New Orleans: Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march

New Orleans, LA – On Monday, January 19, 100 activists and community members marched through the busy streets of New Orleans to commemorate MLK’s long legacy.

The protest was headed by the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NOAARPR). Demands included an end to deportations and justice for victims of police brutality.

The protest began with a rally at A.L. Davis Park.

“King was taken from us too soon, but his words and deeds were not. We remember King as someone who fought not only to protect peace but to protect the dignity of all working people,” said Toni Jones, chair of NOAARPR. Jones later stated, “His actions are what are worth remembering in trying to change history.”

Mich Gonzales of Sanctuary Now Abolition Project quoted Martin Luther King Jr, saying, “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” Gonzales then stated “We, the people of the United States, will not be spoken for by the filthy rich. The working-class people are rising up, and we are done!”

Before taking to the streets, Toni Mar from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) read from MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, finishing with the line “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Mar then said, “We have to heed the call to take to the streets! We will not take one step backwards, we are only going forward!”

As the crowd marched through the streets, chants rang out such as “Cell blocks for crooked cops!” And “No justice! No peace!” Community support was high, with people along the streets chanting along with their fists in the air.

The march concluded in front of a sculpture commemorating MLK Jr. on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Central City.

Rosalina Framboise from Liberate and Unite New Orleans Students for a Democratic Society (LUNO SDS), spoke on the importance of remembering the true legacy of MLK, “This is not just something that we learn about in our classes. This is something we experience right here today in our real lives as we continue to shape history.”

Before the protest was over, the crowd gathered together and repeated Assata Shakur’s famous quote, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love and protect one another. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

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