Karina Rodriguez
Arts Editor
Approximately 350 people gathered Monday in Pomona for the Unpresidents’ Day Pro-Migrant March, fighting to keep Pomona a sanctuary city.
A sanctuary city is one that by ordinance protects its undocumented immigrant residents from deportation despite federal pressure.
Protestors also marched to keep the U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, out of Pomona.
“People need to be standing up and be heard,” said Dan Kennan, University of La Verne adjunct professor of sociology, who was at the protest. “I saw it work in the 60s and I think it’ll work now.”
Kennan has been protesting for decades. If protesting worked in the past, he said, then it has the ability to change lives even today.
The March was organized by Gente Organizada, the ICE Out of Pomona coalition. It began at 10 a.m. on Main Street and Mission Boulevard, and protestors marched along Mission Boulevard.
Protestors from various ethnic groups and other under-represented populations participated.
Mexican, Salvadoran, American and Palestinian flags could be seen throughout the march, along with LGBTQ+ and transgender flags, which were also displayed. The La Verne Church of the Brethren and Pomona Fellowship Church of the Brethren, which are sister churches also participated.
Media outlets, such as Univision and Telemundo also covered the march, bringing the Pomona-based protest to a larger audience across the Los Angeles area.
Among the demonstrators were dancers from the La Puente-based dance group, Danza Azteca Tonatiuh, who performed in traditional Aztec Regalia.
Vanesa Morales, a 13-year-old Aztec dancer, said that she was there to support and dance for everyone.
She said that participating in the protest made her happy. “To see everybody here, you know, different races, different colors, everybody,” Morales said.
“Really all it takes is a couple of people to start pounding the drums and saying ‘hey we need to do something about this’,” Kennan said.
Kennan added that he believes that everyone can bring change, and that the energy found in Pomona could be taken over to La Verne and the University of La Verne.
The current political environment also brought Ulysses Gontes, a student and Pomona resident, to the protest.
Gontes said he couldn’t ignore what’s going on – the chaos of the current political climate.
“These are my people,” Gontes said. “I can’t just stand by and let all the chaos ensue like this with all these unconstitutional (orders and actions) like people just can’t sit around in times of distress,” Gontes said.
He also said he felt great being part of the great environment that the protest brought.
“I’m proud. I’m proud to be with my people, with my people fighting for what we believe in,” Gontes said.
Pastor Julie Wheeler of the Pomona Fellowship Church of the Brethren was among those who came out in support of undocumented immigrants.
Wheeler said she believes that to be Christian is to fight for fellow brothers and sisters.
“I’m proud to be a Christian,” she said. “I’m proud to be fighting for my immigrant brothers and sisters, and that’s what a Christian, in my opinion, ought to do,” Wheeler said.
She said that Jesus died for his community.
“As a matter of fact, he sacrificed and he died. That’s what he did for his community. That’s what he did for the world,” Wheeler said.
The protest remained peaceful and spirited.
Karina Rodriguez can be reached at karina.rodriguez3@laverne.edu.
Karina Rodriguez is a senior journalism major with a concentration in broadcast journalism, and editor-in-chief of the Campus Times. She has previously served as sports editor, social media editor, arts editor and a staff writer.
