Skipping holiday, marchers protest detaining of children
Signs and flags in hand, hundreds of people chanted, sang and banged drums as they marched Monday from the Mission District in San Francisco to City Hall, demanding amnesty for children being detained at the U.S.Mexico border.
The demonstration started around 11 a.m. at the 24th Street BART Station and made its way up Mission Street to Van Ness Avenue, a line of people holding a red banner that read “Close the Camps” leading the way.
Mayor London Breed joined protesters who flooded the steps of City Hall, where the rally continued in the afternoon.
“We are stronger because we stand as a proud sanctuary city together,” Breed said to cheers from the crowd. “Sometimes there may be political differences in this city. But you know what? When it comes to protecting our immigrant communities, there is no difference — we stand strong and we stand proud.”
Roberto Hernandez, who helped organize the rally, said the event was intentionally on the same day as Mexico’s Independence Day.
“We can’t be celebrating at a time when children have died,” he said before the protest started. “When families have been separated. And when a race — the Latino race — is exclusively being targeted by our government.”
Before the rally stepped off, 62yearold Calixto Robles stood on a sidewalk handing out posters he had designed and screenprinted, depicting a mother holding a child. He said they showed “the love of a mother” and he only printed 100 copies.
At the top of the poster, he etched the words “KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER” in bright red text. At the bottom: “Stop ICE raids NOW!”
“Doesn’t matter if they are white, brown — they are kids,” Robles said.
Among the demonstrators were about 500 students from several middle and high schools holding signs big and small. The messages included “Violence is not a choice,” “Keep families together” and “No more hate.”
“No more camps,” the students chanted as they marched, drawing the attention of people in stores along Mission Street and construction workers atop roofs and scaffolding.
The demonstration appeared to be under the control of authorities and organizers the entire route.
As the rally at City Hall died down and people drifted away, Mario Lopez, 61, listened to the last few speakers.
“What is happening is an injustice,” he said. “They have divided people.”
Next to him, Rosa Contreras agreed.
The U.S. government and those of several Central American countries — El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — haven’t done much to alleviate the “humanitarian disgrace,” Contreras said.
“I say it because nothing has been done,” she said. “The presidents of these countries don’t care.”