Well, now that it seems that the day laborers are finally getting kicked out (and rumor has it that the “formal notice” has been given) of the parking lot next to Grace UMC, David Rocha doesn’t particularly like it. It appears that he has some civil disobedience planned, and that he is recruiting workers to participate — but only those who have proper documents. He also appears to have claimed that 50% of the day laborers are documented, a figure which seems a bit high to me.
Babelfish translantion follows, I’d welcome one done by someone who knows both languages:
Day laborers under evacuation threat
Mitzi Macias
Washington Hispanic
Sep 8th - 2:28pm
The pressure made by a group of neighbors led by the Minutemen “calls” in the city of Gaithersburg caused that the proprietor of the parking where the day laborers meet daily, I officially asked for to the city the evacuation of the informal workers who congregate themselves daily in the area. Thus the Reverendo David Rocha informed, activist in the fight by the rights of the day laborers of Gaithersburg, that explained to Washington Hispanic, that although they only are to the delay of which the formal evacuation takes place keeps the hope from that reaches a Pacific agreement and just.“I met with the administrator of the city, David Humpton, and it confirmed the evacuation request to me. The city of Gaithersburg has demonstrated to have good intention, but due to the political pressures and of some neighboring antiimmigrants it has not been possible to reach an agreement”, indicates the Reverendo Rocha.“The city wants to assign a space to us, but any decision has still not been taken. So far we are arranged to reunite us to discuss which would be the best solution”, adds Rocha.
In the city of Gaithersburg still it is in discussion the approval of the establishment of a center for day laborers, but some members of the council –a minority are against arguing that is not due to use money of the city to offer services to undocumented people.The evacuation order comes by simple request of the owners of the place to be deprived property, but to do they require it of the support of the local police. Therefore, the Reverendo Rocha, showed that due to the good relation that they have with the police of Gaithersburg they have reached an agreement that consists of which they will warn to them so soon gets the order from evacuation not to take by surprise the workers.“I am sure that the police, of good faith, will warn to us when the evacuation will be made to be prepared”, counts reverendo.The day laborers of Gaithersburg are daily located to the delay of a supply of work in the parking located in the 117 North Frederick Bird, that belongs to the Methodist Church United Grace.
As a last resort
The day laborers of Gaithersburg led by Rocha hope that the city assigns another space to them before the order arrives from evacuation. But, they indicate that the only thing that they request is that is an accessible space as much for the workers as for the contractors.“The day laborers are only people whom they look for to work to remove ahead to his families. Our workers generally do not have transport reason why they walk until the place. The only thing that we requested are right decisions”, expresses Rocha.
Of not reaching an agreement with the city, Rocha indicated that the day of the evacuation they will remain in the parking to be arrested by civil disobedience.
“This it would be our last resource to present the community the injustice that is being committed. We wanted to reach an agreement and we are always arranged to work with the city to be part of the solution”, said the Reverendo Rocha.
The activist clarified that due to estatus legal of some workers those would only participate in the police resistance all that have their papers in rule. “We do not want to expose to anybody. The 50 percent of our workers is undocumented and we do not want that they lose little whom they have”, finalized Rocha, that also asked for the support of the community in general to obtain a solution that allows the day laborers to obtain a work to maintain to its families and power to live decently in support to its communities.
