More than a million march in Los Angeles, other US cities in defense of immigrant rights | UFPJ: Emergency Action for Immigrant Rights

Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition