UH Mānoa’s Campus Center was flooded by a crowd of about 300 students and staff today as they gathered to “mourn the dead: [and] fight like hell for the living,” as read the event flyer’s tagline. Demonstrators carried flags and signs, filling Campus Center with a colorful and lively display of solidarity and collective action.
ASUH president Hema Watson kicked off the event with a rousing speech calling on the UH administration to make campus a sanctuary space and to allow for student protest. The mic passed next to organizer David Simone, who outlined reasons for the outrage displayed on students’ signs.
“No person in the so-called United States has any political or moral obligation to obey an illegitimate, fascist federal government,” said Simone. “For the people will choose liberty above all else.”
The crowd erupted as Simone delivered the famous quote, “give me liberty, or give me death,” from founding father Patrick Henry. This enthusiasm continued as different speakers went on to take the mic.
When Latinos Unidos UHM took the stage, chair of external affairs Juventino Juntierrez told the story of how his family was living in present-day New Mexico during the American acquisition of the territory.
“We didn’t cross the border,” said Juntierrez.
The crowd joined him to chant, “the border crossed us!”
Immigrants continued to be a focus of various speeches throughout the event. Other major talking points included the recent protests and violence in Minnesota, including the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good.
“We are the families of immigrants,” emphasized Hawaiʻi state Rep. Della Au Belatti who is pushing for protections for immigrants in Hawaiʻi this legislative session and helping to launch the Oʻahu Rapid Response Coalition. Belatti urged the crowd to call their representatives and senators.
Belatti spoke at the event after being contacted just the night before by Amelia Sofos, College Democrats of Hawaiʻi president. Sofos and others praised the turnout of the event, which had been in the works since Saturday.
“We did nothing less than unite the left on campus,” said Simone.
This event was an accumulation of effort from a variety of on and off campus organizations, including College Democrats of Hawaiʻi, Refuse Facism Hawaiʻi, Young Democratic Socialists of Oʻahu, Latinos Unidos UHM, the Black Students Association at UHM, Indivisible Hawaiʻi, and Anakbayan Hawaiʻi.
“I think the organizations coming together so quick and so efficiently shows our strength and resilience,” said Ariel Hall, a representative of the Black Students Organization.
Indivisible Hawaiʻi member Estrella Marin described the formation of the event, saying it came together after “the series of multiple deaths and brutality from ICE.” She emphasized that many Americans feel scared and tired and that the organizations felt a strong need to inform others regarding their rights.
“As skewed and as unjust the American dream can be at times,” said Marin, “everyone deserves the opportunity to have dignity and live a life that they feel good about.”
After the official end of the event, the mic was open to attending students.
“I won’t ever forget this moment,” said Yazmin Elzy, a UH senior who volunteered to give a powerful speech. “Looking out into the crowd and seeing everyone who thinks like me and who wants change, it just made me so comfortable.”
Onlookers watched speakers from all angles at multiple levels of Campus Center. As the event dispersed, students came in droves to write messages in chalk on the stairs, as Hema Watson had encouraged them to do.
Iffit Hoppe-Cruz, co-founder of the Young Democratic Socialists of Oahu and a member of Anakbayan, outlined the three goals of the walkout. The first was recruitment of attendees into the various organizations involved in the event.
The second goal was to direct folks to the Oahu Rapid Response Coalition, a group “committed to organizing, defending, and caring for one another,” according to their website. The coalition has established a hotline to verify and document ICE sightings and share verified information. The number of that hotline is (808) 824-4707.
The final goal, according to Hoppe-Cruz, was to gather signatures on a petition with demands related to immigration policies and support on campus. 20 minutes after the end of the event, Hoppe-Cruz estimated that upwards of 300 signatures were gathered collectively between organizations.
Latinos Unidos president Kiara Chavez emphasized the importance of petitions and collective action.
“If you’re here just sitting pretty and you don’t sign,” said Chavez, “you’re not standing up for what you believe in.”
Chavez said that the turnout made her emotional, stating that she hadn’t quite known what to expect.
“But it was way better,” she said.
“It really does warm your heart a little,” said Jacob Hitchcock, a demonstrator with the Young Democratic Socialists of Oahu. “It melts the ice.”
