When the forces of reaction and racism decided to push their vicious anti-immigrant agenda, they lifted a rock, only to drop it on their own feet. Across the country, one of the most powerful waves of demonstrations in U.S. history is now unfolding. In Chicago on March 10 it became apparent something really big was in the offing; a sea change was under way. Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans and Latinos, along with other immigrants and their supporters, filled the streets. A general strike shut down hundreds of factories and businesses. This was followed by major demonstrations; some accompanied by work stoppages – that rocked Denver, Colorado; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Georgia and Phoenix, Arizona. Then on March 25, one million people took to the streets of Los Angeles.

Chapel Hill, NC – On April 23, about 100 students gathered for the second time in two weeks to oppose white supremacists organizing on the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s campus. Just one week after the racist Tom Tancredo was driven off campus by turbulent protests, the Youth for Western Civilization (YWC), a white supremacist organization, brought former Virginia congressman Virgil Goode to speak about affirmative action and immigration.

Solidarity Pours In From Across The Country

Fight Back! is circulating the following statement issued by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Event Gets Shut Down

Chapel Hill, NC – Over 200 protesters gathered here on April 15 to protest a talk given by the racist former congressman Tom Tancredo. Students, faculty and staff were in the streets and the lobby of the building chanting, “Shut it down – no racists in our town!” Some protesters were inside the room where the talk was being held and challenged Tancredo on his anti-immigration views while holding banners saying “No dialogue with hate,” and “No one is illegal.”

May Day is the most widely celebrated holiday in the world. Hundreds of thousands of workers, led by their unions, will march through the streets in Mexico, South Africa and the Philippines. In the socialist countries where the working people rule society – Cuba, China, Vietnam, Democratic Korea and Laos, May Day, or International Workers Day, is a national holiday. It is celebrated with huge rallies of millions. Leaders make speeches opposing war and imperialism, while praising the gains of the laboring classes who are furthering the cause of socialism.

Just after the protest, Fight Back! caught up with Jose Artemio Arreola, a key organizer of the massive protest for immigrant rights that rocked Chicago, March 10. He explained how the Coalition Against HR 4437 built the unity necessary for a turnout of such proportion.

St Paul, MN – Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bail Out organized a picket line at the Minnesota Department of Revenue Building, where Governor Pawlenty proposed his plan to address the $5.2 billion budget deficit, Jan. 27.

Minneapolis, MN – On Jan. 13, hundreds of janitors, the majority Latino and Somali immigrants, held a spirited meeting at the Minneapolis Labor Center and voted nearly unanimously to authorize a strike. The multinational crowd chanted, “Yes we can do it!” in Spanish (“Sí se puede!”) and in Somali (“Haa wakarna!”). When the vote was taken to authorize a strike, members held up signs reading “Yes! Sí! Haa!” (‘yes’ in English, Spanish and Somali).

Bloomington, MN – AFSCME Council 5, which represents over 40,000 public sector workers in Minnesota, held its annual convention here Oct. 5-7. At the convention, two notable resolutions were passed, both of which were written by AFSCME Local 3800, the clerical workers union at the University of Minnesota.

Chicago IL – Upwards of 200,000 people marched through downtown Chicago, March 10, chanting, “Si, se puede!,” meaning, “Yes we can!” defeat the Sensenbrenner bill.

The 10,000-plus Mexicans, Chicanos and Latinos marching through the streets of Ontario, California June 13 sent a powerful message to the Bush administration – the raids and deportations carried out by immigration enforcement will not be accepted or tolerated. This powerful display of resistance followed raids where immigration agents targeted undocumented workers at bus stops, markets and homes.

Los Angeles, CA – A mass rally and march was held in Huntington Park, May 15, in support of SB1160 – a bill that allows undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses. Several groups organized the march, including the Mexican American Political Association, Centro CSO and Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas. The festive event kicked off with music and speakers at Salt Lake Park and then began marching on Florence Avenue in the heart of the city. The march received enthusiastic support from pedestrians and motorists as it entered Pacific Avenue, the main shopping district, with the public yelling and clapping to show support. A rally was held at the civic center with music by the popular Mexican Norteno singers. The speakers hit hard at Governor Schwarzenegger and the racists Republicans who forced the repeal of a similar bill late last year.

Minneapolis, MN – More than 100 people gathered here May 1, May Day, for a celebration of International Workers’ Day. Speakers from key Minneapolis and St. Paul battles, including organizers of the clerical workers’ strike at the University of Minnesota and the 46-day transit workers’ strike, addressed the standing room-only crowd. The event was organized by Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Ileana Gadea and Naomi Nakamura, both regular contributors to Fight Back!, reviewed the film A Day Without A Mexican . Based on the premise that California is covered by a thick fog and Latinos have vanished, the movie satirically deals with role of Mexicans and Latinos in the California economy. How well does the film do this? What follows are two different views.

The Bush proposal on immigration does not address the real problems of the more than ten million undocumented workers in this country. It is simply a recycled version of past ‘guest worker’ programs which lock immigrant workers into poverty, without providing any real path for toward security, residency and justice.

Los Angeles, CA – Thousands of Latino workers, students and shopkeepers stayed away from work and school Dec. 12, in support of the statewide Latino Economic Strike. The Latino Economic boycott was called by the Mexican American Political Association and Hermandad Mexicana Latino Americana, with the support of hundreds of other organizations, to protest the repeal of SB 60, the law that allowed undocumented immigrants to get drivers licenses.

Los Angeles, CA – On May 1, 15,000 Latino immigrants and their supporters marched through downtown demanding, “Legalization now! Stop immigrant bashing!” This immigrants' rights march was the largest in recent U.S. history. Enthusiastic demonstrators chanted, “We are here and we won't leave!” referring to recent Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) raids and deportations of workers without so-called 'legal' status. The march included union, community groups, and immigrants' rights organizations.