At least six activists were cited Friday after occupying Tucson's Border Patrol headquarters at Davis-Monthan AirForce Base in an act of civil disobedience similar to that which occurred on April 20 at the Arizona state Capitol in Phoenix, and to the sit-down strike of DREAM activists on Monday at U.S. Senator John McCain's office in Tucson.
According to news stations KOLD and KVOA, the six chained themselves together somehow for several hours to a pillar in the lobby of the Border Patrol HQ. Ultimately, according to reports, they agreed to leave, and were cited without being arrested.
A statement from the group explained that they were protesting the militarization of the border.
"The militarized border imposed by the U.S. has lead only to cultural and environmental destruction of the indigenous peoples whose land is on or near the border," it said. "This militarization brings death and terror for indigenous peoples from other parts of the continent migrating to this land."
KOLD reported that the spokeswoman for the group was none other than Leilani Clark, one of the young activists who chained themselves to the Capitol on April 20 in protest over SB 1070, a group now known as the Capitol 9.
Clark's proud, defiant expression made her the subject of a digital billboard created by the Tucson-Mexico City performance art group Verbobala, which borrowed from video of the 4/20 arrest made by Dennis Gilman.
That billboard is now on display in San Francisco on the wall of the art gallery Galeria de la Raza.
In this protest, activists have taken their civil disobedience directly to the Border Patrol, the dreaded la migra, a brave move, if ever there was one.
I'll report more as I get it. Also check out the blog Fires Never Extinguished for more on this action in Tucson.
