Thread by @OrenOppenheim

I'm at a @Lights4Liberty protest against ICE that's starting by @PAConvention Center, where the @Netroots_Nation #NN19 progressive convention is happening. The protestors will march to Philly's ICE field office on 8th and Cherry. Follow thread for updates @PhillyInquirer 1/

This protest comes just days, according to @NYTimes, before planned ICE raids targeting undocumented immigrants with final deportation orders. In Pennsylvania, arrested migrants could be sent to the Berks Detention Center; story by @JeffGammage here
inquirer.com/news/immigrati…
2/

Jessica Gardener of Old City tells me she's here to protest how immigrants are treated on the border, and as a Jew she sees "way too many reminders of what happened in Nazi Germany". She's not for "open borders" but "many people put into camps are seeking legal asylum" 3/

Organizers unfurl a banner: "No Detention in a Sanctuary City" 4/

Near the center, albeit across the street, is a heavy police on bicycle presence. To my understanding the protests are meant to remain peaceful. 5/

Another banner unfurled that combines "Gestapo" and "Stop ICE" 6/

Troy Turner, Reading PA, is here w/ the Sunrise Movement Berks, said that this protest is "specially a lot of issues coming together" ie shutting down the Berks County Detention Center, which he said could happen thru order from PA gov Wolf or Berks County administrators 7/

Protest starts with a chant of "close the camps" 8/

Faith-based groups like CAIR Philadlephia are here as well 9/

Overflow into streets as "the people United will never be defeated" chant goes on, as does a chant of Never Again 10/

Other chants:
"What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!" And a chant of Black Lives Matter 11/

A lot of the chants are being done in both Spanish and English 12/

Here's a sense of the crowd, probably well over a hundred by now 13/

"Not one more--"
"Deportation!"
Right before there was a chant calling to abolish the police 14/

Tying the protest to other movements: a chant of ""From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go"
(I don't have video because my phone is overheating and is not letting the camera function) 15/

Organizer addressing the crowd before leading a chant: "Importance of all our people doing good"
"We demand justice... Unite from Philly..." "We showing these motherfuckers how we do this"
"We will not stand here for injustice, we are here marching against white supremacy" 16/

(don't have her name or org at the moment) 17/

Miguel Andrades of Juntos immigrant org: out here marching against white supremacy and it's violence against our communities 18/

Leading a back and forth about issues they're marching about, including education, cash bail; and "bring down white supremacy"

The march begins 20/

Into arch street 21/

The march continues 22/

Marches moved a road work sign in it of the way (might have first been placed on sidewalk) 23/

Arrived at and turning at arch and broad, now they've paused 24/

Rallying in the street at the intersection. Not clear they've stopped but organizer just yelled that they did not coordinate with "pigs" (police) 24/

Police escorting away a lone counterproster (yelled about America). No signs of any physical struggle 25/

Police escorting away a lone counterproster who was yelling about America 25/

Drawn out "I believe that we can win" chant at a pause in front of Philly city hall 26/

Chant as they turn on 15th: "free the kids/close the camps" 27/

After a pause for more chants, moving again and turning onto Ranstead 28/

Next to city hall and a marcher/organizer is leading a chant against the police 29/

*slightly sensitive content* someone is carrying a paper mache ICE agent doll on a noose

Chant of "shut down Berks" detention facility as they turn onto Market 31/

As they continue down Market: btw 13th and 12th Street a land is clear for protestors. Here onlookers on a double decker tourist bus watch 32/

UPDATE: It seems like most of Market in this area is clear of traffic, possibly until 8th St--ICE office is 8 and Cherry 33/

"Shut down Berks" chant at 10th and Market 34/

"Denying medical card to detainees is torture" -Greg Robinson, left, who's with the Living Liberally org
Katherine Mandel, right, said she's here to protest the centers, which she called "concentration camps" 35/

Turning at 8th and Market 36/

March arrives outside ICE office at 8 and Cherry (some protestors were already there) 37/

"Never again means now" chant as protestors assemble outside ICE office (visitor entrance is behind metal barricade fences) 38/

A protestor from St Louis, Koach Frazier, said he protested in the Ferguson protests and is here because 'we aren't free until we're all free' (slight paraphrase) 38/

Andrades' mother (center, green shirt, don't have her name) speaking in Spanish w translator: "we cannot allow them to take away our identity", speaks against incarcerating immigrants 39/

Activist Carla Rojas said she remembers when she crossed the border not knowing what would come next, and she's sharing testimony from someone detained at Berks 40/

Katya Perez with Make the Road Action PA calls out the Trump admin explicitly for its policies 40/

Marchers now going further down 8th away from ICE office. No altercations by office 41/

Turned on 8 and Race st, nearing Franklin Square 41/

March pauses outside police headquarters, an organizer is talking about police brutality and how it, deportations, other issues are part of "the entire state apparatus" 42/

Should mention that the crowd's a lot smaller now, probably closer to a 100, than it was during height of the march 43/

After a discussion of police violence, immigration, and other issues, organizer tells crowd "we stay united with each other" and talks about organizing w/ and issues w/ Democratic party 44/

"abolish ICE" chant at 8 and Arch during a pause, one block from Philly ICE field office 37/

Calls to abolish ICE and shut down Berks, and a discussion by activist about political revolution. Now marching back to convention center 46/ (I repeated 41)

In remarks outside of the ICE office, Andrades of Juntos calls out PA Governor Wolf for inaction and calls for elected officials to do something 39/

Activist Felicia Teter: "remember this is indigenous land" and comparing reservations to incarceration 45/

March back to convention center (after this pic my phone died, hence late update). Threaded through traffic but otherwise went without incident (lot of chants, and then dispersed after a talk at conv center entrance) 47/

This activist is YahNé Ndgo, chief visionary officer at Deep Blu Womyn Company. When I asked for comment after the march ended, she said, "White supremacy is violence and death." 48/48 end thread

https://twitter.com/OrenOppenheim/status/1149708192202592257?s=19