By Donald Gilpin
The mood was somber but spirited as more than 200, a mix of locals and visitors, gathered in Hinds Plaza on Labor Day evening to honor working people, to commemorate in particular 15 workers who were “disappeared” in a July 24 ICE raid in Princeton, and to condemn a wide range of policies and actions emanating from Washington, D.C.
“Make America Kind Again,” “Democracy Not Dictators,” ”No Kings,” “Families First, Not Billionaires,” “ICE Out of Our Community,” “Impeach Trump Before It’s Too Late,” “Immigrants Get the Job Done,” and “The Only Effective Answer to Organized Greed is Organized Labor,” were just a few of the many sentiments that were expressed on posters carried by demonstrators and echoed in speeches delivered during the two-hour event.
Ana Paola Pazmino, executive director of Resistencia en Accion NJ, which organized the event, received loud cheers from the crowd as she emphasized a series of demands. “We do not want ICE here in Princeton or anywhere,” she said.
She continued, “We want workers’ rights and conditions in the workplace that are safe and fair no matter what your immigration status is. We want to stop the billionaires’ takeover. We want to be inclusive of all people who are under attack right now. This is happening to all of us. Right now no one is safe.”
HIghlighting Resistencia’s advocacy of Princeton Council’s recent resolution to support the Immigrant Trust Act, Pazmino noted that the organization would be working with the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education to create a community plan and a resolution for the support and protection of students.
“This is not just a one-day thing,” she added. “We are called to action, to resist. We are called to continue with this fight.”
During the course of the evening there were a number of moving testimonials — often in Spanish, followed by a translation — from those who had witnessed ICE raids and detention of friends and family members in Princeton, Trenton, East Windsor, and Hightstown.
Perhaps the most moving portion of the evening was the lighting of battery-powered candles for the commemoration of the 15 Princeton detainees. As their names were intoned one by one, representatives carrying their pictures proceeded to the speakers area of the plaza and held the pictures high for the crowd to see.
The chants were loud and the determination to take action was sincere and strong, but when asked what had prompted their coming out to this rally at 6:30 p.m. on the Labor Day holiday, many offered gloomy, sometimes fearful responses.
“We’re losing our country,” “Democracy is being thrown out,” “Everything is going downhill,” “Things are falling apart,” and “I didn’t think an ICE raid would happen in Princeton” were typical responses.
“I came today because I’m like everybody else,” said Bernadette Alexander of Princeton. “I’m filled with sorrow — about the state of America. It’s scary.”
She told a story about a friend who is a longtime naturalized citizen and a college professor with children, who was visiting Niagara Falls this summer and was afraid to cross the border into Canada for fear that he would have trouble returning.
She went on to express her concerns about the preservation of Black culture in America. I hear about the African American museum and about our culture being erased,” she said. “They want to erase our culture so that my grandchildren will be reading something that’s not real about the sacrifices that African Americans made to build this country.”
Resistencia wrote in its press release, “We gather on this day to declare that our lives and labor are not for sale. Our communities deserve safety, dignity, and protection. Medicaid, Social Security, and other vital programs must be preserved for future generations. Public schools, healthcare, and housing must be fully funded so all people, not just the wealthy, can thrive.”