Legalization Now!

LEGALIZATION NOW!
Fresno, Ca (Saturday, October 12)
By Mike Rhodes

Nearly 100 immigrants, workers, and their supporters marched for the legalization of undocumented workers today in downtown Fresno. The march, organized by the San Joaquin Valley Immigrant Rights Coalition (SJVIRC), was held on Dia De La Raza (AKA Columbus Day) to demand justice for the large number of immigrant workers in the Central Valley and this country.

In addition to the two mile march, participants enjoyed Aztec dancing in Courthouse Park, next to the newly installed plaque honoring the braceros. There was a rally at the Federal Building where organizers demanded that the U.S. not attack Iraq, and then marchers returned to the Free Speech area of the Fulton mall. The free speech area commemorates the Industrial Workers of the World’s free speech struggle in Fresno in 1910-11 when they struggled and won the right to speak and organize agricultural workers. For more information about that struggle go to: http://www.fresnoalliance.com/IWW/

At the Free Speech area speakers told the large crowd that had gathered about the progress being made on the legalization issue. Hundreds of thousands of post cards demanding legalization were given to the Bush Administration last week. Leonel Flores, coordinator of the SJVIRC, who was just back from Washington D.C., told the crowd that “Bush can’t hide from this issue by beating the drums of war. He will hear our just demands for legalization, drivers licenses for immigrants, and equal opportunity for all students.” Representatives from unions, student groups, and other immigrant rights organizations spoke in support of immigrant rights. As one sign at the march said: “America wouldn’t be America w/o immigrants.”