Thousands Protest Brutal Immigration Raids (AZ)

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March 6, 2009 by Gsmith

Racist Sheriff Arpaio's Prisoners

Maricopa County (AZ) has a sheriff who is famous for his bigotry and intolerance, but also his tacky showmanship. He has none of the qualities of a statesman or a leader, and largely resembles a bully. He’s famous for denying prisoners medical care and exposing them to the elements in tent city camps. Who are his prisoners? Too often they’re non-violent types: small amounts of marijuana possession, people who are late with child support, traffic fine deadbeats, etc. It’s also widely known that he specifically targets working class and minority neighborhoods in his wasteful “roundups”.

Sometimes the chain-gangs consist almost entirely of regular citizens and legal residents who made the mistake of speaking Spanish and not having four forms of ID on them. “Let me see your papers…” is no longer relegated to Nazi Germany.

The P.R. photo above is a perfect example of the culture he promotes. He forces his inmates to wear pink shirts (possibly implying homosexuality, or maybe it’s just a 1980s aesthetic) while his thugs swagger around in military uniforms brandishing weapons.

These are not murderers or rapists, by the way. They’re first time reckless and drunk driving offenders who are doing their community service.

Finally, some in Phoenix have had enough of the self-styled dictator of the desert. Two articles follow:

PHOENIX – Thousands of people protesting a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigrants by an Arizona sheriff marched through Phoenix on February 28, toting placards reading “We Are Human” and “Stop the Raids.”

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has dispatched deputies into Hispanic communities in the Phoenix area where they stop people and arrest anyone who cannot prove he or she is a legal U.S. resident. Under a deal allowing them to enforce federal immigration laws, the deputies have arrested more than 1,500 people whom they determined were in Arizona illegally.

Latino activists and lawmakers call his program a clear case of racial profiling because only people who look Hispanic are targeted. Arpaio steadfastly denies the charge. Earlier this month, he stirred more controversy when he marched 220 illegal immigrants in shackles and striped prison garb through Phoenix under armed guard.
“Walking people through the streets in chains, public shaming, it’s medieval,” said Veronica Perez, 32, an archeologist carrying signs reading “No Human Is Illegal” and “Stop the Raids.” “Isn’t cruel and unusual punishment against the U.S. Constitution?” she asked.

The event was organized by activists from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and a group called El Puente Arizona. Estimates of the number of participants ranged from 1,000 to 3,000.
Preparing for the march at a park in central Phoenix, school district coordinator Sylvia Airington, 47, slammed Arpaio’s policies. “Racial profiling, targeting the Hispanic community — it’s an embarrassment to America,” she said.

What to do about an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States is an explosive political issue. But it has largely dropped out of the debate as concerns turn to the economic crisis. A bid to push comprehensive immigration reform through Congress was rejected by Republican lawmakers two years ago. President Barack Obama, who supported the measure, has yet to address the matter.

“I voted for Obama for change,” said welder Oscar Camacho, 45. “But with respect to immigration, I see no change at all.” Around 100 counter-demonstrators waving American flags turned out to support Arpaio on Saturday. Some carried holstered pistols.

“He is the only one to uphold illegal immigration laws,” said Dina Rose, 52, standing on sidewalk by the sheriff’s office in downtown Phoenix. “The county sheriff is America’s last hope of protecting our freedoms.”

(Editing by Xavier Briand)
Published on Sunday, March 1, 2009 by Reuters
© 2009 Reuters

5,000 MARCH AGAINST SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO IN PHOENIX

From Arizona Indy Media

Phoenix, AZ- Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in downtown Phoenix on February 28 to protest Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and policies that critics argue violate basic human and civil rights. Organizers estimated the number of marchers at more than 5,000; soon after the march began, Phoenix police blocked traffic to Central Ave. and allowed demonstrators to fill the street, because of their overwhelming numbers (the march had lacked a permit).

Among the demands voiced by demonstrators was that the federal government end 287(g) agreements and stop the raids of workplaces and immigrant neighborhoods. The 287(g) agreements allow local law enforcement to arrest people if they are suspected of being in the U.S. without proper documents. Critics point to recent actions by Arpaio as evidence of these agreements’ vulnerability to abuse.

“Recently the nation witnessed the ritual humiliation of migrants in a spectacle evocative of some of the most horrific episodes of human history,” stated Pablo Alvarado, Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. Last month Arpaio intensified his on-going escalation of attacks against Latinos by segregating the county jail and parading hundreds of immigrants shackled in a chain-gang into “tent city”, an urban internment camp surrounded by armed guards, razor wire and electric fencing.

A less serious but seriously funny article can be found at the Phoenix New Times [link]

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2008/06/racist_sheriff_joe_arpaio_slam.php