On the afternoon of Feb. 19, approximately 300 demonstrators rallied outside the Erb Memorial Union Amphitheater in support of the immigrant community who “fear retaliation, for the families at risk, for the dignity we all deserve.” The demonstration was organized by the University of Oregon Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán.
The demonstration began at 2:15 p.m. Several community members spoke, including both UO students, faculty and members from several organizations, including the Black Male Alliance Club and Native American Student Union.
“Your presence here is proof that we are not alone and that we’re not powerless and that we refuse to be silent in the face of injustice,” Maria Gaspar, president of UO’s MEChA chapter, said.
Juan Eduardo Wolf, associate professor of ethnomusicology and advisor for the Latine Male Alliance, addressed the crowd and performed a rendition of “We Shall Not Be Moved,” a protest song, in both English and Spanish.
“My family stayed in this country to avoid the terror of a dictatorship in (Chile), and that strategy sort of worked until maybe about this year, when we got a little worried about the dictatorship in this country,” Wolf said.
Isabel Garrett, a first year student who attended the demonstration, said they were there to protest the unfair treatment of immigrants in the United States since President Donald Trump took office.
“I definitely feel nervous. It’s hard to feel safe to speak out against what the government is doing and you feel powerless a lot of the time and so I really wanted to come today and I’m glad I was able to,” Garrett said.
Giovanni Bazan is another first year student who attended the event. Bazan is an intern for the Latine Male Alliance and said he wanted to show his support as a Chicano student.
“I’m really joyful that we have a big group who are here to stand for the people who can’t be here… I’m at a loss for words. It’s kind of emotional to see the amount of people here,” Bazan said.
After several speeches in the amphitheater, the protestors marched from the EMU to the Lillis Business Complex where the demonstrators stopped to hear a speech from retired instructor Armando Morales.
“If you want to help our community, the best way to help is writing to your congressman and congresswoman and you need to ask for amnesty for people who have more than 25 years living in this country,” Morales said. “This is the people that have business in this country, the people that work in the fields and bring food (to your) tables… don’t forget that and that these people need our help.”
The demonstration ended at approximately 3:45 p.m back at the EMU.
According to UO Spokesperson Angela Seydel, UO MEChA gave UO notice about the event.
“We appreciate that the rally and march organizers reserved the EMU Amphitheater, let us know their route and proactively requested and followed safety and event guidelines,” Seydel said.
