Let's raise those black flags, citizens, because Dancing With The Stars won't help us reclaim the republic and reconstruct the open, civil society that we worked so hard for so long to build!--Pete
Just after dawn on June 4, two young Houston activists shut down the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Houston for three hours. They chained and locked themselves to the only two gates that allow vehicles into and out of the jail.
 Ashley Turner, shown here, and Ben Browning U-locked themselves to the gates of the detention center in solidarity with immigrants. Photos: Houston Indymedia |
Ashley Turner and Ben Browning used bike locks and chains to attach themselves to the automatic rolling gates in front of the jail, which holds 950 people. Not only could the shift not change, but none of the vans bringing in people rounded up in early morning raids could enter either.
A phalanx of Houston cops joined the ICE cops and finally told the two activists they had five minutes to get off the property. One of the dozens of people joining in the protest and supporting the civil disobedience told the cops they had five minutes to release all the people in the detention center. The standoff began.
 |
It took three fire trucks and dozens of police and firefighters over two hours to figure out how to get the bike locks off. Turner and Browning were led to the cop cars as their supporters cheered. They were bonded out and now face a misdemeanor charge of trespassing and a felony charge of possession of a criminal instrument.
A newly formed group, Houston Sin Fronteras, which Turner and Browning are working with, has called for another demonstration in front of the ICE Detention Center on the Fourth of July at 8 a.m. to show solidarity with all those incarcerated while U.S. authorities profess to celebrate freedom and independence.
A statement released by participants after the arrests linked this action to others happening around the world during the G8 summit:
“This week the leaders of the richest and most powerful eight countries in the world are meeting in Germany for the Group of 8 (G8) conference. During the G8 gathering these leaders will continue to strategize and promote the economic and political policy of neoliberal ‘globalization.’ These eight nations, which compose 65 percent of the global economy, have pushed for an economic system which impacts the whole world, making the rich richer, and impoverishing millions.
“Today, June 4th, the Dissent! Network in Europe has called for a Global Day of Action for freedom of movement and equal rights for all!
“We here in Houston, Texas, USA, have heard this call to action and share the same concerns as our brothers and sisters in Europe and all over the world who are taking action today in solidarity with migrants and refugees of the global economy.”
For updates, see www.houston.indymedia.org.
Articles copyright 1995-2007 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php
Page printed from:
http://www.workers.org/2007/us/ice-0705/
No comments:
Post a Comment