The drums beat ceaselessly as students from the IDREAM Coalition and supporters marched up and down Vine and Illinois streets at 11 a.m. Saturday protesting the Arizona immigration law.
“It was a really, highly energized crowd,” said Celeste Larkin, a member of La Colectiva. “People were dancing and chanting. There were drums. The crowd was beautiful. Then we were able to channel that energy with a wonderful rally.”
The coalition, comprised of La Colectiva, M.E.Ch.A. (Movimiento Estudantil Chicano de Atzlan) and U.N.F.A.S. (Unidos Nuestra Fuerza Avanzara Siempre) educated the public on immigration reform.
The rally held at the Champaign County Courthouse Saturday exposed speakers that felt strongly against the recently signed Senate Bill 1070. According to the provisions, the new law allows police to use racial profiling if they suspect a person is unlawfully present in the U.S.
Larkin said among the speakers included people who described the immigration law as a new wave of “Jim Crow Laws” and brought up the Kiwane Carrington case as a local example of how racial discrimination affects the community.
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“We’re giving an outlet for the community to express their rage at this racist bill,” Larkin said.
Larkin said the crowd heard a testimonial about a woman in Chicago who is seeking sanctuary because she is under the threat of deportation.
“When a person goes into the church, law enforcement will not enter a church to reprehend them,” Larkin said. “They can feel safer, but then again they are confined to the church.”
Larkin added she heard the account of an undocumented student who was living in the shadows and remained anonymous for the fear of being deported.
The rally met few opposition.
“There were one or two guys who showed up and made a ruckus,” Larkin said. “We managed to stay focused on the point and the task at hand, which is giving the floor to the people speaking. Nothing escalated beyond tempers.”
Larkin said the IDREAM Coalition will push for further awareness of the immigration laws. They plan to hold a public forum in May.
“We want a continuation of the energy we were able to generate today,” Larkin said. “While the rally was great forum for people to feel the community around this issue, we need more concentrated demands to be put out to the public and our legislators.”
