NYC March
in Solidarity of
Immigration
Rights

April 1, 2006

written by La Diva Latina
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Largest Protests Since the Civil Rights Era

"The sleeping Latino giant has finally awakened," said Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn).  "Immigrant America is rising"  says Jose
Quiñones of BlueLatinos.org.  The protests are against a proposed bill that would- get this- criminalize illegal immigrants.  To be an illegal immigrant
would be a felony AND assisting an illegal immigrant would be assisting a crime.  For example the priest or minister of a church who is having a
soup kitchen who just so happens to be serving soup to illegal immigrants can be imposed criminal penalities.  Anyone knowingly helping illegal
immigrants could be criminalized for their aid.   The bill also proposes a wall along the Mexico - US border.
Saturday morning 9:30 am. NYC
subway.  One stranger can’t help tell
another stranger, “This train is packed!  
What’s going on today?”  The other
stranger shrugged his shoulders.  
Another passenger chimed in,
“Everyone’s going to Brooklyn.  For the
march.”  “What march?”  “The
immigration march from the Brooklyn
Bridge to Federal Plaza.”

I follow the crowd towards the Brooklyn
Bridge.  Going up the stairs to the street
above, the crowd begins chanting, “¡Sí
se puede!  ¡Sí se puede!”  A marcher
with a Trinidadian flag waving, chants
right along, “¡Sí se puede!”  
I walk to where the crowd was gathering.  This enormous
crowd had to squeeze into a small walkway in order to
get on the Brooklyn Bridge.  I heard drums and a crowd
was gathered around them.  They were Azteca from
Mexico or as one banner read:  You call us immigrants
but I’m Mexican.  This is our land!

Another banner read: I cleaned up Ground Zero.  
Another:  I am Colombia.  I love the USA.  It looked like
every nationality was represented.   A crowd of people
had t-shirts saying:  Legalize the Irish .org.  You name it
they were there.  Jamaican, Honduran, Chinese,
Dominican, Mexican.  You name it!  People of all ages
too - even children and babies.  All were gathered to walk
the Brooklyn Bridge with the message:  We’re not
criminals!  HR 4437- now that’s a crime!
What was amazing to me was how many American
flags there were.  How people were showing love for a
country that is threatening to criminalize them.  Their
signs read:  “We want to send our kids to good schools
too.”  “We’re here to work.”  “No somos terroristas.  
Somos trabajadores.”  And signs I couldn’t read
because they were in Chinese.