Chanting, marching and rallying filled the Fresno State Free Speech area on Tuesday in a unifying protest for immigration support.
Fresno State Trabajadores De La Raza hosted the protest, titled “Unity Walk & Rally.”
“It feels really beautiful to know that there’s such an energy here that it’s not just a few people who recognize that this is something of great importance,” said Jonathan Gardea, a member of the Party for Socialism Liberation. “It’s like the core of Fresno State.”
Approximately 100 people showed out with colorful signs, posters and outfitted in green attire, as the flier encouraged people to wear green.
“There is no official color or ribbon associated with National Farmworker Appreciation Week, however we felt that green was appropriate based off the fields and farms they work on,” said Emma Lopez, vice president for Trabajadores De La Raza.
The protesters marched from the Free Speech Area to Shaw Avenue where they looped around making it back to the center of campus.
Following the march, student, campus and community leaders used their voices in a series of speeches to advocate for farmworkers, undocumented immigrants, students and families.
One of the overarching themes of the day was that immigrant farm workers harvest and produce a majority of the Central Valley’s food, and without equal rights the community does not deserve their labor.
“Anyone who is out there picking the food for the country should not be deported,” Gardea said. “No justice, no food.”
As a Mexican American in the Central Valley, he says using his voice to amplify others is crucial to him.
“I think it’s very important to show up, to speak out for the people who may not have a voice, to show that there’s a big injustice that’s going on against the farm workers,” Gardea said.
The protest also featured performances by Los Danzantes de Aztlán, a cheerful melody by a guitarist and posters for attendees to leave a thoughtful message for farmworkers and immigrants.
Maria Pacheco, president of Trabajadores De La Raza and lead event organizer said the event took around two months to organize, trying to get all the different organizations involved, but that the turnout was great.
“[We] walked all the way around campus just to unify us, to send a positive message to the farm workers about how much we appreciate them, that we love them, and that we got their backs,” Pacheco said.
The event concluded with everyone gathering in the center of the Speaker’s Platform for a group photo.
“It’s an experience I’ll definitely never forget for the rest of my life,” Pacheco said.
