Hundreds of people rallied in Oakland’s Fruitvale Plaza on Friday afternoon to protest the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown following two recent fatal shootings of Minneapolis residents by immigration officials.
The rally was part of a nationwide day of action and general strike held in solidarity with immigrants and residents of Minneapolis as ICE agents intensify immigration enforcement in the city and violently crack down on protesters and bystanders attempting to document the agency’s activities. Last Saturday, federal agents shot and killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti, just weeks after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a mother of three.
In Oakland, strikers included students and workers who walked off their jobs and out of their classrooms to express their opposition to the presence of ICE officials in cities nationwide and to speak out against the impact of the administration’s aggressive enforcement operations on immigrant communities.
“We came to support our people,” said Jaslene, a senior at Fruitvale’s Arise High School, who left school to attend the protest with two of her classmates. “Our school is really big on our Hispanic community. A lot of the students at the school are immigrants. We are all here to show that we do not support what’s happening.“
El Tímpano captured the event in photos and spoke with participants about what motivated them to show up.
I’m here in solidarity with my community and also to teach my young kids about important things. I talk to them about how their mom arrived in this country illegally at the same age as they are now. Their grandparents too. And although we now have legal status, we continue being part of the cause. And although they were born here, their roots and heritage are the same as everyone else here today.
Thania Hernandez Lopez, 33
There are a lot of people in our family who are afraid to walk outside because of ICE. And that’s why we really want to stand for them and speak up for them when they can’t.
Genesis, 17, senior at Arise High School
It’s really important for me because I’m entirely Mexican. Working in my community matters a lot to me because my parents were immigrants. Knowing that I have the privilege of being able to do this work and work towards something better matters a lot to me. And it’s something I hope to continue to do.
Quetzali, 14, freshman at Oakland High School
I do ICE watch at Home Depot. On Sundays we’re at the Laney Flea Market. And I go to a couple of the school sites. I’m retired, so what else would I do with my life?
Diane Wang, 78
I can’t understand why anyone would not be here. These are our neighbors who are threatened. This is our country and our democratic rights that are under attack. So we all have to be out here, right?
I have a lot of family that is going through this, that is scared to go outside and go to work because of everything that is happening. And I want to stand up for them while they are too scared to. They let us out early today so we could protest.
Naydeli, 18, senior at Arise High School
