Vol. 73/No. 16      April 27, 2009

Among those at the meeting were about a dozen workers and their families, members or representatives of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR), Open Table Community Church, Cajola United in Solidarity for Guatemala, Solidarity, Feminist Women Health Center, Young Socialists, and the Socialist Workers Party. Pedro Marin, Georgia state representative for District 96, and a TV anchorman from Spanish-language network Telemundo in Atlanta also participated.

The meeting was hosted by GLAHR as part of their monthly meeting.

Participants debated and discussed whether or not to have a march or a rally on May Day. Arturo Perez was among several who urged that a march be organized so that “people can see that we are here and present.” Immigrants and their supporters want to march, he said, “to say that we are in this country to work.”

Some participants urged marching on Saturday, May 2, with the hope of getting more participation, while others spoke in favor of marching on May 1. In the end it was decided by majority to call a march on May 2 at 10:00 a.m., beginning and ending at the Georgia State Capitol.

The meeting also heard a report from Larry Pellegrini of the Georgia Rural Urban Summit on state legislation that affects immigrants.

Pellegrini noted that two bills, SB 67 and SB 136, failed to pass. SB 136 would have required deportation of some prisoners during their prison sentences. SB 67 would have made English the only language in which a citizen and some permanent residents could take the driver’s license test in Georgia.

List of May Day actions for immigrant rights