Three Days That Shook El Chuco...

During three consecutive exciting days, thousands of students from almost all high-schools, even middle schools, colleges and every educational institution in El Chuco, made history by getting out of the classrooms to take the streets and protest against anti-immigrant legislation and racism. They even made it in the front page of “La Jornada”, one of the most popular national newspapers in México.

Here is an account of this remarkable movement that has shaken the people of the U.S.-México border.

BEGINNING
Days before a group of students staged the first walk-out everybody started to discuss it in My Space. Suddenly, the usual posts about parties, music, girlfriends and boyfriends, changed to politics and calls to action…

Here are some excerpts of thousands of words that rapidly plagued the digital superhighway and set the conditions for three days of feverish student activity:

WHY? CUZ HR-4437 AND THE REPUBLICANS SUCK!

EVERYDAY OF THIS WEEK [MARCH 27, 2006- MARCH 31, 2006] PLEASE WALK OUT OF SCHOOL. DO NOT BE AFRAID. WE'RE GOING TO WALK OUT WETHER IT IS BY JUMPING THE FENCE OR RUNNING OUT THE SCHOOL. WE'RE DOING IT AND DOING OVER AND OVER EVERYDAY OF THIS WEEK…

hey dud..did u hear about all the walk outs in all the skools?? ya..i walked out..and my madre let me, too..ya it was crazy..the swat team was there and everything..ya..

THATS RIGHT!!ALL ARE BEING ASK TO WALKOUT
WHY?TO PROVE U.S IS NOTHING WITHOUT LATINOS OR ANYONE
WE ARE TRYING TO STOP THE PROP HR4437
SCHOOLS MAKE FOR EACH STUDENT THAT ATTENDS EVERYDAY AROUND $50 FOR EACH STUDENT
IMAGINE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY WOULD LOSE IF ALL STUDENTS OR ANYONE GO
WE ARE TRYING TO GET OUR POINT ACROSS THAT IT IS NOT FAIR WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO
PLEASE JOIN AND TELL EVERY FREIND OF THE HISPANIC RACE OR ANYONE
LET UR PARENTS KNOW WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO
THE STATEMENT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE…

yup the farmworkers are marching and we are walking out because my abuelito was a bracero and the Mexico government stole their wages

…pop is scared but gave me some $$$ to make a Mexican banner and mom told me good luck and take care…


DAY ONE:
One student at the intersection of Cesar Chávez Border Highway and Midway which served as the rally point for the Riverside walk-out said, “No somos terroristas, ni venimos a pedir limosnas de nadie, nuestra gente solo viene a trabajar. El walk-out de hoy es para que que los estudiantes se den cuenta de lo que planea hacer el gobierno de EEUU con la propuesta de HR-4437” (We are not terrorists, we are not here to beg, our people come here only to work. Today’s walk-out is to inform students of what the United States government is proposing with HR-4437.) At this rally, 200+ students were escorted by ELPD officers to the chain link fence that separates Mexico and the US. Students at the gate waved the Mexican flag while Border Patrol Agents patrolled the area. “¡Viva México!” and “¡Si Se Puede!” were heard as the students expressed their anger and frustration at the current anti-immigrant atmosphere being created by proposals like HR-4437. One student waved the Mexican flag atop the highway overpass until he was told by police to get down.

Long time Southside rivals; Bowie and Jefferson came together in solidarity to protest both at the Chamizal National Memorial and at the foot of the Las Americas Bridge. Over 400 students gathered at the bridge stopping traffic and chanting “¡El pueblo unido, jamás sera vencido!” and “¡El que no brinque es gringo!” Homeland Security made its presence by dispersing the crowd using two SUVs. During the rally and only a few feet from armed Border Patrol, ELPD and Homeland Security agents, a female student from Bowie told the crowd “…todos somos migrantes... de migrantes se formó este país…quien mas que los migrantes cosecharán los alimentos que sostienen a la gente de este país…” (…we are all immigrants…this country was formed by immigrants…who else but migrant workers will cultivate the food that sustains this country…) A student climbed the “Welcome to the United States” sign at the bridge and waved the Mexican flag screaming “¡VIVA MEXICO!” for all to hear. The protest continued as students from both schools marched in the streets to Jefferson High School.


DAY TWO:
Walk-outs spread all over the city. Large and small groups of students armed with Mexican flags and hand-made posters walked from all cardinal points towards downtown El Chuco. The groups are noisy and cheerful and peaceful. But there are some words of some students arrested for “resisting arrest.”

A group of about 2,000 students from Riverside, Del Valle, Socorro, Ysleta, Bel Air, and Hanks protested at the Zaragoza International Bridge, while a large group from Jefferson, Bowie, Burgess, Irvin, and others protested at the San Jacinto Plaza.

Some schools were locked-out to prevent students from leaving. Socorro High was closed and nobody was unable to leave or enter the school premises. A few professors who were late this morning were unable to enter. The principal from Bowie had instructed teachers and security to stop all by any means all students who attempted to leave school grounds. Most of the schools were surrounded by school police officers and officers from the EPPD. Raymond Telles and Cesar Chávez Academy are placed under a system of some kind of martial law. Other principals and school administrators moved the students to the gyms and auditoriums to held “rallies” thus preventing students from walking-out from their respective schools.


DAY THREE:
Thousands of students held walk-outs or didn’t enter school and walked to downtown El Paso to participate in the March for Justice organized by the farm workers to celebrate Cesar Chávez Day, to demand justice for all workers and to oppose HR-4437 and all anti-immigrant legislation being currently debated in U.S. Congress. Students from schools as far as Horizon City made the long trek despite threats of heavy fines, suspensions and even expulsion by school administrators and teachers. These students walked though the Border Highway but were stopped near the Ascarate Park by the cops who did not allowed nobody to give them water or food.

More than 4,000 students, including students from High Schools, Middle Schools, UTEP, EPPC and some vocational and private schools, walked towards the Plaza de los Lagartos to join the rally called by the farm workers to honor Cesar Chavez and to protest injustices against farm laborers and against anti-immigrant policies, such as the so called “Sensenbrenner Bill” or HR-4437.


The march of Friday March 31, 2006, was the largest march ever held in the city. Hundreds of parents attended to be close to their sons and daughters. Many mothers brought their small children in strollers. Grandfathers, proud of their origin, walked slowly holding their grand kids with one hand and a Mexican banner in the other hand. And many happy fathers carried their kids on their shoulders. A good group of teachers mainly from high schools participated in the march in a gesture of moral support to their students and the immigrants.

The march, which was monitored by several hundreds of law enforcement officers, including many plainclothes officers taking pictures and taking notes, was peaceful and ended at the farm workers center. A group of energetic students decided to move to the City Hall to protest but at this point most of the students and the rest of the marchers went home or stayed with the farm workers to have some Mexican tortas and drinks, and to hear some good clasic corridos by Margarito Rodríguez and his friends.

This historic day had some bad notes. In the afternoon, some parents from Socorro were called to warn them that the students who participated in the walk-out will be punished.

But nobody can deny that during these three days, the students shocked the conscience of this otherwise calm and indifferent community.

El Chuco was alive and vibrant for three days...

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For a great article about the march and some really cool photos visit:

http://www.newspapertree.com/