Protesters say no apartheid law in Texas

Chants of “G.O.P. you should know, hate in Texas has to go!” greeted members of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Harris County in Houston as they arrived at their monthly meeting on May 26. Texas State Rep. Debbie Riddle was their special guest. Riddle is planning to introduce an anti-immigrant, Arizona-type bill in the Texas Legislature in January.

A demonstration, called by Houston’s Coalition in Defense of the Community, made their demands loud and clear: “We will not tolerate laws like Arizona’s in Texas. The Arizona law is racist, it promotes racial profiling, and what we need is comprehensive immigration reform in this country, not jailings, deportations and family separations.”

Almost 75 people turned out on one-day’s notice with colorful signs and noise-makers — everyone from grandparents to infants from Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador along with supporters from the U.S. Many janitors who are members of the Service Employees union joined with students and other workers to disrupt the Hispanic Republican meeting and put them on notice that the people of Houston will not tolerate apartheid in Texas. Three local television stations covered the protest.