Those involved in a recent anti-deportation demonstration in DeKalb County returned to their homes on Wednesday evening, following a four-day detention. The protest was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and through their account, approximately 30 participants were taken into custody during the rally that transpired on Chamblee Tucker Road over the last weekend.
A news conference was convened on Wednesday at the Atlanta Liberation Center by the demonstration’s organizers. It served the primary purpose of demanding the revocation of charges laid against all those who faced arrest during the rally. Kimberly Paz-Fuentes, one of the detainees, spoke at the event, admitting the personal connections inflaming her participation in the protest.
Paz-Fuentes revealed that her drive for participation was deeply rooted in her brother’s experience, who was deported by ICE after living in the United States nearly his entire life, since he was only a year old. When recounting her arrest, Paz-Fuentes described a harsh encounter with the law enforcement officers present.
She detailed her circumstances by sharing that the officers threw her to the ground, caused her to empty her front pockets, and then continued their rough handling by turning her over onto the pavement. She voiced the physical pain experienced during her arrest, calling attention to the visible bruises she sustained as a result. Paz-Fuentes, five days post-incident, still carried the injuries she received due to the force used during her arrest.
Their advocacy for immigrant rights, according to Paz-Fuentes, was met with the police’s interruption. She expressed her distress about the scenario, in which standing up for democracy and what one believes in can lead to a four-day jail term under traumatizing conditions.
Rachel Stone, another protester arrested at the rally, relayed a story similar to that of Paz-Fuentes. The two were strangers before the demonstration, but their shared experience in jail, from Saturday to Tuesday, laid the foundation for an unexpected friendship.
Stone described their experience in jail as living in a perpetual expectation of seeing the judge ‘tomorrow morning’. This hollow promise, it seemed, was repeated each morning of their detention, holding out hope for a resolution that was continually deferred.
As their initial 48-hour hold was drawing to a close, an officer signed off on their warrants, thereby extending their jail time by another night. Stone detailed the conditions in her cell block, lamenting the sparse availability of air conditioning and water, the lack of her necessary medications, and their unexpected move to the general population.
Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, the CEO of DeKalb County, conveyed her intention to review the officials’ response to the weekend’s protests. However, she chose to withhold commenting further until the completion of this review process.
During the demonstration on Saturday, police deemed the gathering ‘unlawful’, which led them to disperse the crowd. Paz-Fuentes admitted to still feeling the trauma inflicted by the ordeal at the event.
During Wednesday’s news conference, the organizers continued their call for accountability from the relevant authorities. One of the speakers unambiguously demanded the immediate release of all those who were arrested on June 14, along with the withdrawal of all corresponding charges.
Despite the turn of events that led to their arrests, the resolve of the protesters, like Paz-Fuentes and Stone, remains undeterred. Stone, especially, expressed her strengthened commitment to continue protesting, admitting she would face arrest multiple times if it meant advocating for justice.
The protesters informed the Channel, the local news outlet, that they face misdemeanor charges of unlawful assembly and obstruction of an officer. These charges are a direct consequence of their actions during the demonstration that took place this past weekend.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation, the group at the forefront of this struggle, isn’t letting this incident deter their activism. They’ve announced their intentions to organize another rally. The aim of this protest is to once again voice their concerns and demand justice for the immigrant community.
The planned demonstration is scheduled to take place this coming Saturday at Lawrenceville’s Bicentennial Plaza. The group continues to evoke support for their cause, calling upon others who share their passion for immigrant rights to join them in their stand.
Their message is clear: despite the hardships and potential consequences, they intend to continue raising their voices until their cries for justice are heard and adequate action is taken. Their ever-resilient spirit continues to fuel their fight for immigrant rights.