Hundreds Take Part In Pleasanton ‘Families Belong Together’ Rally

PLEASANTON, CA — More than 600 people turned out Saturday to take part in the ‘Families Belong Together’ rally held at Lion Wayside Park in Pleasanton, according to Tri Valley Progressives for Our Revolution. More than 400 people turned out in Dublin and 350 participated in the Livermore rally. The Pleasanton event was one of 700 planned nationwide.

Rabbi Larry Milder, Congregation Beth Emek, Pleasanton Mayor Jerry Thorne, Spojmie Nasiri, Immigration Attorney/Muslim Community Center East Bay, Sammy Jo Rudy, on behalf of Congressman Eric Swalwell, resident Julie Testa, Tri­-Valley NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Felicitas Bejarnaro, Counselor, Arushi Avachat, Founder, Students for Social Change, and Father Kwame Assenjoh, Associate Pastor, Catholic Community of Pleasanton shared their immigration stories, and urged attendees to vote this November.

Activists shared their list of demands:

• Reunite families now. Permanently end family separation and immediately reunify those that have been separated. ICE must release parents immediately so that ORR can reunify them with their children.
• End family detention. Children and families deserve due process, not indefinite imprisonment. Children do not belong in baby cages and internment-like camps. Family incarceration is not the solution to family separation.
• End ‘Zero Humanity.’ Reverse the Trump administration’s policy that created this crisis and chaos to begin with. Parents should not be criminally prosecuted for doing what all parents do, which is bring their children to safety. This horrible nightmare for families will only end when Trump permanently stops his 100% prosecution policy.

Photos courtesy Tri Valley Progressives for Our Revolution