On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, more than thirty progressive organizations held a rally and march Moore Square. Around two hundred people gathered at the “We Fight Back” event to condemn President Trump’s vow to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. War, worker rights, and a warming world were also main themes the Sunday event.
Groups set up tables on the side of Moore Square closest to Hargett Street. The booth nearest to the entrance signed up volunteers for CAUSE, a nascent union at the RDU1 Amazon warehouse in Garner. Workers at the facility have asked for community support as they prepare for an NLRB election in mid-February [1]. Less than three percent of North Carolina workers are unionized, which is quite low even by US standards.
Victor Urquiza, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), was the first speaker. He said, “We understand that Gaza has become a moral authority for people of conscience across the world. The right to resist cannot be revoked. The true definition of Palestinian liberation is now cemented in the consciousness of millions of people across the world.”
Fundraisers for Gaza relief, anti-genocide placards, and numerous keffiyehs at the "We Fight Back" rally were reminders that Palestine has become a core issue for many activists. Dozens of ceasefire rallies and marches have been held in Moore Square since October 2023. The Raleigh protests were a major part of the most immediate, sustained movement against a US-backed war in North Carolina history.
The second speaker at Sunday’s event, Brea Perry of Refund Raleigh, addressed the legacy of MLK. She said, “We dare not forget that King was abandoned by many people, black and white, the moment he started talking about a radical redistribution of political and economic power and spoke out against the Vietnam War. We dare not forget that King was assassinated the day after he stood with 1,300 striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.”
MLK gave the speech called “A Time to Break the Silence” against the Vietnam War in 1967. The New York Times dubbed the speech “Dr. King’s Error” and slapped King on the wrist for “whitewashing Hanoi” and “recklessly comparing American military methods to those of the Nazis”. Instead of promoting anti-war sentiment, the Times suggested, MLK needed to focus on fixing the “slum mores and habits” that cause American poverty [2].
After the US invasion of South Vietnam in 1962, it took seven years for substantial protest to develop in North Carolina. By that time, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people had been killed. When opposition materialized in 1969 and 1970 the demonstrations centered on UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, and Duke [3] [4] [5].
El Pueblo, a Latino advocacy organization, provided two speakers for the “We Fight Back” rally. Mario Alfaro said, “Immigrants have been turned into a kind of public enemy responsible for all domestic problems. The damage from this is enormous and should concern us all.”
A second speaker from El Pueblo, Florence Simán, continued, “We as immigrants are singled out and persecuted for being different, either because of our origin, skin color, ethnicity, language, religions… or simply for exercising our individual freedoms.”
A large Mexican flag waved over the center of the crowd throughout Sunday's event. Attendees held signs that read, “Defend Immigrant Families”, “No Mass Deportations”, “Gaza to Mexico No to Border Walls”, and “Wall Street Is the Enemy, Not Immigrants”. El Pueblo's advocates ended their speeches with a call for government to serve the entire population, not a narrow sector of corporations and top politicians.
Since the 1970s, US elites have favored policies that have increased inequality, destabilized the economy, and weakened unions. The policies have harmed and infuriated wide swathes of the population and many are looking for culprits to blame. With some success, President Trump has directed blame away from billionaires and toward scapegoats such as undocumented immigrants who he says “rape, pillage, thieve, plunder and kill” [6].
Many of the undocumented immigrants in North Carolina, far from being violent themselves, are fleeing the hideous violence of US foreign policy. Take a look at Guatemala, which is a leading source of undocumented people in North Carolina [7]. In 1952, the Eisenhower administration overthrew the popular, progressive Arbenz government of that country. For the next half-century, hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans were massacred by US-backed military dictatorships. As a result, people fled the devastated country. Another main source of North Carolina’s undocumented population is El Salvador, where the US role has been equally brutal.
Other speakers at the Sunday’s event included Artivista Karlin of Sunrise Durham and Saige Smith from Triangle Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The Palestinian Youth Movement and Mothers for Ceasefire also sent speakers. The representative from Mothers for Ceasefire read a deeply moving note from a young man living in Gaza:
Life in Gaza is bleak, dark, and depressing. And sad because we cannot do anything. Every year a war breaks out, sometimes two wars in one year, destroying everything and stealing more of our friends, loved ones, and everything we built.
Since my childhood I have lived a tough life, working in markets to provide money and food for my family. Despite the hardships, God blessed me with a beautiful voice, a big heart, and immense patience. Because of this, I always try to bring happiness to people and put smiles on their faces because we deserve life, safety, and happiness despite this dark reality. The most recent war began on October 7th. I’ll never forget that day as it brought unbearable hardships, but I am still alive, and because of your support I am deeply grateful.
During this war, the occupation bombed my family’s home while we were inside. The house was sheltering 118 people. Children, women, men, and elders. None of us belong to any political party or organization. We were all civilians. Despite this, the occupation killed more than half of my family. Over 70 people were killed, including my uncles, their children, their wives, my grandmother, my aunts, their husbands, and their children. Even my cat. Only 48 of us survived the bombing. Is this because we were innocent? Is this justice?
Work Cited
Gordon, Brian. “Amazon Warehouse Workers in Garner to Decide on Union in Election Next Month.” News and Observer, 9 Jan. 2025, www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article298151058.html.
“Dr. King’s Error.” New York Times, 7 Apr. 1967, https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1967/04/07/90316200.html?pageNumber=36.
“Vietnam War Protests.” UNC Libraries. www.exhibits.lib.unc.edu/exhibits/show/protest/vietnam-essay.
“Activists and Authorities: The May 1970 Protests”. History Department of North Carolina State University, www.soh.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/1970-home.
Curtis, Miranda. “Anti-Vietnam War Protests”. Durham Civil and Human Rights Map, www.durhamcivilrightsmap.org/places/5-anti-vietnam-war-protest.
Reid, Tim. “Trump Escalates Harsh Rhetoric Against Immigrants, Harris.” Reuters, 29 Sept. 2024, www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-escalates-dark-rhetoric-against-immigrants-harris-2024-09-28.
“Profile of the Unauthorized Population: North Carolina.” Migration Policy Institute, 2019, www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/state/NC.
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