“This has never happened before,” said Gilberto, a middle-aged gardener who joined over 600 hundreds residents of the inland City of Pomona to protest what he said were never-ending racist traffic checkpoints, or “retenes.”
|
During the last 18 months, the Pomona Police Department had impounded his 1989 Chevy Malibu three times because Gilberto, like many who live in the low-income city about 30 miles east of Los Angeles, does not have a driver’s license. An undocumented worker, he is constantly fearful of being harassed by the authorities.
“Every time they pull me over without a driver’s license, it costs $1,500 to get my car back,” said Gilberto.
Many city residents at the protest expressed similar sentiments, saying the so-called sobriety checkpoints are death traps for hard-working immigrants. After paying hundreds of dollars in fines and impound fees, there is often little left for gas, food or rent.
The checkpoints are thoroughly racist and anti-immigrant. They target undocumented workers who are forced to drive without a license because of their legal status in the country.
Arturo Jimenez, coordinator of the Pomona Habla Coalition, told Liberation that aside from causing extreme economic hardships, the checkpoints violated the guidelines set by the California Office of Traffic Safety Grant (OTS), which funds the Pomona Police Department’s checkpoints.
“We are against the racial profiling and the department’s abuse of the traffic stops,” Jimenez said. “If the OTS says they’re supposed to catch drunk drivers, then why have they netted—at the most—only a handful of DUIs.”
City statistics prove that Jimenez is right. On April 12, Pomona police screened 4,027 vehicles, impounded 152, issued 170 citations but made only 3 DUI arrests.
The Coalition was started after residents witnessed what some called the granddaddy of all checkpoints. Earlier this month, while the community celebrated at a nearby Cinco de Mayo event, traffic coming from all four directions at the busy Mission and San Antonio intersection was blocked for a checkpoint. The Pomona police had to request assistance from several neighboring departments in order to carry out the massive operation.
By then, the residents of Pomona had had enough.
Getting rid of the poor
Pomona Police Chief Joe Romero claims that the city’s twice monthly checkpoints were within department guidelines to check driver sobriety and licenses. He says charges that the checkpoints are racist, anti-immigrant and cruel, are not true.
But few checkpoints target wealthier areas of the city.
Jose Calderon, professor of sociology at Pitzer College in Claremont, states: “These checkpoints are first and foremost a way of ridding the city of its poor and immigrant populations. They come after the Latino immigrant, but Mayor Norma Torres hasn’t done anything against the companies that exploit their labor.”
Carlos, a friendly elementary school student who rode his bicycle along the march route, said the checkpoints frightened him and his family. He said his mother would begin to cry as their van approached the officers. “They only do it against Mexicans because they don’t like us,” Carlos said. “It’s not fair because they only do it to us because they take away all of our money.”
Pomona District 3 City Council member, Cristina Carrizosa, addressed the hundreds of residents gathered outside the council chambers to calm their frustrations and urged them not to give in to desperation. Although some residents considered her the most sympathetic member on the board, she made her limitations known. “I want you all to know,” Carrizosa began, “We’re going to do all we can but don’t expect too much, because we don’t have time on today’s agenda nor can we completely solve this tonight.”
Many protestors then continued their chants of “Alto a los retenes,” “If Maywood won, Pomona will win,” and “Fuera Norma Torres,” in reference to the city’s mayor and proponent of the checkpoints.
Parents and children, sick and elderly, citizens and non-residents kept militant chants up for hours.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation handed out signs calling for an immediate end to the racist checkpoints and ICE raids in the city. As a member group of the ANSWER Coalition, a mainstay at immigrant rights marches and anti-racist rallies, we were warmly received as we marched.
Pamphlets and flyers touting the Gloria la Riva and Eugene Puryear presidential campaign were also distributed. They explained the difference between the PSL’s demands and the Democratic and Republican capitalist duopoly. More importantly, we spoke of the urgent need for socialism, an economic system based on people’s needs over profits.
Many in the crowd were appreciative of the demands for unconditional amnesty, an immediate end to raids and deportations, free access to quality health care and education, and a minimum $15 per hour wage for all workers regardless of their immigration status.
Inside the council chambers, Mayor Torres told a disappointed crowd that she would have to leave before the much anticipated public comments. Her statement was met with loud jeers from the audience and a walkthrough by police.
Sandwiched in between non-residents, who touted racist and violent views against immigrants, including an Upland nurse who told the city council that “these illegal aliens are the ones that rape your daughters,” was Gilberto.
Gilberto told the audience that last month his children had to decide between a school trip and eating three meals a day for the week.
Fighting back tears, Gilberto looked up to the city council and Mayor Torres and said, “That is a decision no child should have to make.”
The PSL will continue to be involved in the important campaign to stop the racist checkpoints and to demand full equality for all immigrants.
