STOP THE RAIDS AND DEPORTATIONS! FULL LEGALIZATION FOR ALL IMMIGRANTS NOW! NO GUEST WORKERS PROGRAMS

May 2, 2007 -- Again we rallied and marched to demand from the system to stop the immigration raids and deportations and full legalization for all immigrants, now. At its peak there were about 750 people, of all nationalities showing their support for our repressed, victimized and exploited undocumented brothers and sisters. Again we clearly made the connection with International Workers Day and the need to reclaim this day for working people. At about 5:15pm we marched to Copley Square and the streets of Boston resounded to the chants of "Stop the raids, now!, What do we want? Legalization. When do we want it? Now!, and Si, se puede!".

We made it clear that this is not only a struggle of the undocumented immigrants, or even of recent immigrants only. Being the U.S. a country of immigrants, it is now the time for all people who have no documentation problems to step up and demand an end to the repressive and reactionary immigration policies of the U.S. In that context we have launched a campaign to demand that President Bush issue an executive order so that Homeland Security stop the raids and deportations. Our job now is to move this campaign forward. Equally important, we have launched another petition to demand that the U.S. sign and ratify the United Nations Convention on Migrant Workers Rights. At the same time, we introduced and continue to work in the development of a pilot Rapid Response Network to prevent and react against I.C.E. raids in our communities.

Thank you to all who attended this rally and contributed to making it, as the Boston Now newspaper titled it a "fiery rally".

Endorsers: Boston May Day Coalition, Mass. Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), Chelsea Uniendose en Contra de la Guerra, Circulo Bolivariano Martin Luther King, Jr., Centro Dominicano (NALAAC), National Lawyers Guild - Mass, Boston School Bus Drivers Union Local USW 8751, Hermanas Mirabal, July 2th Coalition,International Socialist Organization, Latinos/as por el Cambio Social, BAAM Boston, Socialist Alternative, Mass. Global Action, Industrial Workers of the World - Boston, International Action Center, Proyecto Voz - AFSC, Most Rev. Filipe C. Teixeira, OFSCJ NOrtheastern Diocese of St. Francis of Assisi, East Boston Ecumenical Community Council (EBECC), Women's Fightback Network, Great Boston Stop the Wars Coalition, Boston Cambridge Alliance for Democracy, MassCOSH, Accion Latina Springfield, Student Labor Action Movement (SLAM), Asociación Dominicana para el Arte y la Cultura (FUNDARCO), Boston Rosa Parks Human Rights Days Committee, Socialist Workers Party, New England Human Rights Organization for Haiti, Teens Acting for Social Change (TASC), Students at Tufts Acting for Immigrant Rights (STAIR) Coalition, Spontaneous Celebrations, Jobs With Justice, Brazilian Immigrant Center, Immigrant Service Providers Group/Health Somerville, Nobel Bookstore Lawrence, Chelsea Collaborative, Comite de Inmigrantes de Chelsea, City Life/Vida Urbana, Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia, ANSWER Boston, Socialist Party of Boston

[In the picture: Carlos Arredondo of Boston at May Day Rally -Boston Now Newspaper p3. - 5/2/07]