Students rally in citywide May Day march

Yesterday, a large group of UW students met in Red Square from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. before making their way on bikes and buses to Judkins Park to participate in this year’s May Day march for immigrant rights. The march ended in a rally at Seattle Center with a free concert by Blue Scholars.

One of the main focuses that made this year’s May Day demonstration stand out was a campaign put forth by El Comité Pro Reforma Migratoria y Justicia Social (Committee for Immigration Reform and Social Justice). The committee urged lawmakers to create a policy to prohibit state, county and local law enforcement from participating in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, which they currently perform.

“We just need to continue to support each other with issues regarding immigration and social justice because immigration issues affect all cultures,” said senior Carlos Reyes, the co-chair of MEChA at the UW.

Of the students involved in yesterday’s march, most were members of UW student groups S.L.A.P. (Student Labor Action Project) and MEChA, a Chicano activist group organized for educational access for immigrants and immigrant rights.

“Today is all about a coalition of organizations coming together,” said senior Travis Thomas, a member of S.L.A.P. and an organizer for yesterday’s event.

This was the ninth year of the march in cities across the country, as immigrants and their supporters called for immigration reform from the U.S. government. Tens of thousands of immigrants participated in the event in 2006, primarily because of legislation in the House at that time, according to an article in The Seattle Times.

This year, with no such legislation in the works, the event saw a dramatic decrease in participation. Still, UW students felt it was important to keep the cause in everyone’s mind.

“We feel like there still isn’t enough dialogue on campus about racism and xenophobia,” UW alumna Stephanie Adler said. “We want the community to stand together and speak out against hatred in the community.”

The U-District has a high immigration population. Immigrants on work visas are employed at many of the restaurants on the Ave. Some of those same restaurants closed yesterday in support of the day’s activities.

Carlos Reyes, the co-chair of MEChA, spent the last two weeks attending meetings and planning for yesterday’s event.

“I’ve met a lot of people who struggle getting higher education because of their immigration status,” Reyes said. “Many of these students are brought here illegally at a very young age and have no decision in the matter. They try to make the best of their situation, but are often turned down when they try to achieve a college degree.”

Junior Maria Guillen worked to pass a proposal through the ASUW. The legislation allows UW student lobbyists to lobby for comprehensive immigration reform that wouldn’t violate human rights, she said.

“It’s a student voice that lets the faculty and administration know that this how the students feel about the issue,” Guillen said.