PHOTO: Comité Latino
150 people from the community came together for a march in Indio, CA to demand an end to deportations in the Coachella Valley. Organized by the Comite Latino, the march included entire families with their children, students from local schools and colleges, members of local churches, farm workers, labor organizations and even two champion soccer teams! Local marchers were joined by representatives from the Justice For Immigrants Coalition of the Inland Empire who had marched in San Bernardino earlier in the day. There was a contingent from Occupy Coachella Valley, and other people who are not Latinos, but who understand how important stopping deportations and winning immigration reform is for the defense of democracy in America. Members of the Our Walmart organization, which is made up of workers at Walmart who are standing up for better working conditions and full time schedules, also joined the march.
The march came after a month-long campaign by the Comite Latino to gather signatures on a petition directed at Congressman Raul Ruiz which asked him to champion the rights of his constituents that have been suffering from increased raids and arrests by the Border Patrol, and also more deportations of people who do not have a criminal record. The petition asked Congressman Ruiz to ask President Obama to use his executive powers to put a stop to these deportations and repression. This strong showing of a unified community should put politicians of both the Democratic and Republican Parties on notice that the people are demanding justice from their representatives—justice which is long overdue!
