The Voice of Justice Is Rising

by Donna Jablonski, Mar 28, 2006

As the U.S. Senate begins its immigration reform work, The Washington Post notes today in a piece subtitled “Bill Proposing Crackdown Spurs Grass-Roots Movement” that attempts on Capitol Hill to demonize undocumented immigrants and criminalize those who help them is building and strengthening the grassroots movement for justice.

After hundreds of thousands of people across the country marched and rallied over the weekend, demonstrations continued Monday. In California, it was César Chávez Day, and at least 8,500 students marched out of eight Los Angeles-area schools—including schools in wealthy districts, CNN reports.

Crooks and Liars has this e-mail from a teacher at Hollywood High:

We have been sitting in class for the last hour and a half in full lockdown. I was able to go to the restroom and heard the thousands of marching teens from LA High converging on Hollywood and Highland. The din was unbelievable! The walkouts are spreading throughout all of Los Angeles, including the valley. We are fine here, but this is expected to go on for several more days. It is all unorganized, impromptu and is getting a life of it’s own. Absolutely amazing!

It’s not just happening in California. Some 250 Northern Virginia high school students demonstrated yesterday and the movement is growing.

“[T]he turnout at rallies and demonstrations in recent weeks shows a deepening activism,” the Post says, quoting one of the immigrants who demonstrated Saturday in Los Angeles:

‘I have lived for 15 years in America,’ said the 34-year-old gardener. ‘All that time I have lived with my head down, you know. On Saturday, all these people were telling me to put my head up.’

We’ve reported on the battle for fair treatment for immigrants here, here and here.

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