Some drivers honked their horns in agreement with the protesters.
Photo by Narumi Kobayashi
There were about 60 Nevada families in a circle on the side of the road, listening to the words of fellow protesters. They made noise with maracas, drums, and other instruments to express their feelings.
The Trump administration announced September 5 that it would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, and ever since, protests have occurred throughout northern Nevada.
On Nevada Day, October 27, 2017, more than 60 Nevadans gathered outside of Congressman Mark Amodei’s office in south Reno, asking him to support the DREAM Act, legislation which would protect young people who are undocumented from deportation.
Click this link to listen to protester's voice ↓↓↓
https://soundcloud.com/narumi-kobayashl/daca-protest-spngs
The slogan of the event was:
“Nevada families stand to be ripped apart unless Congress acts now! Join us in demanding Congressman Amodei support the DREAM Act and stop making excuses.”
The Reno Justice Coalition, the Northern Nevada Working Families Party, Indivisible Northern Nevada, and the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada organized the event.
Upon arriving, there were a lot of people of all ages wearing red T-shirts printed with a drawing of Congressman Amodei’s face with a large “X” through it. Congressman Amodei has been in office since 2006, and the DREAM Act was proposed in 2001.
Congressman Amodei was supposed state whether or not he supported the DREAM Act. However, the morning of the meeting, Congressman Amodei’s office called Bob Fulkerson, the state director of PLAN, and told him that Amodei forgot that October 27 was Nevada Day, and would not be able to make the appointment.
Normand showed up to demonstrate solidarity with DACA and the organization PLAN. photo by Narumi Kobayashi
“I’ve seen people just feel like they have no kind of future, I’ve heard people’s frustrations and it’s sad and upsetting. I’m hoping out of this will come good and that we will find some way to give these folks some kind of status, a pathway to citizenship,” Normand said.
Photo by Narumi Kobayashi
Photos by Narumi Kobayashi
They made their own boards to express their hopes and dreams and walked down Kietzke Lane to get the attention of vehicles passing by.
Click this link to listen to protester's voices and answering horns by drivers ↓↓↓
https://soundcloud.com/narumi-kobayashl/horns-in-agreement
Several DACA recipients spoke to motivate the attendees, including Maria Toca.
“I am a DACA recipient. If DACA is taken away, it could affect my future pretty negatively. I’ve been here since I was four years old, and this is where my life is,” she said. “I’ve done nothing but contributed to our society. I volunteer, and I pay my taxes. This is very important cause and I believe it needs some attention,” Toca said.
After a walk down the street, the protesters arrived at the office building which houses Congressman Amodei’s office.
A lot of people who are undocumented and many with DACA, are scared to attend protests, scared to attract attention to themselves.
“That’s why I feel it’s really important for folks who are citizens who have a legal status to speak up for them. I feel like it’s our duty if we say care about these folks and then we need to show it. We need to show up for them.” Normand said.
At the end of the protest one of the organizers was arrested. Despite this, the other approximately 60 protesters continued their demonstration.
Bob Fulkerson of PLAN said,
“Ghandi said, ‘Anything we do might be insignificant but it's important that we do it.’ I think in these times today that the outcome of our actions have never been more unsettling or more unclear because we are up against some of the most sinister powerful forces in the history of the world. But, what I do know is that these things, they bring people together, they organize the power of the people and this, multiplied over and over again always has had a huge impact. I mean Amodei would not have cancelled the meeting today out of fear if he didn’t know the immigrant community here was strong.”
We will keep fighting until good results come out. Photo by Narumi Kobayashi
Reported by Narumi Kobayashi