Puerto Rican Day Parade
Millions agree: U.S. Navy out of Vieques now!
By Teresa
Gutierrez
New York
While the officials certainly did not plan it that way, on
June 10 in New York the Puerto Rican Day Parade became a
massive rallying cry in support of Vieques.
Millions of Puerto Ricans, their friends and supporters
filled Fifth Avenue for 44 blocks in a splendid show of
Boricua pride. Throughout the five-hour march, the avenue was
filled with the music and culture of Puerto Rico.
But it was also filled with this message: The Puerto Rican
people want an end to the U.S. Navy presence in Vieques.
In the last two years, the struggle to get the U.S. Navy
out of Vieques has escalated to a fever pitch. The people of
Vieques, with their fierce determination and steadfast
resistance, have won the support of not only the Puerto
Ricans on the mainland and in the United States but of
progressives throughout the world.
This broad support was reflected in the parade.
'Free the Vieques Four'
Along the route, huge placards could be seen supporting
the Vieques Four, the four community leaders and elected
officials from New York who were arrested in Vieques while
participating in civil disobedience. The four, who include
New York State Assemblymember Jose Rivera and the Rev. Al
Sharpton, were sentenced to jail, where they remain on a
hunger strike.
The struggle to get the U.S. Navy out has become so strong
that politicians have to pay attention. Even the likes of
Republican Gov. George Pataki has spoken for "peace for
Vieques." The mayor of Vieques, Dámaso Serrano,
marched alongside Pataki in the parade.
A multitude of prominent individuals joined the call in
support of Vieques at the parade. They included U.S. Rep.
Nydia Velasquez, actor Edward James Olmos and singer Marc
Anthony.
Olmos came specifically to join the Service
Employees/Local 1199 pro-Vieques contingent. He had earlier
participated in an action in Vieques.
But the parade did not proceed without its problems.
During the week before the event, city officials, along with
parade officials, told some participants their political
pro-Vieques message could not be carried out the way they
intended.
SEIU/Local 1199 planned to distribute thousands of
placards along the march route with the slogan "Peace for
Vieques." Parade officials told them they could not do this.
Only after heated and prolonged negotiations did parade
officials allow the union to distribute its placards.
Attempt to censure
anti-imperialists fails
The city and parade officials also tried to censure the
anti-imperialist sector of the movement.
The groups Pro-Libertad and the Vieques Support Campaign
filed two separate applications to march in the parade. But
unprecedented repressive measures taken for this year's
parade specified that each contingent could have only 50
participants, who would have to go through heavy security.
Delegates would have to be identified with an orange
wristband even to be allowed entry into the contingent.
Parade officials told the two organizations they would be
allowed only 50 participants in total, instead of 50 for each
group. However, organizers from Pro-Libertad and the Vieques
Support Campaign fought back. On the day of the parade they
were able to swell their ranks to over 200 marchers.
The contingent proudly included a prominent delegation
from the Palestinian Right to Return Committee that had
organized for the parade with the slogan "U.S. bombs: Made in
the U.S., tested in Vieques, dropped on Palestine."
The contingent also included representatives from Student
Liberation Action Movement, St. Romero's Church, the
International Action Center, Women for Peace and Justice in
Vieques, Cubans Against the Blockade and others. Several of
the male participants carried placards that read "Men of
Color for Women's Rights and Against Sexist Violence."
At one point, a contingent from the Almighty Latin Kings
and Queens attempted to enter the anti-imperialist
contingent. The police blocked them. But later in the march,
the group victoriously joined the contingent.
In a blatant show of racism and repression, New York cops
then marched alongside the contingent with nightsticks and
handcuffs, threatening the arrest of anyone they chose.
Throughout the 44-block march the police directed menacing
looks and sneers at the Kings. But it was the Kings, not the
NYPD, who were cheered along the march route.
The Almighty Kings and Queens face racist vilification
comparable to the U.S. government's campaign against the
revolutionary armed forces in Colombia. But the response at
the parade showed that the Puerto Rican masses, especially
the youths, understand that the Kings represent resistance
and the fight against police brutality.
Accentuating the hostile relationship between the New York
Police Department and Puerto Ricans, later that evening
police carried out an attack against Puerto Rican youths in
the Bronx. Over 40 Puerto Ricans were arrested in what can
only be described as a police riot.
The Giuliani administration and mainstream parade
officials might have tried to quash the pro-Vieques message
June 10. In fact, one of their arguments to Local 1199 and
the Vieques Support Campaign was that last year's parade
theme was focused on Vieques and therefore the issue did not
have to be emphasized again this year.
But the Puerto Rican people's determination to get the
U.S. Navy out of Vieques could not be silenced. The last two
years have shown that this movement, after decades of
struggle, is on the rise.
It will not be stopped. It is a mighty wave whose tide
will eventually wash away not only the U.S. Navy but all
imperialism from Puerto Rico.
On June 23, the progressive and anti-war movement in New
York will have the opportunity to hear two leaders from
Puerto Rico at the Tribunal on U.S. War Crimes in Korea.
Ismael Guadalupe from the Committee for the Rescue and
Development of Vieques and Jorge Faranacci from the Puerto
Rico Socialist Front will be participating in the
tribunal.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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