Arrests and Attacks on Peaceful Protestors Threaten Our Freedoms

This weekend, ICE agents violently attacked and unlawfully arrested peaceful protestors and observers, including SEIU California President David Huerta. President Trump then unnecessarily deployed the California National Guard to Los Angeles, over the objections of state and local officials, mobilizing our military to silence opposition and prevent Americans from exercising their freedom of assembly.

There is nothing more fundamental to the labor movement than the idea that an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. Over and over again throughout our history, wealthy bosses have relied on armed militias to suppress working people’s efforts to exercise our constitutional freedoms. As is the case today, many of those workers were immigrants. Over and over again our solidarity has prevailed in the face of attempts to demoralize and divide us.

This assault on our freedoms must stop now. We cannot allow the government to be used as a weapon against workers. We demand the release of David Huerta and the withdrawal of the National Guard from Los Angeles.

###

About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion