Josh Dahl, and his dog, Banjo, marched Tuesday in an Immigrant Solidarity March and Vigil in Somerville, a city where more than 30 people – overwhelmingly of Brazilian origin – have been seized and taken by federal agents on the hunt for immigrants since the start of the year.
Just a couple of weekends earlier, Dahl and Banjo were at their favorite breakfast spot – a Dunkin’ across from Foss Park where Banjo has been sneaked some bacon. Dahl had ordered his coffee when he realized there was something more distracting than his dog: A friend pointed out Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the parking lot.
Dahl ran outside to confront them, yelling anything he could think of to shame the agents for their actions. Too late.
“They had pulled over an All Pro Painting pickup truck. The men who were in it were already gone,” Dahl said.
The four men taken in that encounter were Brazilian, according to a press release from state senator Pat Jehlen.
If those federal agents were to enter the Dunkin’, “I am assuming many employees would have fair reason to be scared at that moment.” And for anyone who treats Banjo well, Dahl is proud to be “an aggressive loudmouth,” standing up for people even if they don’t know his name.
It’s why he came to the rally, Dahl said, and dressed as Captain America – as a patriotic protector. Banjo was dressed in red, white and blue as well.
The protest to current federal policies drew an estimated 250 protesters. Like Saturday’s “No Kings” protests in Boston and other cities, which drew a reported 7 million people nationwide compared with the 5 million from a protest in June, anti-Ice rallies in Somerville are growing. Courtney, an organizer who asked to go by only her first name, said the protests have drawn larger crowds over the past weeks, even with shorter notice.
“Compared to the first gathering, triple the number of people have gathered,” confirmed a friend, Sonia Conde. That includes community groups joining forces; this protest was organized in collaboration with 11 grassroots organizations with roughly 70 volunteers attending, including bikers aiding in traffic control, speakers and music from the Good Trouble Brass Band.
The march began after a brief speech by the organizers to the encircling protesters. Starting at Foss Park, protesters wrapped around the sidewalk, entering the intersection of McGrath Highway and Blakeley Avenue. Two police vehicles blocked traffic and allowed the protesters to circle back to Broadway, where the march and chanting continued. Some workers left storefronts to join, and drivers along the route showed solidarity by honking.
“All this honking is proof our neighbors hear us loud and clear,” said Oscar Estrada, a marcher who carried a microphone to amplify his chants.
Lasting about an hour, the protest concluded with a vigil at the East Somerville Library. Battery-powered candles lit up the hands of protesters during a speech by Sonia Conde, a member of the immigrant parent support group Padres Latinos de las Escuelas Publicas de Somerville. She was backed by “Las Lloronas,” or weeping women – a few women from the group who covered their faces with black lace. A moment of silence was followed by the “Tambor Resiliente,” sung and played on guitar by Tania Chaman.
Speakers and organizers noted the effects that Ice raids were having on the community, especially in East Somerville, the setting for the march. The neighborhood is heavily immigrant, including its businesses; 70 percent are estimated to be immigrant owned.
Halfway through the march, the crowd stopped outside of La Brasa, a fine-dining restaurant that opened in 2014 specializing in wood-fired Mexican cuisine. “We are in danger right now, because as you see, this is empty because of fear,” speaker Tuesday said of the restaurant. “This area used to be packed, and now it’s empty.”
Paula Magnelli, a member of Padres Latinos, shared her fear that Ice is affecting families’ feelings of safety, in turn hurting the youth of Somerville.
“I want a general strike, and I want to see more students come,” Magnelli said. “They need to revolt against what is going on. The government is stealing the youth’s future, defunding science, and going against businesses. What jobs are you going to have? They are stealing the future of the young.”
A Mystic Mashup Indivisible member, Suzanne Boucher, encouraged Somervillians to support friends, neighbors and co-workers detained by Ice or deported.
“We have done a lot of outreach to our immigrant families,” Boucher said, “which comprise most of Somerville.”
A stronger
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Great article and photos! Thanks to the protestors for speaking out. Let’s all go out to eat to support the East Somerville restaurants.