The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) stands in support of the immigrant rights movement, and through its chapters and Mass Defense Committees is providing political and legal support around the country for May Day actions, including the Great May 1 Boycott, to push for comprehensive immigration reform favorable to undocumented workers. The NLG condemns the raids being carried out by the Department of Homeland Security against undocumented working people across the U.S. and recognizes that initiation of these raids by the government at this moment in time is an effort to terrorize and silence immigrant communities in advance of May 1.
The NLG‚s trained legal observers are being deployed to monitor large demonstrations to guard against unlawful police actions. In certain areas, the Guild is providing direct legal support for students who have been penalized or threatened for exercising their First Amendment rights and engaging in school walkouts.
As well, the Guild and its members are actively working in coalition with immigrant rights groups, community groups, labor leaders and social justice organizations as they plan for actions on different levels around the country in this new civil rights and workers rights movement.
Some examples from around the country include: the Connecticut National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee‚s provision of legal observers and legal support for demonstrations being organized by the immigrant communities in Hartford and New Haven on May 1. The Guild is also providing legal support for high school students in West Hartford, Connecticut who are organizing a student walk out and demonstration in support of the May 1 national boycott.
In Los Angeles, Guild members will be providing legal observers for two demonstrations in the City. In addition, they are organizing as part of a coalition to represent students who are out of school that day. This is a continuation of the chapter‚s significant work in response to the walkouts in late March. Their website, www.schoolwalkouts.info, contains a wealth of information on what they are doing, information for parents and students and others on their rights.
In New Orleans, NLG students and lawyers will be helping with legal observing for local actions. Oregon Guild members are involved in planning local events, and will perform legal observing and criminal defense as needed. In Minnesota the NLG is involved with the coalition that is organizing the May 1 rally.
In New York City, the NLG will be providing dozens of legal observers for the May 1 Great American Boycott for Immigrant Rights. In Philadelphia, NLG legal observers will be covering immigration rights events throughout May Day week, including a large May 1 march in Philadelphia, a feeder march from Camden, NJ, and an event in Lancaster County, PA.
The San Francisco/Bay Area is staffing a legal hotline and providing Legal Observers for a number of actions on May Day. They have established a separate hotline to advise and support workers who are harassed or fired in retaliation for participation in the strike. Bellingham, Washington members trained new Legal Observers for the May Day march, at which several hundred are expected.
Founded in 1937 as the first racially integrated national bar association, the National Lawyers Guild is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States, with more than 200 chapters. The Guild has a long history of representing individuals whose rights have been violated by governments in the U.S. and abroad.
# # #
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment