In Arizona, Al Sharpton Urges Civil Disobedience
By Valeria Fernández
New America Media
May 06, 2010
PHOENIX, Ariz.—Black civil
rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton led a prayer vigil here on Wednesday at
which he called for mass civil disobedience against the state’s new
anti-immigration law.
Some 2,500 people in the
diverse gathering at the Phoenix Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church signed
pledges to join Sharpton, who vowed to commit civil disobedience if the
law were to take effect.
The law, SB 1070, would
make it a state crime for a person to be in Arizona without legal
documents. It goes into effect on July 29.
“They are trying to
legalize something that will only lead to racial profiling,” said
Sharpton.
“We will bring people into
Arizona in the spirit of the “freedom rides,” he said, referring to
protests of the 1960s civil rights movement against segregation in the
south.
Several politicians and
community activists spoke during the gathering, including City Council
Member Michael Nowakowski and Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose
Wilcox. Bishop Alexis Thomas and Rev. Eric Lee, of the California
Southern Christian Leadership Conference, also spoke.
“This is not about
immigrants taken out of the streets. This is about who is next,” said
Phoenix City Council Member Michael Johnson. The former police officer
recently alleged he was the victim of racial profiling.
The event ended with
Sharpton leading a nighttime march through the heart of downtown Phoenix
that stretched for blocks. The numbers seemed to grow as people joined
along. Some stepped out of restaurants to express support or waved from
balconies.
Others wore T-shirts that
read, “I’m an illegal.” Voices joined in the chant: “El pueblo unido
jamás sera vencido,” and “What do we want: justice.”
“I don’t want my parents
to have to go back to Mexico,” said Daisy Molina, 13, one of the many
young faces in the crowd. “I need them here to support me in my
education.”
Sean Artist, 43, held a
sign reading, “Stop the Hate.” “I don’t want to be pulled over and sent
to Africa,“ he said. Artist, who is African American, said he has many
Mexican friends.
“They allowed them to come
here and build the country and now they want them out,” he said. “That’s
not fair.”
Despite the increased fear
caused by the new law several undocumented immigrants decided to join
the march. Among them was Catalina Vargas, 67, a former farm worker.
“I’m going to fight as
much as I can for legalization,” said Vargas, who marched out front
holding an American flag.
Vargas was touched by the
words of Sharpton.
“Like what he said, we are
all one person," she said. "Regardless of our color or where we come
from.”
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