Immigrant youth stage pro-DACA skit at Univ of MD as supporters block roads
Video of the street action/theater and blockades
On the 29th of August, immigrant youth staged a skit simulating an ICE raid on a family in the center circle of University of MD's campus roads. Supporters including area antifascists blockaded the roads around the circle. The protest held the streets and circle for 11 minutes, symbolising 11 million people at risk for deportation under the Donald Trump regime. The street theater and blockade were organized by Maryland Dreams/Cosecha.
The University's police department directed traffic around the protest in the same way police in DC often direct traffic away from Black Lives Matter protests. A lot of foot traffic from students as the fall 2017 semester opens ensured the protest was seen anyway. There were no arrests and no apparent aggression by police against protesters.
August 29 was chosen as the day for this blockade because of reports that Donald Trump planned to announce termination of DACA on this day, using the devastation in Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey to keep it out of the news. As of 2AM August 30, Trump had yet to make an announcement on the fate of DACA. DACA is Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals, a program predating the Trump administration in which immigrants brought to the US as children would not be targetted by ICE for arrest and deportation. When Trump "won" the election, many advocates advised anyone who had not already signed up for DACA protection not to do so, as it would reveal their identity to ICE and to Trump.
Speaking at the Fredrick Douglas statue near Hornbake Library, several immigrant students said that while Trump's plans to deport "dreamers" (immigrants brought here as children) are vile and must be stopped, they would not settle for anything less than permanent protection, respect and dignity for ALL immigrants, not lmited to those currently covered by DACA and TPS.
Video of the street action/theater and blockades at the "M circle" at University of MD
