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Coalition and students rally for immigration rights
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the Capitol’s west lawn last Saturday to rally for a bill that would make obtaining legal residency easier for illegal immigrants. Hosted by the National Capital Immigration Coalition, the rally began at 1 p.m. and lasted until about 5 p.m. Many of the speakers shouted to the audience in Spanish. A translator was provided for those who did not. Although the rally boasted a smaller turnout in terms of DC rallies, the demonstrators arrived with the attitudes and attire to attract attention. The were waving banners and milling about the crowds with American flags draped over their shoulders and heads, shielding them from the hot sun. They shouted ‘Si se puede’ along with the speakers, drawing gazes from those enjoying the reflecting pool. Some audience members were pleased with the turnout. They saw it as the first steps toward greater acknowledgement among DC policymakers. “I don’t want to just see one march or one little group every year,” said Kevin Sanchez, a sophomore social justice major at Mason. “ We need to do it every month, every week to show them that we’re organized, to show them that we’re actually here, to show them that we’re consistent with the things that we believe in.” Others were pleased that people showed up for the rally, but bemoaned the absence of others. “Hopefully George Mason students will be a little bit more involved in the political aspect and social aspect of our world. They matter. Their voices matter. They need to be heard,” said Juan Pacheco, a junior biology and psychology major. “Usually I think that a lot of George Mason students live in this humungous, big bubble. Lets get out of the bubble and learn about the struggles of other people. Lets not stay just in the Johnson Center and go to Chick-fil-A, but actually do get involved in the reality of life. This is life. This is history. We need to be a part of the history.”
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