Grand Rapids holds protest, vigil after recent ICE murders

Grand Rapids, MI – A historic heat wave hitting Grand Rapids, Michigan on Wednesday night, July 15, did nothing to slow down a mobilization against the ICE murders of Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Maine and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston.

The protest was held in Garfield Park, in a neighborhood where nearly half the residents are Latino, and featured a diverse lineup of speakers, including Michigan Senate District 29 candidate Ivan Diaz. Alongside calls for justice, the organizers said the main demand was to get ICE out of our neighborhoods.

Stationed near a busy intersection, the crowd began with chants of “El pueblo, unido, jamás será vencido!” and “No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here!” before moving into speeches. The reception from the street was enthusiastic, with drivers cheering and shouting anti-ICE slogans.

Diaz was introduced first, stressing a message of unity to fight back these attacks.

“We have to be able to work together,” said Diaz. “Focusing on petty differences, or differences of opinion or strategy, is not going to help us beat this system.”

Eduardo Montiel, an organizer with the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and the Coalition Against Trump (CAT) – the organizers of the protest – similarly projected a need to join together.

“Both [Joan and Lorenzo] were working class, like the majority of us in this country. Both were just trying to provide for their families,” said Montiel. “This is the common thread that unites all of us.”

The rally portion lasted around an hour, with additional speeches from Lily Cheng-Schulting, a disability rights activist and candidate for State House District 80; Michael Amirault, an organizer with the recently-formed Grand Rapids Opponents of War (GROW); and Julliette Kibby of Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR).

Both Amirault and Juliette Kibby connected the war against immigrants at home with U.S.-led wars abroad, expressing the necessity to fight for our immigrant neighbors while also committing to the fight against imperialism.

The evening closed with a vigil portion, including a read out of every person killed by ICE this year followed by a moment of silence.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #GRAARPR #NAARPR