MASSIVE RALLY AT STATE CAPITOL PRESSURES GOVERNOR DEAL TO COMMIT TO VETO CONTROVERSIAL ARIZONA COPYCAT LAWS
 
This Thursady, March 24, a crowd estimated between nine and ten thousand Georgians converged today at the state capitol to protest the controversial Arizona copycat laws proposed by the legislature. The singular message that was delivered in a dozen different languages by a diverse group of speakers was clear – a call on Governor Deal to commit to veto any Arizona style legislation that lands on his desk.
 
Just after 1:00, Congressman John Lewis elated the crowd with a last minute appearance.  Rally organizers were surprised – and deeply honored - that the Black Freedom Movement leader not only came to the rally, but said to the crowd, “There is no illegal human being.  If anyone is illegal, everyone is illegal.  If anyone is going to be arrested, I stand ready to be arrested with you.  The jails in America are not big enough to hold all of us.”
 
Students who have fought for the passage of the Dream Act, followed Lewis by leading the crowd with a rousing call and response of “Undocumented…” “…and unafraid!”
 
Other lawmakers who spoke in opposition of HB 87 and SB 40 included House Minority Leader, Stacey Abrams and Representative Stephanie Stuckey-Benfield and Senators Vincent Fort and Nan Orrock.  Some legislators, apparently moved by the size of the crowd, came out unexpectedly to join the rally and speak, including Emanuel Jones, chairman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. 
 
Organizers of the rally say they were not surprised by the massive turnout.  “SB 40 and HB 87 are bad for all Georgians,” said Adelina Nicholls, Director of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights and one of the rally’s organizers.  “These laws threaten to bankrupt Georgia, both morally and financially.  If the Governor cares about what’s best for Georgians, he will say loudly and proudly that he will veto any such legislation that falls on his desk.”
 
Speakers got a break when the Georgia-based rock duo, the Indigo Girls, came to the microphone to perform.  The nationally renowned lesbian musicians greeted the crowd by saying “We are all immigrants!” and sang their hit single, “Shame on You.”
 
Other speakers included Travis Kim, President of the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia, Jerry Gonzalez of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, Ed Dubose of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, Helen Kim, Asian American Legal Advocacy Center of Georgia, Teodoro Maus of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights and Monk Ashim who addressed the crowd in Burmese.
 
Media Contacts: 
Xochitl Bervera, Georgia Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition      (404) 861-0756
Kathrin Ivanovic, Georgia Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition     (215) 776-1162
Adelina Nicholls, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights             (770) 457-5232

 
By Kathrin Ivanovic