There's been no shortage of protests around Phoenix this year.
Although most notable protests in 2013 were on the immigration front, there were a few others that caught our attention, including the protest of an alleged cat-killer, and a march for the right to go topless. Check out our picks for the top 10 Phoenix protests of 2013:
10.) Witches Support Jan Brewer's Policy Preventing DREAMers From Getting Driver's Licenses
Citizens for a Better Arizona spent Halloween casting spells at Governor Jan Brewer's office, over her executive order denying driver's licenses to people granted deferred action by the Obama Administration's new policy.
9.) Cat-Lovers Protest Outside Home of Accused Cat-Murderer
Although police in Mesa arrested a man there on suspicion of stealing, mutilating, and killing as many as 40 cats, animal-abuse charges were eventually dropped, and the man was sentenced to house arrest on a single charge of theft. Neighbors whose cats went missing took to the street in protest.
8.) Tom Horne's Fight Against In-State Tuition for DREAMers Leads to More Arrests at His Office
Attorney General Tom Horne has been the subject of several protests over his lawsuit against the local community college district, which had allowed DREAMers to pay in-state tuition, since they live in-state. One of these protests included the symbolic burning of young people's dreams, and an attempted delivery of the ashes to the AG.
7.) Bill Montgomery Skewered in Puente March
As part of a Puente-led protest in Phoenix earlier this year, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery was the main target, due to his practice of charging undocumented workers in such a way that they won't be able to post bond.
6.) Topless Protest in Tempe, With March Down Mill Avenue
Topless women (and men) marched in Tempe, as part of a national effort to make equal law that only prevent women from going bare-chested in public.
5.) Moon Valley Residents Protest Grand Opening of Goodwill Store
Around a dozen residents of the affluent North Phoenix neighborhood of Moon Valley showed up to protest the grand opening of a Goodwill store in their neighborhood, a store some people argued was not "compatible" with the neighborhood.
4.) March for Trayvon Martin at Civic Space Park
After George Zimmerman was found not-guilty for shooting and killing black Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, around 150 people took to the streets of Phoenix to protest the jury's decision. It turned into a series of protests around Phoenix for the following weeks.
3.) Tucson Activists Block Buses Filled with Migrants in Custody
This one comes from Tucson, but it was too spectacular to leave out. In mid-October, two buses filled with migrants were on their way to a federal courthouse so the migrants could face charges of entering the country illegally, based on the feds' "Operation Streamline." About a dozen activists managed to chain themselves to the buses, and live-streamed the entire thing online. The court dates were canceled for that day.
2.) Phoenix ICE Building Turns Into Party Zone for Protesters
Those same pro-immigrant forces behind the protests in Tucson made it to Phoenix a few days later (after chaining themselves to the entrance of a detention center in Eloy), where they had a full-blown party at the ICE building.
1.) March for Immigration Reform in Downtown Phoenix
In what was likely the largest protest of the year in Phoenix, thousands of people marched in favor of comprehensive immigration reform.
