The local Quakers have planned a protest rally at the Northwest Detention Center on July 25 in collaboration with La Resistencia. Both groups have asked Unitarian Universalists to be there with them in protest. Let's show up!

This year at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly the delegates passed a Responsive Resolution to support the protests happening at detention centers across the country in solidarity with the efforts to close Delaney Hall in New Jersey.

The sad truth is that we do not need to go to New Jersey on July 13 to protest. Here in Tacoma, Washington, we have our own detention center run by the same company that owns Delaney Hall, GEO group.

La Resistencia has been holding protests in support of immigrants detained there who have held numerous hunger strikes due to the poor quality of food and unsanitary living situation. See laresistencianw.org/why-shut-down-faqs for more info.

JUUstice Washington, the UU Washington State Action Network, has been in communication with La Resistencia and they have asked us to show up in protest, to support their work. Rev. Nancy C. Nancy Reid-McKee, who was in our pulpit last Sunday, is the Social Justice Organizer for JUUstice Washington. She writes:

I would like to see 100 UUs from the Pacific Northwest to come to this protest in support of Immigrants and in protest of the illegal and often inhumane treatment. Wear your yellow t-shirts*, hats, etc. and bring a sign (Shut Down NWDC; Stop Ripping Families Apart; Stop ICE Raids; Stop the Deportations; Side With Love: We Love Our Immigrant Neighbors, No Human is Illegal, etc.) 

Please email me to let me know if you plan to attend so I can let the Quaker and La Resistencia people know how many we might anticipate: nancyrm@juustwa.org.

* [Ed. note: I believe Rev. Nancy is referring to the yellow "Side With Love" T-shirts, hats, etc.]