Arizona May 1st Marches 2010

Here is the flyer for the May 1st 2010 March – La Gran Marcha – in Tucson, to be held tomorrow beginning at 9am.

More information can be found at the Tucson May 1st Coalition website. There are events scheduled all over the country, including in Phoenix and Flagstaff:

Flagstaff, Arizona
May Day Freedom March

Time: May 1, 3:30pm
Location:Flagstaff City Hall 211 W Aspen
Details: Meet at City hall @ 3:30 p.m. We will be at city hall demonstrating our support for immigration reform! We must get our point across to our elected officials and get immigration reform passed this summer. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Bring signs

Phoenix, AZ

Midnight Vigil April 30th: Gather at 10:30pm, service at 12:00am (midnight)
Evening Vigil: May 1, 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Location:1700 W. Washington Street, State Capitol, Phoenix, AZ
Organizer: Raquel Teran

May 1st Marcha – gather at Veteran’s Coliseum at 8:30am
March to State Capitol for rally

To find an event near you, please see the Reform Immigration For America website. There are actions happening all over the country this weekend to fight against extremism like AZ’s SB1070.

Immigration Solidarity provides the following tips for participation:

Wear White T-Shirt, organize local actions to support immigrant worker rights!

1. No to anti-immigrant legislation, and the criminalization of the immigrant communities.
2. No to militarization of the border.
3. No to the immigrant detention and deportation.
4. No to the guest worker program.
5. No to employer sanction and “no match” letters.
6. Yes to a path to legalization without condition for undocumented immigrants NOW.
7. Yes to speedy family reunification.
8. Yes to civil rights and humane immigration law.
9. Yes to labor rights and living wages for all workers.
10. Yes to the education and LGBTQ immigrant legislation

 

SB1070 – Week of Action

Even though SB1070 was signed into law on Friday by Governor Jan Brewer, those of us opposed to this unjust and unconstitutional move by Arizona will keep holding vigil and protesting.

The Arizona Republican Party is going to learn that they underestimated the determination we have to rip away their political power. They’ve already embarrassed our state, now it’s time for them to be embarrassed politically. George W. Bush loved to say that “history will judge my Presidency” when faced with criticism. Well, so will Governor Jan Brewer, Russell Pearce, Joe Arpaio, and the rest of the Minutemen Caucus of the AZ GOP – and it won’t be positive if we have anything to say about it.

Here’s what’s on the agenda, so far, this week:

Protest Governor Jan Brewer today in Tucson
DoubleTree Hotel – 445 Alvernon Way (between Broadway & 22nd Street)
4/26 – Noon to 3pm

Derechos Humanos is hosting sign-making and carpools from their office, details here

City of Phoenix Council Policy Meeting
200 W. Jefferson, Phoenix AZ
Tuesday, 4/27 at 2pm

Support Mayor Phil Gordon, who has already signaled that he will direct his legal offices to challenge SB1070. More info on the mayor’s plans at AZCentral.

Educational Forum on effects of SB1070
Carl Hayden Community Center in Phoenix – Facebook Event Page
Wednesday, 4/28 at 6pm

Saturday, May 1st National Day of Action
Marches & Rallies
Tucson May 1st Coalition Website
Phoenix – 8:30am March from Veteran’s Coliseum to State Capitol

NOTE: I’ll be updating this post as I read about new events

 

Nat’l Day of Action – Saturday, Jan 16th

Join thousands of human rights activists as we gather in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, January 16th at 9AM. There will be a march from Falcon Park to the downtown complex that serves as headquarters for the notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Full information on the event can be found at the Puente AZ website. There is also a Facebook page devoted to the event.

Leading the march will be UFW matron Dolores Huerta, Rage Against the Machine’s Zack de la Rocha, and internationally-famed singer Linda Ronstadt. There will also be a concert at the end of the march featuring Little Joe y La Familia.

This will be the second march I’ve attended to protest the human rights abuses of Sheriff Joe, who is under several federal investigations for racial profiling and harassment of political foes in Maricopa County.

Federal investigators are apparently looking into Arpaio’s actions stemming from his anger over budget cuts handed down by county officials. The budget cuts were part of a long-running feud between Arpaio and county leaders.

In one instance, Arpaio is accused of investigating a $340 million project for a new courts building in downtown Phoenix because he thought that the money should instead be spent on plugging holes in his office’s budget. In other cases, he sent deputies to workers’ homes on nights and weekends.

“Their way of showing their displeasure was to investigate, using the criminal justice process on people who were simply doing their jobs,” Smith said.

ABC15

If you can’t attend the march, please consider donating toward water bottles for the participants via the National Day Laborer Organizing Network

 

May 1st Events for Immigrant and Human Rights

There are events happening all across the country today in solidarity with migrant and human rights. Check out A New Day for Immigration‘s website for ways to get involved.

Arizona

City: Phoenix

• Time: 8:30 am
• Location: March from Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum to State Capitol

City: Tucson

• Time: 8:00 am
• Location: Rally at the South Gate Shopping Center

 

Protest Sheriff Joe Arpaio This Weekend

Phoenix, Arizona has been a hotbed of activism recently. With spending cuts gutting education and social service programs, many people have taken to the streets near the state capitol complex to make their voices heard. This form of raw democracy continues on Saturday (tomorrow) as many pro-human rights groups unite to protest the abuses of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Who: National Day Laborer Organizing Network, Puente Arizona, and Zach de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine

What: March to Stop the Systematic Persecution of Migrants and Latinos in AZ.

Where: March Start Location for Feb 28th: 300 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85012

When: March to Stop the Hate in Phoenix to be held 9:00 am on February 28.

(More info available from the Arizona Advocacy Network at AZNetroots.com)

For many years, Arpaio has taken any opportunity to exploit state law and his 287g agreement with the Department of Homeland Security so he can target undocumented workers in Maricopa County, and because of his racism, the greater latino community. Pressure has been building against the sheriff, who is already under investigation by the FBI for abuses. The scope widened recently when the chairman and several members of the House Judiciary Committee issued a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano raising many of the same concerns of latinos in the Valley.

This Saturday is an opportunity for bottom-up politicking by those of us who feel threatened by Joe Arpaio’s control of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. We are already seeing the national spotlight move in his direction, and while he loves to be flogged by the media, it’s only a matter of time before the greater Phoenix area realizes that the sheriff is bringing attention that is not welcome; hopefully tightening the leash around Arpaio’s neck.

If you can’t make it to the protest tomorrow and would like other ways to get involved, our friends at America’s Voice have several starting points. The petition is just shy of our goal of 10,000 signatures, so please spread the word.

paz

 

ACTION ALERT: Support TUSD Ethnic Studies

Just received an urgent action alert regarding a rally that will be held tomorrow, 6/12/08, in support of the four ethnic studies departments at Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). The Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, has been relentless in his opposition to these programs that successfully lift graduation rates and improve test scores of participating students. I first reported on his nonsense back in November of 2007. Here was the news item at the time:

TUSD’s ethnic studies program has come under the lens of Arizona’s education czar.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has asked the Tucson Unified School District to provide information on funding for its ethnic studies programs.

The request also calls for all training materials used in Mexican-American and African-American studies, syllabuses, videos, films, teachers’ guides, reading materials, audio recordings and other instructional materials.

Horne said his inquiry is not based on a question of academics or education, but “values.”

linkage

Horne will be in Tucson tomorrow in order to talk “about reasons TUSD should abolish its Ethnic Studies department”. Prior to his press conference, however, community members will gather in opposition to this deluded strategy of axing programs that lift up minority students.

Community members representing the four TUSD Ethnic Studies Departments (AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES, NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES, MEXICAN AMERICAN/RAZA STUDIES, and PAN ASIAN STUDIES) will be holding a PRESS CONFERENCE in SUPPORT of ETHNIC STUDIES

Where: TUSD’s GOVERNING BOARD ROOM , 1010 E. 10th Street, Tucson, AZ 85719
Time: 9:30 a.m., Thursday, June 12, 2008

 

May 1st Coalition Events in Arizona

Tucson:

March: 8:00am
Southgate Shopping Center
(I-10 and 6th Avenue)

Rally: 11:30am
Armory Park
(220 S. 5th Avenue)

Stop the Raids and Deportations

Legalization for All

Stop the Border Deaths

Stop the War

Education, Healthcare, Housing and Jobs for All,

Stop the Prison Building

Stop the Free Trade Agreements

Stop the Militarization of our Society

More venues across the country at Vivir Latino

 

Opportunities on the Horizon

Ya know, it’s amazing how quickly things can move. This site is quickly approaching three years old and, while I’ve been blogging a lot longer than that at other places, there’s always a special place reserved for your own site in the heart.

I leave to Washington D.C. today to do some major networking with other blogging activists around the country. I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity and was flattered to be invited. Hopefully I will be able to add to the discussions that are planned on how to build a better online progressive/liberal presence that translates to change in the streets and throughout the electoral process.

As part of my trip, I’ll also be attending the Take Back America Conference, which you will see linked at the top of the right sidebar. I’m looking forward to spending a week in the District of Colombia, but more importantly, getting better versed on how to come back and build a better network of activism.

We have a lot of work ahead of us and it’s easy to get discouraged, but I am hopeful that with a more engaged electorate sprouting up all over the country, we can finally get this system of injustice and inequality on a more forward-looking trajectory.

I’ll try to check in throughout the week, but until then, feel free to lay around and slack.

 

Louis Mendoza Completes 31 State Bike Trip

Chicano studies profesor Louis Mendoza was honored at an assembly last Friday at the University of Minnesota, where he shared about his six month-long bicycle trip across the U.S. to raise awareness about the complexity of migrant workers’ lives.

Mendoza said he couldn’t pick just one highlight of his trip.

“Part of the highlight was talking to so many people who were working really hard to make a living,” he said. “I was humbled by the fact that these people who work so hard were willing to take time and share things with me.”

Going on a trip like this is a great way to put a face on immigration, Marianne Bueno a visiting Chicano studies professor, said.

“I think it’s an important way to get a chance to hear and listen and see the everyday stories and the everyday lives,” she said. “Being on the ground in the way that he was with his bike will help put faces to the language, to the talking, to the policies.”

linkage

 

Urgent Action Alert For AZ State Legislature

Border Action Network alerts Arizona residents to the following proposals set for a vote this coming Thursday. We are urging everyone to call the following state legislators and request that they vote “NO” to preserve the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and avoid the creation of clearly divided lines of citizenship types. (unless, of course, they’re willing to make it retroactive back to the signing of the Constitution…then I have no problem with it).

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Urgent State Legislative Action! You’ve heard about the bill to mark birth certificates of immigrant children and deny citizenship to children born to non-citizens? Well, they are up for a committee vote this week!

FIVE absurd bills will be considered this Thursday, February 7th at 9:00am by the Arizona Senate’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee. Please contact the committee members TODAY to let them know that you DO NOT SUPPORT these bills and urge them to VOTE AGAINST THEM.

Your email or call makes a difference! The anti-immigrant, Minutemen types bombard elected officials with phone calls, emails, and faxes. Don�t let their fear-mongering and immigrant scapegoating by the only voice they hear.
How to Take Action:

Below are brief descriptions of each bill, talking points and contact information for the Committee members. For more information visit http://www.azleg.gov If you are in the Phoenix area, join us at the Committee hearing on Thursday at 9:00 am

Contact the Border Action office for more information at ban@borderaction.org or 520-623-4944).

*Make sure to include your address in your email. Keep it short and sweet and be sure to clarify that you want them to VOTE AGAINST THESE BILLS.

S1072 Illegals; AHCCS; Proof of Citizenship
Senator Harper; Representative Pearce: Senators Burns, Huppenthal
“AHCCCS eligibility workers must reject applicants who present identification from jurisdictions which issue IDs but do not verify the immigration status of the applicant. Further, AHCCCS must report to federal immigration authorities any undocumented immigrant who applies for benefits. An AHCCCS employee who fails to do so is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor as is the employee’s supervisor if the supervisor knew of the failure and did not order the employee to make the report. Any resident of the state has standing to bring suit against AHCCCS for violation of this act. Courts must give preference to actions brought under this act over other civil actions pending in the court. A class 2 misdemeanor carries a jail sentence of up to 4 months and a fine of up to $750.”

S1009 Immigration Status; Benefits; DHS
Sponsor: Senator Harper
“The Dept of Health Services must verify the immigration status of applicants for any benefits or services provided by the department. The department must refuse to accept an applicant’s identification if it was issued by an agency that does not verify immigration statutes before issuance. DHS employees must report violations of federal immigration law to federal authorities, and failure to do so is a class 2 (mid-level) misdemeanor. If a DHS employee fails to report the violation and the employee’s supervisor knew of the instance and did not direct the employee to make the report, the supervisor is also guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor.”

SCM1003 Illegal aliens; children; noncitizenship status
Sponsor: Senator Johnson; Burges, Kavanagh, Pearce, L. Gray, Harper
“The Legislature urges Congress to pass legislation clarifying the 14th Amendment as denying citizenship to children of illegal aliens simply by virtue of being born in the U.S.”

SCR1012 Secure and verifiable identification
Sponsor: Senator Harper; Burges
“The 2008 general election ballot is to carry the question of whether to amend statutes to require political subdivisions of this state to accept only verifiable (defined) identification documents and prohibit disbursement of public services unless the recipient produces identification that is issued by a political subdivision of this state, a federally recognized Indian tribe or a state or federal authority and that is verifiable (defined) by a law enforcement or Homeland Security agency. A legislative history section states that the purpose of the referendum is to give the qualified electors the opportunity to override the governor’s 2005 veto of SB1511.”

SCR1016 Birth certificates; illegal aliens; children
Senator Johnson; Representatives Groe, Pearce: Senators Gould, Harper, Verschoor; Representatives Anderson, Kavanagh
“The 2008 general election ballot is to carry the question of whether to amend statutes to recite that unless at least one parent of a child born in this state is able to prove US citizenship, the child will be issued a certificate that states it was born to parents who were not in this country legally and that the child is not eligible for benefits that require US citizenship.”

Senator Members of the Public Safety and Human Services Committee:
Linda Gray (R-LD10), Chairman (602) 926-3376 lgray@azleg.gov
Jack Harper (R-LD4), Vice Chairman (602) 926-4178 jharper@azleg.gov
Chuck Grey (R-LD19) (602) 926-5288 cgrey@azleg.gov
John Huppenthal (R-LD20) (602) 926-5261 jhuppenthal@azleg.gov
Leah Landrum Taylor (D-LD16) (602) 926-3830 llandrumtaylor@azleg.gov
Rebecca Rios (D-LD23) (602) 926-3830 rrios@azleg.gov
Victor Soltero (D-LD29) (602) 926-5342 vsoltero@azleg.gov

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Link to talking points can be found here. Please don’t let this slip under the wire.