By Libertad Pedraza, TELEMUNDO 48
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Photo Credits: Brooke Anderson
More than a thousand essential workers came together in the Mission District and walked two miles to reach San Francisco City Hall with a clear message for city leaders.
“We want them to stop the war in Iran and the great war in Palestine, and not send that money there, we need those funds here, locally, here we pay taxes and that money has to stay here, we do not want to give that money to the war,” said Irma Delgado, activist of Mujeres Unidas y Activas.
Irma began its day on 24th Street and Mission Street, where the day brought together more than a thousand essential, agricultural, cleaning and health workers to take the first step of a more than two-mile march.
“Of the $13 billion that San Francisco has, we are not seeing investment in students, in preschool children, we are not seeing investment in the elderly, nor are we seeing support for programs that give knowledge to the community to to be able to come and advocate for themselves,” explained Reina Tello, community organizer for Poder San Francisco.
Reina assured that in the Mission district, the most Latino area in San Francisco, instead of investing they are cutting projects and planning to close schools so this day is one more day to advocate for their community.
Erika Rivera was one of those who spoke at the podium, she told her story as an immigrant from El Salvador and mother of four children, of how with immigration reform immigrant workers are vulnerable to being abused in the work environment.
“We are people and we want the same opportunities as the rest, and that is why I am here asking the representatives of the United States and demanding the registration law HR1511 or an immigration reform for $8 billion, we are waiting for a reform, enough is enough please , we have children and rights,” said Erika.
The march had a large police presence and street closures in downtown San Francisco but the day ended peacefully.