Activists protest SB 1070, Tent City Jail in PhoenixSourceActivists protest SB 1070, Tent City Jail in Phoenix by Philip Haldiman - Jun. 23, 2012 07:45 PM The Republic | azcentral.com Even before a protest against alleged civil rights violations by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office had begun Saturday night, dozens of activists had gathered with signs and loud voices. Officials with the Unitarian Universalist Association organized the nighttime protest to bring attention to Senate Bill 1070 and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Tent City, which they say, violate human rights. Monday is the next day the Supreme Court could issue a ruling on the controversial immigration bill signed into law two years ago by Gov. Jan Brewer. About 1,000 to 4,000 activists were expected at Tent City Jail near 29th Avenue and Durango Road in Phoenix, officials said. Arpaio said that no matter what the Supreme Court decides about SB 1070, he will continue the practices he has long been practicing. "We've had the Rev. Al Sharpton here protesting and Linda Ronstadt. They wanted us to close Tent City, too. But that will never happen," Arpaio said. The sheriff's office shut down all six of its jails Saturday in anticipation of the protest. Because of the shutdown, family and friends were not allowed to visit inmates at the jails for the day. The Saturday night protest also included a candle light vigil and a tour of Tent City given to a four-member delegation of inter-faith leaders. Rev. Peter Morales, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, said SB 1070 is clear discrimination of a class of people. "It promotes profiling, breaks up families and is fundamentally contrary to American Values," he said. Morales was charged with a misdemeanor count of failure to obey an order after dozens of protesters took to Phoenix streets on July 29, 2010, when SB 1070 was set to take effect. He said social justice is core to the organization, which was instrumental in a movement to legalize same sex marriage in Massachusetts in 2004. "This not a deviation from what we do," Morales said. The protest is part of a four-day convention at the Phoenix Convention Center for thousands of interfaith and social justice advocates from around the world. Officials said the convention was booked at least four or five years ago. An association spokeswoman, Rachel Walden, said the group books its national annual conventions at least four or five years in advance. In 2010, when the controversial Arizona bill became law, members nationwide said they opposed holding the 2012 conference at the Phoenix Convention Center. "We took a majority vote then, and we decided to come to Phoenix in order to shine a light on some of these immigration issues," Walden said. On Friday, the unitarian group met and mingled at Civic Space Park in downtown Phoenix with immigrant-rights groups Barrios Defense Committees, Promise Arizona, Puente and Somos America.
Previous Articles about Sheriff JoeHere are some previous articles about Arizona's Sheriff Joe Arapio, who most folks in Maricopa County consider the worst sheriff on the planet.And here are even some more articles on Sheriff Joe and this thugs in Phoenix, Arizona and Maricopa County, Arizona. |