Act of Oppression If it were safe for people to come and protest, they would. Every raid creates both fear and anger in the community. I know business leaders who are afraid to speak out against the raids because they feel they would be raided next. I know American citizens who are afraid to protest because, in the first Greeley raid, ICE deported a citizen, who didn't have his birth certificate on him. They are still trying to find out what happened to him. Several ICE vehicles rounded the block a couple of times before parking close to us at the protest. They have a right to be there, but they also served as a warning to anyone thinking of coming ot the protest.
To me, you are coming from a place of priviledge when you decide that 40 people is pathetic. You are ignoring the larger climate and the power differential. These two issues cannot be ignored.
I also find it interesting that your points are in regards to the success and turnout of the protest and not the actual raids themselves. Whether or not a human rights activist acts alone or with thousands of people does not change the oppression of the act, in this case the raids.
BD
"pretty decent?" If this were really such a burning issue, in a few weeks, several thousand would be "pretty decent." 40 is weak, at best.
Erin Rosa
On a Thursday afternoon... planned in only a few weeks. Sounds pretty decent to me.