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International Trade Union Confederation of the African Region (ITUC-Africa)Supports the Global Day of Action for Migrants, Refugees and Displace People for 2012

01/08/2012 - "I on behalf of the International Trade Union Confederation of the African Region (ITUC-Africa) with 87 affiliate’s national trade union centres of combined 17.5 million memberships in 51 African countries convey our warm appreciations for the laudable efforts and contributions toward the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers and their families. ITUC-Africa is a pan-African trade union organisation with international affinity and solidarity with global working class community. We are based in Lome, Togo. Please see www.ituc-africa.org"

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Cambridge City Council Passes Resolution Urging U.S. Government Sign U.N. Convention on Migrant Rights



The Cambridge City Council passed a resolution, presented by Councilor Marjorie Decker, on its session of December 5, declaring December 18, 2011 and annually thereafter, as International Migrants Day in Cambridge. It also urges the U.S. Government to sign and ratify the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families and to similarly recognize December 18, 2011, as International Migrants Day. The Resolution also resolved to recognize the many contributions of immigrants and refugees to society as a whole.

Pictured from bottom l-r, Councilors Decker, Vice-Mayor Davis, Simmons, Toomey, Kelley, Cheung, Seidel, Reeves, Mayor Maher
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Public Letter to Governor Patrick in response to his administration's intent to sign onto the Secure Communities Program of ICE

On behalf of the immigrant communities with which we work and the allied churches and organizations that stand in solidarity with them, we respectfully demand that you publicly rescind your administration's stated intention to sign on to the Department of Homeland Security's poorly named "Secure Communities" program. As we do not believe that the many documented flaws in the program are "wrinkles to be ironed out," we strongly insist that you should not only NOT sign into the program but should be placing Massachusetts at the forefront of those States that are questioning this program for its destructive effect on community policing efforts, for its fundamental violation of the idea of due process for all under the law, for its dangerous implications for personal privacy of all U.S. citizens and residents and the documented increase of racial profiling and pretextual arrests that occurs whenever programs of this like are implemented.
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Governor Fails Immigrants, Civil Liberties and Working People with "Secure Communities" Plan

22/12/2010 - Statement of the Boston May Day Committee

The Boston May Day Committee records its complete outrage at Governor Patrick's intention to join the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Secure Communities program. The program claims to target serious offenders and violent criminals. Under that cover, it connects Federal, State and local databases and threatens anyone caught up in those vast systems of imperfect record keeping with detention and deportation. The program offers few meaningful avenues of appeal and judicial redress. It also comes in the context of increased Federal repression of antiwar and pro-immigrant activism.
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Democrats in the Massachusetts Senate who voted racist and anti-immigrant

29/05/2010 - The great majority of Senators who are members of the Democratic Party voted in favor of anti-immigrant amendments that would deprive undocumented immigrant of medical and social services. The amendement also would allow for the creation of a free 800 number to report on suspected undocumented immigrants. The Massachusetts Senate is composed of 35 Democrats and 5 Republicans. Only five decent democrats had the guts to vote against the anti-immigrant amendment. To see the roll call check on the link below.
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A special section for May Day 2010 at noon on the Common

This year, 2010, the Boston May Day Committee decided to dedicate an entire section of its webpage to news about the organizing process leading to May Day on the Boston Common. Please check this section to be up to date on the work being done to organize a strong showing of workers for May Day, native and immigrant alike.

To download current flyer/stickers click here.

For more information click here.




May Day 2010 at the Boston Common: broad unity around radical demands

06/05/2010 - For more pictures of the event click here.

Boston activists enjoyed summer-like weather last Saturday on the Boston Common for a protest that looked like a response to the Tea Party of just a few weeks ago. But this demonstration wasn't merely inspired by the urge to counter Sarah Palin. May first is International Workers' Day, traditionally referred to simply as May Day. The holiday is celebrated globally with parades in Venezuela and Cuba, while Greece and Nepal face general strikes and civil unrest. May Day was originally founded in Chicago in 1886 when immigrant workers organized by anarchists struck for an eight hour day.

This year's rally began with a spirited "feeder" march from Boston's North End organized by anarchists, complete with giant puppets of the Haymarket martyrs of Chicago, as well as Sacco and Vanzetti, local Italian anarchists executed in 1926 by the state of Massachusetts in a climate of anti-radicalism and xenophobia. As Dorothea Manuela and Bryan Koulouris began introducing speakers, the crowd began to swell with one contingent after another arriving. There was the Student Labor Action Movement and the Harvard No-Layoffs Campaign arriving from Cambridge. Next came the Student Immigrant Movement marching in graduation gowns. The rally also welcomed buses arriving from Worcester and Fitchburg. In total there were about twenty endorsing organizations.

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Open Letter of Protest to the Presidents of Target Corp., Gregg Steinhafel and of Amazon.com, Jeffrey P. Bezos

16/10/2009 - Dear Messieurs Bezos and Steinhafel:

We have seen with disgust the promotion in your respective websites of an "Adult Illegal Alien Costume One Size". We are attaching pdf files of your advertisement, in case you are not familiar with the items. The links are:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EIY1G0
http://www.target.com/Illegal-Alien-Adult-Costume-Size/dp/B002EIY1G0/ref=sr_1_1?ie

As you can see the costume is a prison-like suit in bright orange, including an alien face costume and a large "green card" card. This is obviously making reference to the widespread criminalization by the media and the government of undocumented workers. You are contributing by trivializing a serious, delicate and sensitive matter to bigotry and anti-immigrant sentiments in the United States.

As of Sun. Oct.18, 2009, it seems that Amazon & Target withdrew this offensive item from their virtual shelves. We should follow up Monday with calls to their headquarters, however, the links indicated here pointing to this attrocious costume are no longer active.

Thanks to all who took time to protest this insulting merchandising.

If other companies continue to carry it (somebody mentioned that others might) please let us know and we should also target them (no pun intended) for complains.



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Por el “Día de las Madres” manifestantes protestan en frente de la Cárcel del Condado de Suffolk de la Sheriff Andrea Cabral y reclaman poner fin a las redadas, detenciones y deportaciones de inmigrantes indocumentados

En lugar de estar celebrando con sus seres queridos el día más sagrado del año como lo es el “Día de las Madres”, un considerable grupo de manifestantes, decidieron juntarse ese mismo día en los alrededores de la Cárcel del Condado de Suffolk que dirige la Sheriff Andrea Cabral (South Bay Corrections and De- tentions Center) para protestar por la detención de inmigrantes en esta institución y exigir el fin a las redadas, detenciones y deportaciones que hasta la fecha siguen ocurriendo en todos los Estados Unidos.

Con carteles y banderolas que decían: “Alto a las Redadas y Deportaciones”, “Justicia para las Familias Inmigrantes”, “Provean un Camino para la Ciudadanía”, “No nos Moverán, Alto a las Redadas”, etc. y con cánticos como “ICE, ICE Get out of the Way. Happy Mothers Day!” (“ICE, ICE Fuera del Camino. ¡Feliz Día de las Madres!”), los manifestantes dejaron bien claro su mensaje a las autoridades de inmigración: un final a la represion de los trabajadores inmigrantes y de sus familias, legalización para todos los que ya se encuentran aquí en los Estados Unidos y reunificación familiar para los que han sido separados por las redadas y deportaciones.
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"ICE, ICE, Get out of the way, Happy Mothers Day!" -- Protesters Demanded an End to the Raids, Detentions & Deportations

Boston, May 10, 2009.- Nearly 60 people demonstrated around the Suffolk County Jail in Boston (known as South Bay House of Corrections) in protest for the detention of immigrants in that facility. The signs and the chants indicated what the protesters wanted: an end to the represion of immigrant workers and their families, legalization, family reunification. All this in the context of the commercial celebration of Mother's Day. The prisoners were fully aware of the presence of the demonstrators and banged their cell windows furiously.
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May Day 2009 Commemorated in the Boston Area with March and Rally

02/05/2009 -

Video by Michael Borkson

Hundreds of immigrant workers and supporters of migrant workers rights marched from East Boston to Everett demanding an end to the raids and deportations, amnesty now and immigration reform. The marchers also remembered the executed Anarchist martyrs of Chicago of 1886. This historic event commemorated by unions the world over by workers of all countries except the U.S. refer to what is known as the Haymarket Affair where 4 anarchist union leaders were sentenced to death by hanging and one more allegedly committed suicide in his cell. All but one of these leaders were recent immigrants from Europe.
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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.
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Migrant Groups and Supporters Celebrate International Migrants' Day, 18 December 2008

Over 150 events in 57 countries planned

Hundreds of migrants' groups and supporters around the world are organizing events to promote respect for the dignity and human rights of all migrants on 18 December 2008, International Migrants' Day.

Over 150 events will take place on Thursday, 18 December and surrounding dates, in 57 countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, France, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Mali, Morocco, Philippines, Romania, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, UK, and USA.

The 18th of December is the date that the UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (MWC), in 1990. The MWC is the principle UN treaty providing protections for the rights of migrant workers (both documented and undocumented) and their families, with regard to civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.

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PRELIMINARY REPORT OF GLOBAL FORUM ON MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT (GFMD) MANILA AND PEOPLES GLOBAL ACTION (PGA) 2008

Approximately 240 participants from civil society organizations, academia and business participated in the official "Civil Society Days" of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, which were held Monday, October 27 and Tuesday, October 28. The full day of October 27 and most of October 28 were workshops, which were structured on the roundtable topics to be discussed in the Global Forum on Migration and Development. On October 28, from 3 – 5:30 pm was "interface" between civil society and governments.

According to comments communicated to MRI, many civil society representatives felt that the Civil Society Days were not structured to allow for very in-depth discussion that could produce very good recommendations to governments.

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Last Day of Work at the Social Forum of the Americas



Guatemala, October 11.- The Social Forum of the Americas is coming to an end. Today was the last day of workshops and events at the Universidad de San Carlos. The event will conclude on Sunday with a march and rally at the Plaza Central in the historical downtown area at noon.
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Foro Social Americas: Evo doesn't show up and our work continues



Guatemala, Oct. 10, 2008.- Evo Morales was "confirmed" up to two days ago to make an appearence on the third day of Forum. However, as some of us walked to the Plaza de los Martires to hear his speach, a friend of one person in the group told us that "Evo didn't make it. The event is cancelled." Before that, the workshop of the Boston May Day Coalition had taken place from 11am to 1pm. For two-and-a-half hour -- because it is customary to wait for a session to begin at least 30 minutes -- we tackled the issue of designing "Strategies to Stop the Repression of Migrant Workers and Obtain Their Rights." Nearly fifty people, mostly young, attended the workshop.
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Social Forum of the Americas: The work for the delegates has begun

09/10/2008 -

Guatemala, October 8.- The day of work at the Forum begun and activists started the process of finding the location for the workshops, presentations and activities of interest. I attended the presentation entitled, "No wall in the U.S./Mexico border" offered by the Southwest Worker Union and the Indigenous Environmental Network from the U.S. The audience built up to a succesful size and lasted -- like all presentations here -- 2 hours. The dissertation part of the presentation took about 1 hour and 45 minutes, leaving little time for opiniones, comments, or questions. A good lesson to learn. I was lucky to be able to announce our "strategies" workshop for tomorrow morning and many people, including the ones at the podium, agreed with the concept that we already know the situation, and now need to concentrate in finding solutions.
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The Third Social Forum of the Americas Has Begun in Guatemala

Guatemala City -- October 7, 2008.- The Social Forum of the Americas has begun, with most of the nearly 2000 participants arriving today. The registration process begun normally while switching from an automated system to a manual one. All the packets and a beautiful bag where distributed to each registered delegate. There was not doubt here that Spanish is the official language of the forum. The other undisputed presence is that of the Mayan people. In fact, their presence has been felt not only in numbers, but also in spiritual influence. Mayan religious ceremonies have gone on at dawn and sundown.

The first part of the inaugural event was a full hour-and-a-half of new and old music of struggle from Latin America. Many ofthe participants were able to follow dear songs of struggle like those dedicated to Che Guevara, Solo le pido a Dios (All I ask from God), No basta con rezar (Not enough to pray), and the People united will never be defeated.
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Taller de la Coalición Primero de Mayo en el Foro Social de las Américas en Guatemala

ESTRATEGIAS PARA FRENAR LA REPRESION DE LOS TRABAJADORES MIGRANTES Y LOGRAR SUS DERECHOS

Universidad de San Carlos, Zona 12
Jueves, 9 de Octubre 2008 -- 11:00 am a 1:00 pm
Edificio: S12 - Salón 205

Participan también: COHRE, HpH-LOC, FNRU, ALH, Fedevivienda ODESC

Para leer o bajar el documento central para el taller pinche aquí.

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Boston May Day Coalition delegate will participate in the Social Forum of the Americas in Guatemala

Sergio Reyes will participate in the Social Forum of the Americas (October 7-12) on behalf of the Boston May Day Coalition. The expected attendance in this forum is of about 2000 delegates from South, Central, North America and the Caribbean.

The main themes of the Forum are:

1. Scope and Challenges of the Changes in the Hemisphere: Post-Neoliberalism, Socialism(s), Civilizational Changes
2. Peoples in Resistance to Neoliberalism and Imperial Domination.
3. Defending quality of life in the face of predatory capitalism
4. Diversities and Equality: challenges for achieving them
5. The ideological dispute: communication, culture, knowledge and education.
6. Original, Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples and Nationalities: “Good living” and its keys for the future

The struggle for migrant workers rights, for an end to their exploitation, victimization and abuse falls under theme 3 and the Boston May Day Coalition will be presenting a workshop entitled "Strategies to Stop the Repression of Migrant Workers and Achieve Their Rights". This presentation will take place on Wednesday, from 11am to 1pm, at the University of San Carlos. The University of San Carlos campus will be the site for all presentations.

It is also expected that on Thursday there will be an event in solidarity with the struggle of the Bolivian people. The President of Bolivia, Evo Morales will address the participants.

If you are interested in reading the central document to be presented at the BMDC workshop in Spanish click here. We expect to have it translated shortly.

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Second Declaration of Rivas Assembly of Social Movements Held during the III World Social Forum of Migrations

Madrid, Sept. 13, 2008.- Today as we commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, the twenty years since the deaths along the Gilbralter began, 35 years of the military strike against the democratic president, Salvador Allende, while this same legitimacy is gravely threatened in Bolivia and requests our consciousness and solidarity, and as we celebrate the 60th year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we, men and women, who form a part of more than two thousand social movements and organizations from 90 countries around the planet, united in Rivas Vaciamadrid (Spain), from September 11th to the 14th, are joined by the slogan

OUR VOICES, OUR RIGHTS, FOR A WORLD WITHOUT WALLS
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[PAST] "Stop the Raids and Deportations!" Booming Demand at May Day Rally 2008 on the Common


While the official evaluation of the May Day Rally and March on the Boston Common is still pending, those who attended indicate that at least 300 people rose their voices to demand an immediate stop of raids and deportations of undocumented migrant workers. The event was marked by speakers that clearly made the connections between the struggles of 1886 and today, and made it clear that we will continue to work until May 1 is declared, like the rest of the world does, as International Workers Day.

A special note must be dedicated gratefully to all the speakers and musicians that contributed their thoughts and talent to the event. For the first time we had the presence of a wonderful marching band, the "Second Line and Social Aid Pleasure Society Brass Band" that with their music lifted the spirit of all who attended. Likewise we give thanks to Brendan Curran, Bojah and the Insurrection, los Sin Frontera, and Manuel "Papirri" Monroy.

Also special thanks to all the volunteers who covered important areas for a peaceful event from security to the stage. And also thanks to our sound techs who both at the bandstand and during the march and in Copley Square amplified the voices that claim justice for undocumented workers and who do not forget the sacrifices of those who in the past gained for us the 8-hour workday.

Here is a link to a 30 minutes radio report by our friend Chuck U. Rosina. Please note that the file is in mp3 format and you might need a free player, Winamp, to play it. The link is: www.radio4all.net

Links to videos on YouTube:

YouTube May Day Boston Common Part 1.
YouTube May Day Boston Common Part 2.
Another take for May Day on the Common at YouTube


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March 6: Boston in Solidarity with the Victims of State Repression in Colombia

Boston, March 10, 2008.- Last Thursday, on March 6, the Boston May Day Coalition, MLK Bolivarian Circle, Permanent Committee for Peace in Colombia, and Chelsea United Against the War, joined in location at Park Street a vigil called by Colombia Vive. With respect for the activity called by Colombia Vive, these groups expressed their own position about the tragic and dramatic situation in Colombia. This coalition, however, demonstrated in solidarity with the initial call made in Colombia to denounce the crimes of the State and the paramilitary and demand that repression be stopped now.

The coalition furthermore denounced the responsibility of the United States for their support to a series of succesive governments in Colombia. As we know, the U.S. Congress has approved support with code names like Plan Colombia, the Patriot Plan or lately the Consolidation Plan. All these plans provide funds and weapons used in the elimination of progressive forces in Colombia. It is clear that supporting the Colombian government and its armed forces it is also providing support for narco-paramilitary forces.
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Local coalition succesfully protests Felipe Calderon at Harvard University

A coalition of local progressive organizations and individuals protested the policies of the Mexican government represented by its President, Felipe Calderón as he addresses Harvard's JFK Forum on February 11, 2008. The chants of the demostrators filled the air as they remembered the struggle of the mexican people with "Zapata vive, Chiapas vive, Oaxaca vive! ... la lucha sigue y sigue!" (Zapata, Chiapas, Oaxaca are alive! ... and the struggle moves forward!). The coalition included the Boston Anti-Authoritarian Movement, Mass. Global Action, Boston May Day Coalition, Sacco and Vanzetti Commemoration Society, Socialist Party U.S.A., IWW, Socialist Alternative, Anti-fascist/Anti-capitalist Network, Northeast Anti-Authoritarian Network, Students for a Democratic Society and others.

Calderon came to power after another undemocratic “election” in Mexico. His government continues to repress indigenous people, the labor movement, in particular in Oaxaca, and is responsible, together with government of the United States for the situation of millions of undocumented Mexican workers in the U.S. At the same time, Calderon is now advocating for the Security and Prosperity Partnership, which strengthens the NAFTA agreement that is detrimental to workers in
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Protest Against ICE Raids, An Act of Love in the Freezing Cold of Boston


Boston, January 28, 2008. The Boston May Day Coalition called for a "speak-out against ICE raids on undocumented migrant workers", in the context of a week of transnational action ending January 26. The International Council of the World Social Forum decided that instead of convening its eighth World Forum this year (2008), it would conduct a global week of action.

Considering the USA’s war against immigrant workers and particularly “undocumented” workers, The Boston May Day Coalition chose to respond to the vicious character of recent raids in the state of Massachusetts. The first massive raid was conducted almost a year ago (in March 2007) by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New Bedford. More desolation and raids in the cities of Nantucket, Chelsea, East Boston, Revere, Somerville and most recently Milford followed this initial raid. The Boston May Day Coalition denounces what appears to be a media strategy to justify ICE raids as a search for “criminals”. The Boston May Day Coalition denounces and condemns all ICE raids against immigrants and calls upon people not to be deceived by this strategy.

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El problema migratorio es un asunto internacional - Boston conmemora el Día Internacional de los Emigrantes

19/12/2007 - Boston, 18 de diciembre de 2007. Por primera vez se conmemoró en Boston el Día Internacional de los Emigrantes. Este año marca el octavo año desde que las Naciones Unidas establecieran dicha efeméride. El evento organizado por la Coalición Primero de Mayo de Boston (CPMB) se realizó en Encuentro5, un centro comunitario ubicado en Chinatown. Una diversa audiencia escucho presentaciones hechas por Roy Wagner de CPMB, Gabriel Camacho, Proyecto Voz de American Friends Service Committee, Nelson Brill, National Lawyers Guild, Lisa Fuller, Comité en Solidaridad con el Pueblo del Salvador, Lucy Pineda, Latinos Unidos de Massachussets, Patricia Montes, Centro Presente, y Dorotea Manuela, CPMB.

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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, "migrants are assets to society".

18/12/2007 - December 18, 2007.- Today marks the eighth International Migrants Day, an occasion that grows more meaningful with each passing year.

Globalization and the growing disparities in living conditions within and among States are combining to increase the scale of cross-border migration worldwide.

Currently, there are more people living outside their countries of birth than ever before, an estimated 200 million in 2007.

Behind this vast figure are individual stories -- of the skilled computer engineer, the farmer working illegally, the woman trafficked against her will, the refugee forced to flee home, and countless others.

Although their stories are diverse, when we consider migrants as a group it becomes clear that they should not and must not be seen as a burden.
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2008 U.N. Migration Forum to Focus on Rights Protection

27/11/2007 - U.N. News Service- 11/27/07 -- Protecting the rights of the world’s 200 million migrants – a vital issue for countries of origin, transit and destination – will take centre stage at a United Nations-backed meeting to be held next year in the Philippines, officials associated with the event said today.

Briefing reporters at UN Headquarters in New York on the preparations for the second meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, the Under-Secretary for Migrant Worker Affairs of the Philippines said that discussions would focus on “migrant protection and empowerment for development,” issues that are particularly important for countries of origin such as his.

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38th National Day of Mourning in Plymouth, Massachusetts. No Thanksgiving. Migrant Repression Acknowledged.

Again this year like 37 times before a group of hundreds of native people and supporters gathered in Plymouth to hear truths most people ignore or don't want to hear. This is not the history of fake harmony commemorating the so-called first thanksgiving, but a history of destruction, appropriation and genocide by European invaders in the Americas.

This year the messages were powerful as usual. They were messages of denunciation of injustices and of remembrance of those who are no longer with us in this struggle, in particular our companion Sam Sapiel who passed away last May 2007. For those of us who have attended this ceremony year after year it was customary and comforting to hear the gentle words of this proud Indian activist and spiritual leader.

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New York Governor Eliot Spitzer Drops Effort to Grant Driver's Licenses to Undocumented Immigrants

November 15, 2007 -- New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer announced Wednesday that he is dropping his plan to grant driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. The plan had drawn praise from immigrant rights activists, but fierce opposition from Republicans and many Democrats. Spitzer spoke to the press on Wednesday.

The Governor added that he still believed the proposal would have benefited New Yorkers. He had previously defended the plan as a "commonsense" public safety measure that makes licenses and insurance available regardless of immigration status. But Spitzer faced a growing storm of criticism from politicians and the mainstream media ever since he first announced the plan in late September. CNN anchor Lou Dobbs was particularly harsh in his almost daily condemnation of Governor Spitzer and the driver's license plan.

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PROTEST ICE RAIDS IN CHELSEA, A SANCTUARY CITY

Twice in one month ICE police and other forces have raided immigrants in the City of Chelsea, Massachusetts after its city council proclaimed it sanctuary city on June 4. The first raid took place on August 8 at the parking lot of the Market Basket. Then ICE explained they were going after criminal elements trafficking in falsified documents. They detained about 30 brazilian people, and released seven names to the press.

The second raid was larger and included Chelsea, but also extended to East Boston, Everett, Lynn, Revere and Somerville. This time they justified their operation as going after members of the infamous Mara Salvatrucha gang, composed mostly of Salvadoran nationals. ICE however has declared to The Globe on 9/1 that the nationality of the 36 people in detention can be traced to El Salvador, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They also say that they cannot release their names because they were all detained not for criminal charges but for immigration reasons.

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STOP THE WAR ON IMMIGRANTS!
STOP THE RAIDS!

Statement by the Boston May Day Coalition about the ICE raid at the Market Basket in Chelsea, Massachusetts

Boston, August 13, 2007.- Another immigration raid has taken place in the usual military style, this time in Chelsea, Massachusetts (August 8, 2007). Proclaiming that they were going after “criminals”, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents rounded up 27 “Brazilians” in yet another effort to terrorize our immigrant community. According to ICE, the 27 arrested were part of “identity-fraud rings” that sold workers' permits and green cards to undocumented migrants. According to affidavits, an ICE agent over an extended period sold false documents to a group of undocumented migrants for thousands of dollars. ICE then made the arrests. This operation reflects the business as usual atmosphere in this country where the government fleeces undocumented workers of their money and then they are hauled off to jail.


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USSF SECOND DAY OF WORK ON MIGRANT WORKERS RIGHTS

Atlanta, GA - 6/30/07. Everywhere you turn you will see familiar signs and symbols. As a great contradiction of the work progressives do in the U.S., places like the largest phalic-like tower of the Westin Hotel in downtown Atlanta, are full of radical and progressive activity. Other transnational corporations like the Marriott also enjoy the business of U.S. Social Forum visitors. In other less bourgeois hotels like the Super 8 Motel downtown where we are staying, we know that we are sharing the place with another large gathering, the Full Gospel Convention. Meanwhile, the taxi driver asked us what was going on at the Civic Center, because he saw people dressed in the most strange attires and didn't know what kind of religion they were representing.
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IMMIGRANT RIGHTS AT THE U.S. SOCIAL FORUM

Atlanta, GA - Friday, 6/29/97.- The U.S. Social Forum is in progress with workshops, presentations and plennaries that cover almost all areas of struggle in this attempt to build "another world." The small Boston May Day Coalition has been present in as many migrant workers workshops as humanly possible. The concept of "migrant worker" is not popular in the forum. Most of the events are labeled "immigrant rights".
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TWO PETITIONS TO PRESIDENT BUSH AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WERE LAUNCHED ON MAY 1, 2007

The Boston May Day Coalition has launched a national campaign demanding that the U.S. government sign the United Nations Convention on Rights for Migrant Workers and Their Families, and that President Bush issue a moratorium on immigration raids and deportations. What it is needed now is to stop repression of migrant workers and pass a fair, just and humane legislation to find a solution to the exploitation and victimization of nearly 12 million undocumented migrant workers and their families. President Bush can issue a simple executive order on humanitarian terms over Homeland Security to halt the raids carried out by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

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Boston Delegation to the World Social Forum 2007 in Nairobi Kenya Proposed Transnational Unity in the Struggle for Migrant Workers Rights in the World

An important number of different organizations from around the world working for migrant workers rights converged in Nairobi, Kenya during the World Social Forum, from January 20 to the 25. The Boston Delegation introduced a proposal that stressed the need to join forces in the world to confront the injustices of a condition created by contemporary capitalism: large masses of migrant workers desperately seeking work to survive. In that process workers and their families are abused, victimized, exploited and discriminated.

The U.S. has large masses of exploited undocumented workers, nearly 12 millions in all. Yet, the "immigrant rights" movement in the U.S. has not joined in with the rest of the world but it must. We propose that May Day 2007 be a point of departure from that erroneous tactic and ask people of the world to join in a campaign where International Workers Day is dedicated to the rights of migrant workers of the world. Meanwhile, in the US a strike and boycott as the one implemented in 2006 should also be attempted.

The first report-back will take place Friday, March 30, 7pm, at Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Avenue, Chinatown, Boston.

Additional funds to support delegation expenses are still needed. Please consider a donation. Checks should be made payable to: CAEF/WSF07, PO BOX 381279, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02238-1279.

More information on the Boston Delegation to the WSF can be found at www.lfsc.org/wsf/ -- About the World Social Forum 2007 in Nairobi www.wsf2007.org


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Brazilian Women's Group Condemns Immigration Enforcement in the Holiday Season

Governor Romney's decision, in the final weeks of his government, to allow state troopers to question and arrest immigrants they suspect of being undocumented, is a cowardly and mean-spirited act. Rather than worry about the safety of all residents of Massachusetts in this time of rising crime rates, the governor has chosen to increase distrust, raise fear and deteriorate relationships with law enforcement officials of all levels as his "Christmas present" to immigrant communities and the state as a whole.

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Human Rights Organization Denounces Egregious Workplace Immigration Raids in Six Meatpacking Plants

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The New England Regional office of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) expresses deep concern that the immigration sweeps which recently took place in six Swift & Company meatpacking plants in six states represent an egregious attack on the right to work, and whose sole effect serves to stir up unfounded negative sentiments towards migrants and divide working-class families and migrant communities. Furthermore, some press reports indicate that less than 5% of those detained were charged with identity theft raising serious questions about the use of identity theft as a principle motive behind the raids.


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