For more information, contact: 

Carmela Garcia, 847-809-0611
Jose Herrera 773-632-9992

WHAT:            Press Conference on Immigrants Rights March and Liberation Square.
Organizers call press conference to announce a mass Mobilization for Immigrant Justice on March 10th, an end to the Illinois anti-immigrant bill, HB 1969, and comment on the election of Rahm Emanuel as Chicago mayor. 

WHO:            An alliance of Immigrant Rights Activists, Social Justice Organizers, Community members, Undocumented Youth organizers.

Inspired by the Liberation Square in Cairo which eventually overthrew the 30-year dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak, immigrant rights groups will be holding a press conference at 10:30 am on Thursday, Feb. 24th to announce a Liberation Square and march to be held on the historic day of immigrant unity, March 10th. 

In light of the recent anti-immigrant legislation HB 1969 introduced in the Illinois General Assembly and the election of a new mayor, Rahm Emanuel, who comes from an administration which has been at the head of record deportations, March 10 organizers are connecting the movement for immigrant rights with global struggles for justice, dignity, equality for all. 

The Liberation Square and march will be held on the 5th anniversary of the pro-immigrant mega-marches of 2006, which occurred in a similar climate of anti-immigrant legislation and austerity. 

“A Liberation Square is a place where we can meet free of oppression, and organize our struggles” said Jesus Guillen, a youth organizer of the March 10 event. “We are making a national call for other communities to create their own “Liberation Squares”, to create spaces where people from different struggles can unite” he concluded.

Along with the planned march, organizers will be available to speak about other planned actions on the day, including an action at the Boeing headquarters, one of the largest military contractors in the world.

“We understand that immigrants are part of a global system that oppresses different communities on different levels, and that all those systematically oppressed are in a sense Undocumented” said Carmela Garcia, a youth organizer of the March 10 event.

From Egypt to Madison, from North Africa to Ohio, people have been raising their voices against oppression and inequality. With this in mind, Chicago reignites the Immigrant Rights struggle as a struggle for justice beyond all borders.

This press conference will be an opportunity to interview youth organizers, artists and community groups about the planned march, its connection to the larger struggles in the United States and globally and the continued expansion of the movement under a new mayor.