May 29th marked one moment in the ongoing fight to stop SB1070. Over 100,000 merged to Phoenix to denounce legalizing racial profiling, demand that President Obama intervene, and call on people of conscious everywhere to join the fight to address the human rights crisis in Arizona as the implementation date of July 29th approaches.
From a candlelight vigil organized by JwJ of East Tennessee and others, to Diamondbacks Boycott held in San Francisco, over 70 other solidarity actions occurred leading up to and on the day. And more followed. Organizers, activist, people of faith, teachers, students, and community members took the call for solidarity back into their communities, cities and states.
- Following a visit to Arizona on Mother’s Day, A group of women from a broad array of social justice movements, organized an ad-hoc hearing in Congress where women and children from Phoenix shared their stories. Catherine Figueroa, Silvia Rodriguez, Sylvia Herrera
- Communities and organizations are unveiling the truth about Police/ICE collaboration and the direct link it has for creating a pathway for SB1070 type legislation and moving campaigns to break these agreements or stop them from every being made.
- On-going Arizona Diamondbacks boycott across the nations at MLB stadiums where they are scheduled to play.
- A National Student call has been organized with US Student Association, the nation oldest and largest student run, student led association to learn and share strategies and to bring student power into the fight.
These are some examples of the growing response for the call for resistance, solidarity, and action across the nation.
Today marks another moment as leaders, activist, organizers from Arizona make their way to the US Social Forum where over 15,000 movement builders from across the US are gathering in Detroit this week under the banner of Another World is Possible Another US is Necessary.
Along with workshops, open spaces, and plenaries, participants will get to meet and share each others work, passions, struggles, campaigns and vision of another world. Among the hundreds of workshops, “Uncovering the Truth on Police and ICE Collaboration” held on Wednesday June 23 at 10:00am will be among one of the highlights. So will the Inter-Alliance Dialogue Convention on Friday June 25th from 1-5pm.
IAD is an alliance of 6 national grassroots organizing networks, Jobs with Justice, National Day Laborers Organizing Network, National Domestic Workers Alliance, Pushback Network, Right to the City Alliance, and Grassroots Global Justice who provide resources and organizers to support the local resistance and fight back in Arizona.
More moments will follow after the USSF as a call for organziers and activist to participate in the Arizona Summer of Human Rights has already gone out. Participants will come to Arizona to share, learn, plan, organize, and prepare for the activities and actions to STOP SB1070. A National Day of Non-Compliance is also on the calendar for July 29th. This summer is heating up and for Another World to be Possible, a victory in Arizona is necessary.
