Dreamers Protest Deportations, Private Prisons

www.peoplesworld.org June 9816, 2012

DREAMers protest deportations, private prisons

By Saadia Behar

ndocumented youths from CAD, the Campaign for the American Dream, arrived here just a few days ago, and are already changing things. UAlmost three months previously these DREAM Walkers began their 3,000 mile journey across On June 4, the DREAM team joined over 100 the United States, from the Golden Gate Bridge Coloradans in the spirited monthly march and in California on their way to the White House, to rally against Immigration and Customs Enforce- demand the Obama administration stop massive ment’s immigrant detention center in Aurora, just deportations and issue an executive order to bar east of Denver. deportations of DREAM Act-eligible youth. Though technically under the control of ICE, The Development, Relief and Education for a part of Homeland Security, the notorious facil- Alien Minors or DREAM Act, sponsored by Dem- ity is actually run by the GEO Group, an interna- ocratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, would tional private-prison corporation. Friends and provide a path to legalization and citizenship for family members of undocumented people trapped young people, brought here as children without inside recount the reports of humiliation, extor- any legal documents, if they have “demonstrated tion, physical and sexual abuse within the prison good moral character” and are either working to- walls at the protest each month. ward completing a college degree or are serving in The next day, the DREAM Walkers visited the armed forces. Immediately after setting foot in Colorado in the last few days of May, these six courageous this week: young people kept on walking-in the 3,000-per- • DREAMers protest deportations, private prisons son march on Wells Fargo bank’s Colorado head- • Editorial: Does it matter who wins the elections? quarters, led by the Service Employees Interna- tional Union during its quadrennial international • Greek fascist assaults two women on television convention here. • Tulsa implements ALEC anti-public-school agenda They joined the many other undocumented • “Yo Soy 132” movimiento y las elecciones de México marchers in the union’s action to bring public at- tention to Wells Fargo’s involvement in payday read more news and opinion daily at www.peoplesworld.org lending, fraudulent foreclosure, and ridiculously low tax payments, as well as the bank’s private- prison profits from the incarceration of undocu- the Obama for America Denver campaign office- mented people. and stayed. Two of the group entered the office

Page 1 and soon began a sit-in and hunger strike. They others in the CAD team officially “came out” as repeated their call to President Barack Obama to undocumented. put portions of the American DREAM Act into The two young people inside the building, at force by executive order. that time just 24 hours into their sit-in and hunger Noting that the current administration has strike, smiled broadly and waved as they watched deported over one million people, more than any the enthusiasm of their colleagues and support- In the final week previous administration, they called on Obama to ers just a few feet away outside the office’s large of May, “Secure end massive deportations at once and to take ac- windows. Communities” was tion on the DREAM Act without further delay. Local groups in Colorado are voicing sup- suddenly imposed The two carrying out the current hunger port for the hunger strikers and the other DREAM strike are Veronica Gómez, 24, of California, and Walkers, and offering donations of supplies for on all 64 Colorado Javier Hernández, 23, of Denver. Gómez was the continuing march to Washington, D.C. Yet the counties. brought to the U.S. when she was a little girl of campaign is being led by the Walkers and in Colo- three, Hernández when he was a six-month-old rado assisted by local organizations of undocu- baby. Neither has ever visited Mexico since. mented people. In the final week of May, “Secure Communi- Nico González, one of the Walkers, told peo- ties” was suddenly imposed on all 64 Colorado plesworld.org that “we want this to be undocu- counties, and local law enforcement officials are mented-led.” now obligated to assist ICE in rounding up and By June 7, with the hunger strikers nearing detaining undocumented people. 48 hours inside the building, authorities finally Some of the six walkers are fighting their allowed a nurse to enter to assess their physical own deportation. At the next day’s rally and press condition. conference in front of the now-closed OFA office where Gómez and Hernández were still sitting in, Saadia Behar writes for the People’s World. Does it matter who wins the elections? By PW Editorial Board oes it really matter whether Republi- margins. cans or Democrats are in charge after There is another critical reason why it mat- the November elections? ters who wins in November. Taking a nearsighted view of the In Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan, the Re- Dpolitical landscape, some have concluded there is publican-controlled governments are challeng- little or no difference between Republicans and ing the very right and ability of working people Democrats. to fight. Since their 2010 A Republican takeover of both houses of When Republicans move to take away the electoral victory, Congress and the White House in November hard-earned right of public employees to col- the Republicans would mean the dramas in Wisconsin, Ohio and lective bargaining, and decimate union density have been cutting Michigan would play out with a vengeance at the through massive layoffs, it is that much harder deep into public national level. for workers and their unions to fight for their services and jobs. Since their 2010 electoral victory, the Repub- rights and those of the poor. lican-majority legislatures and governors of those The Republicans are out to paralyze work- three states have been cutting deep into public ers’ capacity to fight from a position of collective services and jobs. power through their freely chosen unions. Yes, there is still a need to struggle in states And that’s exactly what we can expect from like California where Democrats control state Republicans if they win the White House and government. But cuts to the public sector work- both houses of Congress in November. force and services there pale in comparison with Reagan loosened up financial regulations those of Republican-controlled state govern- and launched the assault on unions that contin- ments. (And California’s situation is complicated ues to this day. because Democrats lack the two-thirds legislative AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka set the majority required to overcome the Republican record straight when he told In These Times in pledge to block new revenues.) March, “Sometimes we have disagreed with the Anyone who says there’s no difference be- president on strategy, but I know one thing, he’s tween a pay cut on the job and a permanent job a friend of the 99 percent.” loss has never been unemployed or lived on the www.peoplesworld.org Page 2 Greek fascist assaults two women on television

By Teresa Albano

male Greek fascist politician physically assaulted two left-wing women members of parliament during a television show June 8. There has been a warrant Aissued for his immediate arrest, although the man is in hiding currently. Ilias Kasidiaris, the spokesman of the violent far-right extremist group Golden Dawn, got into a shouting match with the two women MPs, Liana Kanelli, a Communist from the KKE, and Rena Dourou, who’s with the leftist SYRIZA Party. Attempting to shout them down Kasidiaris took to violence and threw water in the face of Dourou. When Kanelli came to her aid, Kasidiaris smacked her three times in the face. “Nick Malkoutzis, an editor at the Greek The Golden Dawn is a far-right extremist newspaper Kathimerini, says Greeks are horrified group linked to violent attacks against immi- at the act. grants. “Malkoutzis said, ‘Greece is still a very sort of The assaults took place before a new round of traditional male-dominated society, and punch- elections June 17. SYRIZA and other left parties ing a woman is completely unacceptable to most Greece was under are favored to win. people, let alone if you’re doing it on live TV.’ Nazi occupation In last month’s elections, voters, angry over “Kanelli told reporters later that the attack and fascist rule in more than two years of austerity measures and the shamed the entire country: the 1930s and 40s, misery resulting from them, punished the two rul- “It happened to be my face, she said, but there and a military junta ing parties associated with those measures, New are many faces that get hit by these people - faces from 1967-1974. Democracy and PASOK. The anti-bank bailout of weak and scared victims that we never see. Golden Dawn left-wing SYRIZA (Radical Coalition of the Left) “Political science professor Kostas Ifantis associates itself won a large number of seats, but all parties failed says he hopes voters now see Golden Dawn for to form a coalition government. who they really are. with those rulers. A reflection of Greek voters’ anger and the “’These people are not just pro-violence. It’s inherent danger of the economic situation for the the definition of political violence. The hope is people, fascist Golden Dawn won seats in parlia- that at least some of those 440,000 people who ment in that election for the first time. voted for them will realize what their choice was,’ Greece was under Nazi occupation and fas- he said. cist rule in the 1930s and 40s, and a military junta “Golden Dawn leader Nikolas Michaloliakos from 1967-1974. Golden Dawn associates itself blamed the two women for provoking his party’s with those rulers. spokesman into losing his temper, Kakissis said.” Greek journalist Joanna Kakissis, for Nation- On a historical note, U.S. Senator Charles al Public Radio, reported: Sumner was beaten on the Senate floor by a pro- “Kasidiaris snapped. He threw a glass of wa- slavery representative. The near-fatal beating ter in Dourou’s face. And then - to the horror of came two days after Sumner’s indictment of slav- the host who kept screaming no, no, no - he stood ery speech, “Crime Against Kansas.” up and hit Kanelli in the face three times. www.peoplesworld.org Page 3 local news “Yo Soy 132” movimiento y las Local contact elecciones de México [email protected] Por Hope Yen ncluyendo a los adolescentes de violaciones sexuales a 26 mujeres. Tulsa implements 16 a 18 años, según el Censo de Sin posibilidad de réplica, Peña 2010 los jóvenes de México (16 Nieto acabó huyendo. ALEC anti-public- a 29 años) totalizaron ese año El PRI reaccionó acusando a los I27.4 millones de personas (el 24.4% universitarios de dejarse manipular school agenda del total de la población), 14.0 mil- por un grupo de provocadores e infil- lones de ellas mujeres y 13.4 millones trados. Televisa, la cadena con mayor By J. Shepherd hombres. audiencia y a la que se acusa de apo- n the last year, the city of Tulsa has Representan el 30% de los vo- yar al líder priísta, solo dio una ver- consistently pushed to cut funding for tos posibles y 14 millones nunca han sión de los hechos favorable al viejo projects that benefit the taxpayers. votado en unas elecciones presiden- partido hegemónico. As reported by People’s World public ciales. La chispa se convirtió en ex- Iparks and recreation centers - specifically De pronto estos números han co- plosión cuando los estudiantes se in working-class and minority areas - have brado vida e irrumpido en la campaña movilizaron en las redes sociales. been scheduled for demolition. Before that, electoral mexicana con una fuerza Grabaron un vídeo en el que 131 de el- the city closed 19 public schools, laying off nunca vista. los mostraban su carné universitario hundreds of teachers and forcing students Son los enojados, los engañados, y desmentían las descalificaciones. El into conditions that are proven to reduce the los ignorados, los estudiantes, sobre vídeo motivó la simpatía de muchos quality of education. Right-wing proponents todo, de las universidades privadas más jóvenes que crearon la página of this agenda claim that they are working que, hartos de una democracia de- con el nombre de #YoSoy132, porque to serve the taxpayers, but a closer examina- valuada, se han echado a la calle para se unían, como uno más “en conjun- tion of the funding for their agenda reveals protestar contra la corrupción, los to”, a ellos. that they are taking their campaign contri- partidos políticos y la “manipulación” A la velocidad de un clic, el enojo butions and marching orders from more in- informativa de las grandes cadenas de se convirtió en trending topic, revolu- sidious forces. televisión. cionando la campaña electoral y sor- Last year, Cliff Ogle, a long-time class- El detonante que ha puesto prendiendo a toda la clase política. room teacher and active member of the en marcha una cadena de manifes- Miles de estudiantes de univer- American Federation of Teachers in Okla- taciones estalló el día 11 de mayo, sidades públicas y privadas forman homa, provided research showing a lob- cuando el candidato presidencial del parte del movimiento #YoSoy132. No byist organization known as the American Partido Revolucionario Institucional obstante la diversidad de su proce- Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, to (PRI), Enrique Peña Nieto, acudió a dencia social y económica, de sus es- be the driving force behind efforts to fight un acto de campaña en la Universi- tilos de vida, de sus formas de ver el public education spending in Oklahoma and dad Iberoamericana. Los estudiantes mundo, comparten una preocupación throughout the nation. According to Ogle, pronto se cansaron de las vague- por el estado de las cosas y tienen un “Most of the Republican politicians across dades del político y comenzaron a re- anhelo común: un mejor país para to- the country are courted by ALEC and given procharle su gestión como gobernador dos. the legislation to write.” del Estado de México. Recordándole YoSoy132 se construye como un Ogle says internal documents reveal la brutal represión que ejerció con- movimiento que busca hacer efectivos ALEC’s plan to use Republican politicians to tra los campesinos y floristas que se principios fundamentales de la vida abolish public education. At a meeting with movilizaron en San Salvador Atenco democrática. ALEC-supported lawmakers, some even en 2006, uno de los episodios de vio- Se asumieron como un movi- openly referenced their plans. “We thought, lencia más fuertes durante su man- miento autónomo, independiente de surely they’re joking that they’re wanting to dato que provocó el asesinato de dos cualquier partido político y antine- get rid of public education,” Ogle said, “But jóvenes, la detención de 350 personas oliberal. then we realized, they’re not laughing.” -entre ellas 10 menores de edad- y Ending public education in America is alarming not only to students and teachers, but to others who are not traditional union national contact supporters. Even a local Oklahoma tea party Editorial: (773) 446-9920 Business: (212) 924-2523 leader told the People’s World, “Public edu- Email: [email protected] cation is the foundation of this country.