April 2006
Support the Student Walkouts
Protest Anti-Immigrant Legislation
Brave students from high schools and middle schools throughout Los Angeles have walked out to protest racist attacks against immigrants. They are exercising their First Amendment right to free speech in saying no to the Sensenbrenner bill, HR 4437. Gutsy students from Pacoima to Wilmington, from East L.A. to South Central, are defying school lock-downs, truancy citations, threats of suspensions and police beatings and pepper gas.
We support these young people who refuse Mayor Villaraigosa's plea to “play by the rules” and return to school. He's wrong when he says they've made their point—the point is to stop HR4437, yet the bill is still being debated in Congress!
In 1968, Chicano students staged “blow outs” from many of the same high schools walking out today—Belmont, Lincoln, Garfield, Roosevelt, and Wilson—to protest racial injustices in school. Just like in the 60's, now is the time for the entire community to come out to support the student protesters. Do not let LAUSD Superintendent Roy Romer and Mayor Villaraigosa pressure the parents with threats of $250 truancy fines.
History shows us that civil rights are won when activists of all colors, ages, and political persuasions hit the streets, walk the picket line, or chain themselves to the White House gates. It will take students, unionists, feminists, women and men, seniors, socialists, community folks and unionists. This is how we won public education, women's right to vote, abortion rights, and affirmative action.
It is not just about HR 4437. There is a growing rightwing movement of racists, including the Minutemen, who are attacking immigrants. It is reminiscent of the fascists in Nazi Germany that scapegoated Jews, socialists, gays, and gypsies. Everyone must join together to stop these kinds of attacks in order to prevent another systematic genocide against a whole group of people.
WE DEMAND:
Open the borders and tear down the wall along the border.
No school lock-downs, truancy tickets, suspensions, arrests, police abuse
or reprisals against student activists.
No to HR 4437, the racist Sensenbrenner legislation and criminalization of immigrants.
No to Kennedy-McCain immigration reform bill—it's just another bracero program (guest worker).
Grant the right to vote to all residents regardless of citizenship status;
citizenship for all those who desire it.
End the Iraq occupation to pay for needed services for immigrants and
to pay for a nationalized healthcare system.
For a united front of students, teachers, parents, community activists, radicals, unionists to oppose all racist attacks on immigrants
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Radical Women and Freedom Socialist Party
Solidarity Hall, 2170 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90018
323-732-6416 RadicalWomenLA@aol.com LAFSPRW6@aol.com
www.socialism.com www.RadicalWomen.org