OccupyForum: Taking Stock of our Actions to Defend Immigrants: Group discussion,planning

OccupyForum presents…

Taking Stock of our Actions to Defend Immigrants:
Group discussion and planning

We are witnessing at this moment the most serious threat to our immigrant communities, at least since Operation Wetback in 1954. What’s more ominous today is that this attack on immigrants is part of a broader assault on democratic rights aimed at hammering into place a more authoritarian/fascist form of rule.

But it is important to realize that the attacks on immigrants have aroused widespread, diverse and potentially powerful opposition. They include activist groups, churches and faith groups, labor unions, lawyers, and some progressive, especially local, politicians, and immigrant groups themselves.

Last week, in response to threats by ICE to initiate raids and mass roundups in
the Bay Area, two demonstrations were held at the ICE headquarters at 630 Sansome. On Thursday it was a coalition of political actors from Refuse Fascism, Occupy, Code Pink and other groups. On Friday it was a convergence of religious forces initiated by the Jewish community. It included activists from Faith in Action and the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. More people plan to protest on Monday. Each of these groupings brings with them their own strengths and weaknesses, but all are essential and important in forging a broad defense of immigrants.

What strategies do these groups bring to the struggle, what are their differences and their similarities? Can they collaborate and overlap, even as they work independently?

Let’s meet and kick around some ideas about this. We see two areas where the movement to stop ICE can be immediately assisted:

1. Keep up a regular protest presence at ICE calling upon different sections of the community to take the lead in doing this and,

2. Develop closer coordination, and information sharing, between the different pro-immigrant forces in the field.


Monday, January 29th from 6:45 - 9 pm at SEIU Local 2
215 Golden Gate Avenue near Civic Center BART station
Information, discussion & community! Monday Night Forum!!
OccupyForum is an opportunity for open and respectful dialogue
on all sides of these critically important issues!

Time will be allotted for announcements. Donations to OccupyForum to cover
costs are encouraged; no one turned away!