¡Alto Arizona!

UUA president convicted in civil disobedience case

The Rev. Peter Morales guilty of misdemeanor in Ariz. protest of SB 1070; calls for federal investigation of Phoenix sheriff.

By Michelle Bates Deakin  | 8.8.11 | Source: UUWorld.org

On the one-year anniversary of his civil disobedience action in Phoenix, Ariz., protesting Arizona’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, Unitarian Universalist Association President Peter Morales stood trial in the Maricopa County Justice Court. With him in the July 29 trial, which concluded August 1, were Salvador Reza, a lead organizer with the immigrant rights group Puente Arizona, and two others.

On Friday, August 5, all four defendants were found guilty on misdemeanor charges of failing to comply with a police officer.

One year earlier, 29 Unitarian Universalists, including eight ministers, were arrested in Phoenix along with other immigrant rights activists while protesting Arizona’s strict anti-illegal immigration law Senate Bill 1070. They were among 150 UUs, many from out of state, who came to Phoenix for actions in support of immigrant families on July 29, 2010, the day SB 1070 went into effect. Opponents of SB 1070 say it encourages racial profiling by police, although a federal judge issued an injunction that blocked several controversial provisions of the law.

Immigration in Arizona, One Year Later

Rev. Peter Morales | President, Unitarian Universalist Association | July, 28, 2011 | Source: HuffingtonPost.com

I am about to go on trial in Phoenix. One year ago, I was arrested during an act of nonviolent civil disobedience to speak out against anti-immigrant legislation in Arizona. Side by side with local activists and fellow Unitarian Universalists from across the nation, I was protesting Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's sweeps through Latino neighborhoods. It was July 29, 2010, the day Arizona's infamous SB 1070 went into effect.

Exactly one year later, on July 29, I return to stand trial. Let me be clear: the worst I will face pales in comparison to the hardships borne by so many others. Those who find themselves caught in the wrath of Sheriff Arpaio struggle as their families and their lives are torn apart.

As president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, I am a religious leader, not a political one. For me, joining the protest and being arrested along with fellow ministers, lay people, and local community activists was an act of religious witness. It was an affirmation of our common humanity and a spotlight on acts by law enforcement officials that marginalize and dehumanize our neighbors. These actions -- terrifying raids into private homes and racial profiling among them -- do not speak to humane immigration reform. They do nothing more than break our communities apart, person by person.

Hackers expose racism's underbelly: Driving while black, brown or red in Arizona

Driving, and living, while Black, Brown or Red in Arizona
Article and photo by Brenda Norrell | Copyright Censored News
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
Photos: Arizona border victims by Brenda Norrell

TUCSON -- When the ACLU released the report, "Driving while Black or Brown," exposing racial profiling by Arizona police, it came as no surprise to Native Americans who live in the state. When hackers exposed the racist e-mails of Arizona police officers last week, it came as no surprise to the Native Americans who are victims of excessive force by Arizona police in bordertowns.

When hackers exposed the fact that off-duty US Marine contract killers are patrolling the Arizona border with assault weapons, stalking migrants, it came as no surprise to human rights organizations in southern Arizona. When hackers exposed the fact that a school cop was reporting the diversity class at a Tucson high school to the Arizona Attorney General, that probably came as a surprise to many students and staff at Santa Rita High School. The district is engaged in an ongoing battle with the State of Arizona to save its ethnic studies programs.

What was a surprise when hackers spilled data from Arizona police files? The surprise was that they got caught. Arizona police, private security officers and white supremacists have carried out their abuse and crimes with impunity in the State of Arizona. The Governor, Arizona State Legislature and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio have fueled the xenophobic attitude towards migrants and all people of color. This trio has attempted to create rule by white supremacists in a state populated by 21 American Indian Nations and diverse peoples and cultures.

"The good old boy" system crashed with the servers of the Fraternal Order of Police websites last week.

While the mainstream media fuels the racism, aiding private prison profiteers to fill their prisons with people of color, the media also paints Sheriff Arpaio as a colorful character, rather than examining the poisonous climate of hate he has injected into the region.

Turning the Tide National Summit Video

Video highlights the wide-spread effort to target immigrants through SB1070 copy-cat bills, 287(g) & S-Comm programs. Video also highlights organizing efforts across the nation to push back against nativist movement and hateful legislation. Please share and/or embed in your social network channels.

 

VIDEO: Indigenous Border Solidarity to End Militarization

Censored News

Watch video of Indigenous protesting the militarization of Indigenous lands at the border. Begins with an interview with Klee Benally, Navajo, as Border Patrol lockdown protesters went to court in Tucson. Ofelia Rivas, O'odham, speaks on the abuses at the border on O'odham land.

Watch video:

 

(Source: http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com )

Protesters interrupt baseball game over #Arizona #immigration law #SB1070

By Rick Martin, CNN

August 16, 2010 10:47 a.m. EDT

(CNN) -- The fierce debate over a new Arizona immigration law spread to America's pastime Sunday as a group of protesters rushed on to the field during the 5th inning of the Washington Nationals-Arizona Diamondbacks game in Washington, D.C.

Community Members Arrested in Phoenix #SB1070 #altoarizona

By: Barni Qaasim

Today 7 people were arrested outside of the court house in an act of civil disobedience. his week in Phoenix a federal judge is hearing arguments from immigrant and civil rights groups, the Department of Justice and the State of Arizona over whether or not SB 1070 should be implemented on July 29.

While immigrant rights groups wait on a ruling from Judge Bolton about whether or not the law will go into effect, they are preparing locals, especially citizens, to not comply with SB 1070. The groups will ask people not to carry their ID's when they are out and about, and record their interactions with the police. The Alto!Arizona website urges people: "Don't work! Don't buy! Don't comply!"

14 arrested during Denver #immigration rally

By Ivan Moreno, AP Writer
DENVER (AP) ― Police arrested 14 immigration reform advocates blocking a downtown Denver street Tuesday as more than 100 protesters sang "We shall not be moved."

The eight women and six men were arrested when they refused to disperse after being ordered to do so three times by police. The advocates were kneeling on a street in front of a federal courthouse, holding a white banner that read "Immigration Reform Now" and then later a sign that said, "Stop Breaking Up Families."

A police officer with a video camera paced around the protesters on the street. After the third warning, officers went to each protester and gave them one last chance to move. All 14 were lead away with blue plastic handcuffs, one of them yelling "Yes we can!" in Spanish as an officer took her away.

Hunger Strikes Used by Immigration Reform Advocates - Hunger Striker Lost 20 Pounds in Protest #dreamact

By KIMBERLY BROWN, June 7, 2010

Just a few weeks after graduating from Columbia University, Yadira Alvarez, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, is in her seventh day of a hunger strike in front of Sen. Charles Schumer's Manhattan offices.

She is one of a small group of young immigrants who are putting their health on the line, and for some of them, risking the unwanted attention of immigration authorities, in an effort to persuade the lawmaker to push a bill that could finally give some of them -- and many thousands of other young undocumented immigrants -- a path to legal status in this country.

"We can't be spectators anymore," said Alvarez, 22, who came to the United States in 2000 under a tourist visa.

Her group, the New York State Youth Leadership Council, began its hunger strike after failing in a series of tamer tactics, including petitions, phone banking, rallies, vigils and a "die-in" involving lying down on the floor of Schumer's, D-N.Y., offices until they were granted a meeting.

Civil disobedience rises in New York City, across the nation over #Arizona immigration law #SB1070

By Juan Gonzales

A little after noon Tuesday, a red double-decker bus packed with tourists came to a stop in front of the Federal Building in Manhattan. Its astonished passengers rushed to take photos of the scene.

There, stretching across Broadway in three neat lines, was a crowd of protesters blocking traffic and singing, "We Shall Overcome."

"This is not Arizona," read one of the protest placards.

For the third straight Tuesday, cops arrested several dozen religious and community leaders who engaged in civil disobedience aimed at pressuring Congress to fix the nation's broken immigration laws.

Fifty-six were arrested this time, on top of the 53 in the previous two weeks.

Immigrant Students Detained for the DREAM Act

Immigrant Students Detained for the DREAM Act from Barni Qaasim on Vimeo.

On May 17, 2010 five immigrant students held a sit-in in Senator John McCain's office in Tucson, AZ. Four students, including three who were undocumented, were detained by the police. When they face the judge tomorrow morning they may face deportation.

Over three million students graduate from U.S. high schools every year. Most get the opportunity to test their dreams and live their American story. However, a group of approximately 65,000 youth do not get this opportunity; they are smeared with an inherited title, an illegal immigrant. These youth have lived in the United States for most of their lives and want nothing more than to be recognized for what they are, Americans.

The DREAM Act is a bipartisan legislation ‒ pioneered by Sen. Orin Hatch [R-UT] and Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL] ‒ that can solve this hemorrhaging injustice in our society. Under the rigorous provisions of the DREAM Act, qualifying undocumented youth would be eligible for a 6 year long conditional path to citizenship that requires completion of a college degree or two years of military service.

CHALLENGE IN ARIZONA: FOUR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT STUDENT LEADERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Media Contacts: Juan (407) 602-8675, Flavia de la Fuente (949) 910-6362, media@thedreamiscoming.com

CHALLENGE in Arizona: Four Undocumented Immigrant Student Leaders

Resist Current Immigration Law, Urge Passage of DREAM Act

Tucson, Arizona. May 17th, on the anniversary of landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education, four undocumented student leaders, as well as Arizona native Raul Alcaraz, will challenge immigration law and stage a sit-in at Senator John McCain’s Tucson Office. Lizbeth Mateo of Los Angeles, California; Tania Unzueta of Chicago, Illinois; Mohammad Abdollahi of Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Yahaira Carrillo of Kansas City, Missouri will challenge congressional leadership to choose the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) as the standard for immigration reform.

With this challenge to local and federal law, these youth hope to highlight the urgency of legislative action in Congress, and catalyze mass grassroots mobilization to pass the DREAM Act before June 15th.

See: http://www.thedreamiscoming.com/2010/05/17/challenge-in-arizona-four-undocumented-immigrant-student-leaders/

For more information, visit: http://www.thedreamiscoming.com/

All 14 Participants Freed From Jail After Non-Violent Civil Disobedience to Protest Arizona’s SB 1070All 14 Participants Freed From Jail After Non-Violent Civil Disobedience to Protest Arizona’s SB 1070

Protestors Hail Action As A Victory and Call For Ongoing Resistance To Unjust Laws and criminalization of immigrant communities

For Immediate Release:
May 10, 2010

Press Contacts:
Byron Jose, 323.371.2194, byron@mactivism.com
Irina Contreras, 619.307.2444, colaconcontra@gmail.com

LOS ANGELES – On Friday night, after more than 24 hours in jail, all 14 activists and community members who engaged in non-violent civil disobedience in protest of Arizona’s recently enacted SB1070 and other federal, state, and local immigration enforcement laws, were freed on their own recognizance. The activists face at least one misdemeanor charge of failing to disperse and possibly other misdemeanor charges including resisting arrest. Their court date is scheduled for June 4, 2010. After being taken into custody, the 14 protestors refused to provide identification documents or their names as an act of resistance to Arizona’s SB 1070’s requirement that the police verify immigration status of anyone they “reasonably suspect” to be undocumented.

Are you coming? Be here on May 29th!

See you there. 

Immigrant Rights Activists Shut Down Alameda St. and Los Angeles Federal Detention Center for Over Five Hours Through Non-Violent Civil Disobedience to Protest Arizona’s SB 1070

Protestors call for an end to immigration enforcement the Criminalization of Immigrant Communities

 
LOS ANGELES (Thursday, May 6, 2010) – Yesterday, 14 immigrant rights activists and community leaders engaged in non-violent civil disobedience in protest of Arizona’s recently enacted SB1070 and other federal, state, and local immigration enforcement laws.  Beginning at 10 AM yesterday, protesters blocked the entrance to the Federal Immigration Processing and Detention Center and three lanes of Alameda Street with their bodies. More than a dozen activists were chained to each other, encircling the entrance to the facility where immigrants are processed for detainment and deportation.  The immigrant rights activists and community leaders were joined by hundreds of activists who protested for over five hours on Alameda Street, shutting down the Federal Detention Center, which included blocking incoming Department of Homeland Security detention buses from entering the building.