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Towards a united demonstration for migrant workers rights on May 1st in Everett

The Boston May Day Committee decided to forego its traditional May Day demonstration and march in the Boston Common this year. For the last three years at least two such demonstrations took place in the area, one in the Chelsea-East Boston-Everett area and one in the Boston Common. While we are certain that presence in the Boston area for migrant workers rights is important, we hope that by not holding it here this year we will achieve higher attendance in a combined rally.

We are calling upon all who supported previous rallies in the Common to support the rally and march in the Everett area. We hope to have a presence there with a strong contingent and hopefully with a speaker to demand that the detentions and raids against immigrants come to an end immediately. Even though the administration changed and there is both a new President and a new Secretary of Homeland Security, Ms. Janet Napolitano, the raids and the abuses by ICE continue just like under the Bush administration. We say this has to stop. Just like we demanded that Bush sign an executive order to stop the raids -- which he never did -- we demand that President Obama stop the terrorizing of immigrants in the United States.

Furthermore, we believe it is necessary to demand an immediate solution to the problems of millions of undocumented immigrants workers by passing an amnesty law even before the legal system that rules over immigration is reformed.

In terms of strategy in the struggle for migrant workers rights, we propose that the participation of all U.S. workers through their labor unions is central to achieving justice for migrant workers. Likewise, we understand that this is not just a U.S. phenomenon and contend that an international movement should demand justice for the millions of workers who are abused for this reason worlwide.

Finally, we never loose sight that May Day is International Workers Day and that it is a day to remember past working class struggles and to assume the challenges that workers now confront.

NO MORE RAIDS AND DEPORTATIONS!
AMNESTY FOR UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS NOW!
NO WORKER IS ILLEGAL!
TRANSNATIONAL UNITY IN THE STRUGGLE FOR MIGRANT WORKERS RIGHTS!

BMDC

March 8, 2009