Immigrant rights protest held

Demanding full rights for immigrants, a couple hundred immigrant workers, their families and supporters rallied and marched in San Francisco on May 17 to coincide with a national day of action taking place in Washington, D.C.

The rally was sponsored by the May 1 Coalition for Immigrants Rights. Speakers at U.N. Plaza objected to the Bush administration’s plan to further militarize the Mexico-U.S. border with National Guard troops, and to the anti-immigrant legislation currently being debated in Congress.

Under a huge banner that read “AMNISTIA Ahora ~ Incondicional ~ Para Todos,” the message was spoken in Spanish and translated into English: “Unconditional amnesty for all now.”

After the rally the crowd marched behind an attractive Centro Azteca banner. Most chants were in Spanish, joined by marchers and many onlookers. No matter what the language, there was no mistaking the message: “Immediate legalization for all undocumented workers; Amnesty - No criminalizing people; Demilitarization of the borders and civil rights and liberties for all.”

The demonstrators marched all around the San Francisco Chronicle building, chanting, “Chronicle lies, people die”—taking issue with the newspaper’s biased coverage of the huge May Day march and rally here.

As the marchers returned to UN Plaza it was announced that there would be more such actions until the demands are met, regardless of where immigrants and their families come from or how they get here.

—Joan Marquardt