 Thousands march against Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s racist persecution of immigrants, Phoenix, Ariz., Jan. 16. |
Members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation joined 10,000 people for a march in Phoenix, Ariz., in opposition to fascist Sheriff Joe Arpaio and in support of full rights for immigrants.
The Saturday, Jan. 16, demonstration began at a park and marched just over three miles to the Durango Jail Complex, where Arpaio incarcerates undocumented workers and other prisoners in an outdoor detention center made up of tents.
The temperatures in this tent city reach as high as 150 degrees. Prisoners at the prison eat only two meals a day and are forced to wear pink underwear in a reactionary effort to humiliate them.
Arpaio is a leading proponent and practitioner of state repression against immigrants. His repressive measures have the support of elements of the ruling class who benefit from the marginalization and criminalization of undocumented workers.
The rich place the burden of the economic crisis on the shoulders of workers—in the form of unemployment, budget cuts and more—and then turn immigrants into a convenient scapegoat for everything ranging from the lack of jobs to crime. This racist division is fomented to confuse workers about the source of their misery.
It was in this atmosphere that thousands of people courageously marched to repudiate the increasing repression of immigrant workers under the guise of “law enforcement.” The march was organized by the immigrant rights organization Puente Arizona.
Before the march got under way, PSL members did massive outreach to workers. Union leaders and many local organizations spoke at an opening rally, and the march began en route to the jail complex.
Along the way, hundreds of predominantly Latino workers joined our ranks. Chants included, “Joe’s gotta go” and “What do we want? Legalization! When do we want it? Now!”
The PSL banner read, “Stop the war on immigrants.” The slogan was not rhetorical exaggeration. The police force following the demonstration behaved much like an aggressor army.
The police did not let up. More than 20 cops on horseback rode dangerously close, within arm’s reach of demonstrators. Dozens of sheriff and police vehicles were present, and the entire time the march was followed overhead by a sheriff’s helicopter. The blatant scare tactics were meant to threaten those who dared to mobilize and take a stand.
Police brutality stokes fear, anger
As the demonstration reached the jail complex, the street became narrower, creating a bottleneck effect on the crowd. Signs reminding us of the institutionally racist nature of this militarized city hung alongside the jail. One such sign read: “Help sheriff Joe Arpaio fight illegal immigration. Call this number with any info/tips on illegal aliens.”
 A young boy who suffers from asthma is treated after police spray a special pepper fog at demonstrators, Phoenix, Ariz., Jan. 16. Photo: Carlos Alvarez |
Police on horseback trampled an unwary marcher, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to the author. Other protesters came to the defense of the trampled protester. The officer on the horse responded by spraying a special pepper fog into the crowd, which included many children.
The fog spread panic among demonstrators, who retreated momentarily out of fear of further violence. People coughed and choked, and at least six protesters were pulled aside by marchers and treated for pepper fog inhalation and irritation. One of those was a young asthmatic boy approximately five years old. The indignation among the crowd was evident.
Five demonstrators were falsely charged with aggravated assault on police, and two of them were additionally charged with disorderly conduct.
The police had been waiting for the opportunity to create an incident to brutally attack the demonstration in hopes of sending a message to protesters and setting back the movement. The reality is that the degree of repression facing immigrants in Phoenix leaves the community no alternative but to continue the struggle. State repression will undoubtedly intimidate some on the one hand, but will also fuel an even greater will to fight back for others.
Phoenix and other cities are setting a precedent for ultra-reactionary legislation and encouraging the formation of fascist organizations operating in an extra-legal fashion. Phoenix alone is the home to 17 active white supremacists groups. Arpaio has met with the notoriously racist Jay Lasuer and endorsed his campaign for San Diego sheriff.
Our struggle is not simply against the individuals leading these racist efforts, but also against the institutionalization of increasingly repressive state-sponsored terrorism unleashed on immigrants. Only full rights that decriminalize undocumented workers will put an end to the abominable 150-degree prisons where immigrants are sent to rot for the “crime” of trying to earn a living.
We demand that all the phony charges against protesters at the Phoenix immigrant rights demonstration be dropped. The PSL stands with our immigrant sisters and brothers to demand the ousting of racist Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the end of anti-immigrant persecution.
