Great Turnout at the Detention Center Protest

We had beautiful weather on Sunday and a great turnout. Over 200 people showed up to protest the inhumane treatment of immigrants at the Elizabeth Detention Center. The march stretched almost the entire length of Evans St. The multi-racial crowd ranged in age from infants to senior citizens. Many family members of the detained and recently deported were on hand.

Members of the crowd were at times moved to tears as the conditions and the stress on the separated families were described. At one point David Fraccaro the coordinator for the Sojourners Visitors Program at Riverside Church invited people up to the mic to call out the names of those who were being held inside. Sadly we do not know all of their names because ICE will not release that information.

The speakers included: Shai Goldstein, executive director NJIPN, Pradeep Thappa- poet, journalist and a detainee in 2001 and 2002, Fr. Gene Squeo, Co-Pastor St. Patrick & Assumption/All Saints, Jersey City, Sr. Jacinta Fernandez, David Fraccaro, Coordinator Sojourners Visitor Program and Bill Westerman, IRATE Director & Princeton University Professor.

The event was co-sponsored by various religious, social service and human rights organizations including First Friends, American Friends Service Committee Immigrant Rights Program, Benedictines for Peace, Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless, Haiti Solidarity Network of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic Justice Office Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, The New Sanctuary Movement, NJ Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, NJ Immigration Policy Network, Pax Christi NJ, People's Organization for Progress, St. Joe's Social Service Center.
To see the rest of the photos with captiosn go to the Pax Christi NJ Facebook page.