Ravi Ragbir, 43, was arrested Jan. 11, 2018 during a scheduled appointment with federal officials. Ragbir worked as the head of the New Sanctuary Coalition, an advocacy group assisting people facing detention and deportation. He had been granted permanent residency in 1994, but it was revoked after a wire fraud conviction six years later. SO, on this day, they gathered outside the Federal Building
I covered the Jericho Walk previously in 2011. Led by Ragbir they marched ’round and ’round the Federal Building – SEVEN times – as in the Walls of Jericho and looking like Fascisti every time they paused to do their HEIL salute. (picture from 2011 walk).
“Ravi Ragbir, New Sanctuary’s organizer, in addition to being a well-known immigrant rights activist in the New York metro area, is himself an immigrant at risk of deportation. He is also from the War Resisters League” – Inside Immigrant Prisons
In 2011, Ravi Ragbir (lower left in screen grab) spoke defiantly about being in the U.S. ILLEGALLY.
Now, in 2018, under arrest and finally facing deportation, his Sanctuary Movement cohorts walked the Jericho Walk, sans Ragbir, around the Fed Building .
SILENTLY reciting the Jericho Prayer to show solidarity with their “immigrant brothers and sisters.
The JDL was there,too, in support of American Immigration Law. (video is of 2018 walk).
The JDL presence caused a few of the Sanctuary Prayer-Walkers to behave in contradiction to their SILENT Walk instructions: Walk around building. Say silent prayer 7 times and when you stop, raise “Heil” hands in front of Fed Building. BE SILENT.A young female walker (dressed all in black) assaulted one JDL member by ripping his sign. (beginning at 4:02 in video) After an older woman accused them of being “uneducated Trump Voters” (starting at 3:20) another malcontent (an older fellow in blue hoodie) was VERY vocal (not silent at all) as he tediously taunted with, “Fake News. Yes, Fox Fake News. Believe your alternative facts … Babies don’t break laws … Keep America WHITE Again“. Then there was the press. THEIR press. Eager to record this sacred gathering in support of DACA. One familiar photographer, Sandi Bachom, got her 15 minutes last year when she went AGAINST Mayor de Blasio’s failed attempt at shutting down the Central Park Hansom Cabs. She got that one right. ONE. The rest of the time she’s out cheer-leading for every Hard Left campaign she can cover.
Today she should have just filmed – instead of her unfortunate attempts at ‘gotcha’ reporting (in the video at 1:31) : “Make America Great Again? Getting rid of all immigrants. Who told you this, Donald Trump? Where’d ja read that, on Brietbart? Where did you first hear about it (Ragbir) I never heard about it til last week ….Where’d ja hear about it? Ja hear about it on Info wars? Alex Jones?You know what that is?” Getting NO where with such embarrassing questions, she slank away with a “thank you”. Meanwhile, the JDL held their ground while quietly protesting as the Jericho protestors walked 7 times around the building. Other than the bad-players in the walk, it was a very quiet event. More pictures in 2018 Flickr slide show
A federal judge ordered immigration activist Ravi Ragbir be released from custody on Monday, granting him a temporary reprieve from deportation to his native Trinidad and Tobago.
In a seven-page decision, Manhattan Federal Court Judge Katherine Forrest wrote that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had violated Ragbir’s rights to due process.
“The court finds that when this country allowed (Ragbir) to become a part of our community fabric, allowed him to build a life with and among us and to enjoy the liberties and freedom that come with that, it committed itself to allowance of an orderly departure when the time came, and it committed itself to avoidance of unnecessary cruelty when the time came,” Forrest wrote.
“By denying (Ragbir) these rights, the government has acted wrongly.”
She wrote that Ragbir was “entitled to the freedom to say goodbye” — indicating the activist still faces eventual deportation. [NY Daily News]
“The Constitution commands better,” says Manhattan Federal Court Judge Katherine Forrest. (really?) Encouraged by Mayor de Blasios’s Sanctuary City Movement, this Manhattan Federal Court Judge ignored U.S. Immigration Law, supporting those who have no respect for the Rule of Law. Anarchy? Is that the ticket?
Proudly they proclaimed: “Eight Cosecherxs (eros) were able to block Trump Tower, imagine what we can accomplish with 11 million.” [Facebook photo attribution]
“Even though 24hours in NYC jail was unpleasant I felt incredibly lucky to have the support of this crew, and so thankful for all the support we had on the outside. Special thanks to Catalina Adorno for legal coordination, Nataly Castaño Vélez for calling and reassuring my parents that everything was fine, Roberto Juarez for picking up your phone at all hours, Carlos Saavedra Diaz for excellent police liaisoning, Vera Parra for being an incredible media coordinator, and to Fhatima Paulino for sending love and guidance from afar and for managing our social media media accounts while we were locked up, and to so many others who worked tirelessly to make sure we had everything we needed. ” (Always over-reaching)
“I am engaging in this civil disobedience to honor my parents’ labor. My parents are one of the most vulnerable workers in this country– they’re farm workers. We migrated from Oaxaca, Mexico to Homestead, Florida in 2005. The experience of the undocumented workers that worked on Trump Tower is parallel to the experience of my parents who work hard under the sun for a mediocre salary. Donald Trump and his supporters don’t recognize the dependency this economy has on hands of working immigrants. I am getting arrested because I know that my parents aren’t the only ones who struggle because they don’t have permanent protection, dignity, and respect. I want to send a message to our community: we will not stand with Trump’s rhetoric of hatred and racism. His ideology is a threat to my family, to me, to 11 million people. The time is now to stand against hate and racism.”
“My parents grew up in New York City, both from Puerto Rican immigrant families. Because we are Puerto Rican my family never had to live with the fear and uncertainty of not having papers but they did have to learn to adjust to life in a different language, culture and country. Growing up in Western, MA I saw the disrespect my mom faced at her job in a doctor’s office. Everyday when she came home from work I saw the powerlessness she felt in the face of mistreatment and her inability to leave her job for fear of not getting another. This daily dehumanization wore our family down. I know this is just a tiny sliver of the injustice, disrespect and mistreatment that immigrant families face in this country every day. I’m getting arrested with Cosecha today because I want all immigrants, children of immigrants and grandchildren of immigrants to know that we don’t have stay silent and watch our families and our communities face mistreatment. We are here to demand dignity for our entire community from my mom, to the undocumented workers who build Trump Tower, to the farm workers who picked the apple I ate for breakfast this morning.”
“When I saw the headlines that Trump started his campaign by saying “When Mexico sends its people, they are not sending their best” I became upset not by Trump, but by all his supporters that came out and agreed with him. It reminded me of the story of this country. Countless times I have seen racist and xenophobic people treat my family and people like us like we are less deserving because we are immigrants and undocumented. I am getting arrested today because I want to make a statement that you cannot talk down on immigrants while benefiting from our labor. I am getting arrested so that more immigrants join Cosecha and fight against this hateful narrative and to win permanent protection, dignity and respect for immigrants in this country. I want more people to join harvest and fight with us against the anti-immigrant sentiment, so that we can get permanent protection, dignity and respect for our undocumented community.”
“Five years ago, I made a promise to myself and the immigrant community that I was going to fight for us the way they fought for me. That was the same day that the DREAM Act failed on the Senate floor. I had driven all the way down from New Jersey the night before, only to watch the votes come in against me, my community, our future. I saw everyone. The disappointment. The pain. I promised to never allow this pain to come to my community ever again. For five years, I failed to complete my promise and it has eaten at me and bothered me. Especially now. Now, we have the opportunity to start things up again, to take a step towards completing my promise. I’ve realized I’ve been trying to keep this promise by myself so I have to do something that reactivates my community so we can fight together, just like we did in 2010. So I want to tell our community: I need your help. I can’t do this alone anymore.”
Cata Santiago – Lives in Florida City, Florida, From Coatecas Altas, Mexico
“My name is Cata Santiago and I am engaging in this civil disobedience to honor my parents’ labor. My parents are one of the most vulnerable workers in this country– they’re farm workers. We migrated from Oaxaca, Mexico to Homestead, Florida in 2005. The experience of the undocumented workers that worked on Trump Tower is parallel to the experience of my parents who work hard under the sun for a mediocre salary. Donald Trump and his supporters don’t recognize the dependency this economy has on hands of working immigrants. I am getting arrested because I know that my parents aren’t the only ones who struggle because they don’t have permanent protection, dignity, and respect. I want to send a message to our community: we will not stand with Trump’s rhetoric of hatred and racism. His ideology is a threat to my family, to me, to 11 million people. The time is now to stand against hate and racism.”
“It deeply bothers me to live in a country that does not remember its own history. My family came here as Jewish Immigrants from Eastern Europe almost 100 years ago. We came looking for a better life and fleeing persecution just like the 200 undocumented Polish workers that built Trump Tower. I stand with immigrants now because it does not serve this country to have a class of exploited workers who live in perpetual insecurity. I stand with immigrants now, in this civil disobedience, because the people close to my heart can’t get arrested. During this action, I will be thinking of Sonia, an undocumented woman from Peru, who has not seen her children in 12 years. She sees me as one of her children, but it pains me to know that she can’t give her own kids a hug. On her 12th year anniversary of her leaving her country, I called her and we cried on the phone together. We cried because of how deeply we value our relationship, and I cried because I didn’t want to be her substitute child– I want her to see her own children. I want to tell the immigrant community that there’s hope, you have power, and you have allies. This country needs this movement.”
“I have been organizing immigrant workers for 5 years and I have seen the pain of not being valued because of your status. I’ve seen the pain of working so hard, but not getting paid. The pain of not being treated as a full person. I am engaging in this nonviolent civil disobedience to say that we will not longer accept the pain anymore. I want to show my support and love for the undocumented workers across the country. I am also doing this because of the undocumented people who are making a sacrifice by my side during this action. I want to tell the immigrant community that I will be here until the strike– we are not going anywhere. I see you– I see the sacrifices that you make, the work you do, and I want to honor you. It’s time to do something bigger than we’ve ever done before to make this country recognize that this country relies on you.”
Thaís Marques – Lives in Newark, New Jersey, From Belém, Brazil
“My parents are legal permanent residents, my brother is a citizen and I’m undocumented. I recently had my application for a green card rejected. I sent in the application a week before my 21st birthday, but United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) has the right to be discretionary about their decided that because I applied so close to my birthday I no longer qualified as a minor. Living in a country where decisions about my future are all discretionary, is suffocating. Living here without any rights is suffocating. I’m tired of feeling like I don’t have any control over my future.”
++ ++ ++ There you have it. Eight very entitled ILLEGAL migrants (and friends) . Chained. Chanting their Lies. Claiming ILLEGALS BUILT Trump Tower!
“Trump Tower was built by 200 low wage, undocumented immigrant workers. 35 years later, our people continue to work in fields, construction sites, restaurants, and other industries for less than minimum wage without any dignity or respect. Join us as we honor the undocumented workers who built this tower, but also the workers who continue to build this country.”
In fact, a union lawsuit against the contractor was for pension and welfare benefits for 200 POLISH illegals who were hired to TEAR DOWN the Bonwit Teller Department store, not the CONSTRUCTION of the Tower.
Critical COMMENT made on-line to rebut the Cosecheros :
“Built by us? Unless you helped build it with your own hands you have no right saying that. You have no right taking credit for the hard work of Americans and immigrants. Immigrants are and always have been welcome here.Shame on you for trying to equate immigrants with illegal aliens.“
++ In these two short video clips, the illegals proudly twist the narrative. VIDEO #1- I caught snippets of two press interviews.
Carlos Saavedra Diaz – speaking to NBC: “Once again, the hypocrisy of the message of anti-immigrant racism that Donald Trump has supported, while this building was itself and his hotel in D.C. has been built on the hands and the work of undocumented (aka ILLEGAL) immigrants (MIGRANTS)”
Q- What’s going on in front of the door?
” In front of the door we have people that are willing to get arrested, they’re here and in solidarity with this movement- and they’re trying to show that this (?) messaging, this (?) racist,hateful messaging you can’t send” (HUH?)
Q: What do you hope to accomplish then.
“We’re hoping to accomplish, to recognize the labor of “undocumented immigrants” that it took to build this country. Took to build Trump’s Tower which is called the most important project in the world and what it took to build his hotel in D.C.”
Q: (chanting begins again)
“Undocumented workers” have always been misrepresented. We don’t have enough voices (very loudchanting)
Young female (unidentified) gave some of the correct historical background re the demolition of Bonwit Teller (before construction)
“Donald Trump is a hypocrite because he (has used) hate rhetoric against immigrants while (pointing skyward) this tower, before it was built, was demolished by over 200 “undocumented” Polish workers 35 years ago…”
In VIDEO #2, illegal protestor, Tais Marques, spoke while chained at the Tower Doors.
Thaís Marques(Cosecha protestor while chained to door) ” My name is Thaís Marques. I am “undocumented”. I am a daughter of legal, permanent residents. My brother is a U.S. citizen. I am here today to honor the 200 “undocumented” workers who worked on the tower and the 11 million (where do they get these numbers?) “undocumented” who built this. This country DEPENDS on US. (unclear) This country, this economy would FALL. This country depends on us.”
++So. Yes. It was a Peaceful Protest. The “Cosecha EIGHT” (the 4 chained and 2 each foot-blocking the revolving doors) calmly executed their plan. NO one was getting IN or OUT of the doors (for about an hour). But, the NYPD’s plan was tight, as well: To clear the entrance – from all sides – making it difficult to get good pictures due to the ‘crowd cover’ of police bodies .
I.C.E. Free NYC – NOW!
STOP DEPORTATIONS!
Say NO to SECURE Communities. Sanctuary Cities, Si!
45 minutes – 11 speakers (2- 4 minutes each) A Sidewalk forum with no amplification.
Still, they forge ahead. Practiced. Skilled at disseminating agitprop to the home-team.
Flickr Slideshow of initial protest (before the street shut-down) Please place mouse on picture to access slide show
No one is in doubt amongst those lining the walls. Dedicated to an ICE Free NYC.Playing to the cameras from RT TV, Iran’s Press TV, NY 1, Telemundo, Democracy Now! and Japanese TV, NHK.They hang around. The media. They film (a little) Do interview (a few) But, the NY-ICE counter-protestor [in the background] was noticed by only a few…
The media reports are usually short and simple. So, what results from this all, too, familiar protest (with such modest coverage.) Perhaps the results, too, are simple: The reason for the treason: The illegals. Their Families. Their children. Won-over. Manipulated.
The Illegals, convinced only the Communist Left cares about them, work hard to repay The Party. A voting block they can count on.
So, no matter that this protest seemed small and quiet.
Taking only a few NYPD officers off-the-streets. Patrolling the sidewalk. Making sure the entrance to the ICE Federal building wasn’t blocked.
Even their “parade”, a small, quiet procession, was so low-key that it only involved a couple of scooter cops. [a walk around the block]HOWEVER, there was more. Given a heads-up by a protestor about “A PLAN” Don’t leave. It was about to happen. Soon.
So, I hung around. Waiting. Walking ’round-the-block.
And there it was. As we came back to the Federal Building. A Street Action. (THE PLAN) SHUT DOWN THE STREETS!
The anarchist’s favorite toy : Chaos. Confusion. PLANNED.Controlled, but, still, Chaos. The best laid plans (of Mice and Men)“Shut the whole Fuckin’ City DOWN!” (If they could)
See previous post for more on “The Plan” [Part 1] Below is the Video Playlist and Flickr slideshow of the Civil Disobedience:
Picture slide show – The Plan (place mouse on picture to access slide show)
And some extra screen shots of the action (place mouse on picture to access slide show)
Back to the speakers and their with 30-45 minutes of propaganda. Repeated. Over and over and over.
Video Playlist of the speakers (before they shut down the streets)
The average guy. (America) Needs to hear this anti-American blather. Exposed. Countered. But, the media promotes them. Quietly. Without contradiction.Transparency (for real) drives the LEFTISTS to distraction. (They do NOT like exposure.) Controlling every word. Every picture. (Immigration Prison? Family over (evil) Profits) ‘Trade secrets’ carefully disseminated. (To those chosen)
The ‘subtle’ approach demands more than the intellect. Emotions, Si!
The wrong press. The wrong message- unapproved. Not allowed. Requires ignoring those reporters. Bloggers. Blocking their cameras. This, too, is A PLAN.
So, I FILM. Expose (irritate and frustrate them). American should demand Transparency Unapproved!
Granted these are not Trade Secrets: Open Borders. Down with American Imperialism. The Evils of Greedy Capitalism. No Prisons. No “Crime and Punishment”.
Crime (maybe) but punishment? Not for their Comrades. And NOT if you are a person of color. Or, say, ILLEGAL. Say NO to Fascism! [Yeah, that’s the ticket]
They preach the evils of White America. The White man’s 21st century world is Unfair! He enslaves men and women, black and brown.
The White Man must suffer. His greedy Empire-building must be stopped. White people GET OUT. Go BACK where you came from. Reverse Racism, Si!This palaver is but a secular, Marxist-controlled religion, peopled by faux- Christians. “Do-Gooder” Lefties who Say NO to Secure Communities. Open the Borders! STOP Deportations!
They chip away at inconvenient laws. Nurture unrest. Manipulating. Corrupting (or ignoring) the RULE Of LAW.
The American Constitution-Bad. Communism-Good. Anarchy, Si!
Even though the NYPD was caught off-guard by the SECRET Plan, they kept the peace.
Nothing new at Varick and Houston. Pro-Forma. Dealing with the well-rehearsed wild-side was a well-rehearsed NYPD.
The police were calm, focused, professional. They are a fine police force (in spite of De Blasio). Firmly dealing with the insurgents. Bratty. Spoiled. Entitled. Anarchists with a plan. A game-plan. (For now) For Real …. when we don’t expect it …
Can we hope to stop this insanity? Not while we have the Mark-Viveritos, De Blasios, Cuomos and Obamas (with Clintons and Sanders in the wings) All ELECTED to office and deconstructing America one day, one year, one decade at a time.
They have a PLAN. 1. Create Chaos. 2. Restore order. 3. ‘Keep the Peace’. [Can we say “Banana Republic?”]
Eventually, once accomplished, there will be no recovery from their mission. Just passive acceptance. Sad. Sad. Sad. ++
He had been granted permanent residency in 1994, but it was revoked after a wire fraud conviction six years later. SO, on this day, they gathered outside the Federal Building
A young female walker (dressed all in black) assaulted one JDL member by ripping his sign. (beginning at 4:02 in video)
After an older woman accused them of being “uneducated Trump Voters” (starting at 3:20) another malcontent (an older fellow in blue hoodie) was VERY vocal (not silent at all) as he tediously taunted with, “Fake News. Yes, Fox Fake News. Believe your alternative facts … Babies don’t break laws … Keep America WHITE Again“.
Then there was the press. THEIR press. Eager to record this sacred gathering in support of DACA.
One familiar photographer, Sandi Bachom, got her 15 minutes last year when she went AGAINST Mayor de Blasio’s failed attempt at shutting down the Central Park Hansom Cabs. She got that one right. ONE. The rest of the time she’s out cheer-leading for every Hard Left campaign she can cover.
Meanwhile, the JDL held their ground while quietly protesting as the Jericho protestors walked 7 times around the building. Other than the bad-players in the walk, it was a very quiet event.
More pictures in 2018 Flickr slide show
Encouraged by Mayor de Blasios’s Sanctuary City Movement, this Manhattan Federal Court Judge ignored U.S. Immigration Law, supporting those who have no respect for the Rule of Law. Anarchy? Is that the ticket?
They feel he should support an “An Open Door-No Boundaries America”. 
First I saw a familiar Patriot. (Too often a lone voice in the migrant wilderness)
At approximately 11:30, we found the protestors doing interviews with the press under the statue of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. 
Holding hands in a ‘peace circle’, while in sweetly, gentle tones (English and Spanish, they prepared to meet their (possible) opposition with “Be Brave” “Be Calm” “Do Not Engage”. 
Once they had practiced chants and an odd little song [the only words I could understand, were “inmigrantes”, Trump and “corazon” [was this a LOVE song?] Noon arrived. Time to “MARCH” the two shorts blocks to the Tower. 
The “Cosecha Eight” left the park, it seemed, with everyone else.Yet they managed somehow to get ahead of us and to discretely chain themselves to the Tower doors. I missed the BANNER action, caught by 
“
Were joined by the strategic task force/terrorism cops, who came to CUT THE SAWS. (Maybe 40 or so once they’d all arrived)
Chains cut and bagged and the “Cosecha Eight” cuffed and locked in the police van. Over and Out. 
That’s the story of ANOTHER protest supporting Illegal Migration, with some final thoughts from the Cosechas regarding their Declaration of “Dignity”.
Make America GREAT Again!
Dedicated to an ICE Free NYC.
Playing to the cameras from RT TV, Iran’s Press TV, NY 1, Telemundo, Democracy Now! and Japanese TV, NHK.
They hang around. The media. They film (a little) Do interview (a few) But, the NY-ICE counter-protestor [in the background] was noticed by only a few…
Perhaps the results, too, are simple: The reason for the treason: The illegals. Their Families. Their children. Won-over. Manipulated.
HOWEVER, there was more. Given a heads-up by a protestor about “A PLAN” Don’t leave. It was about to happen. Soon. 
Controlled, but, still, Chaos. The best laid plans (of Mice and Men) “Shut the whole Fuckin’ City DOWN!” (If they could) 
Transparency (for real) drives the LEFTISTS to distraction. (They do NOT like exposure.) 
Controlling every word. Every picture. (Immigration Prison? Family over (evil) Profits) ‘Trade secrets’ carefully disseminated. (To those chosen)
This palaver is but a secular, Marxist-controlled religion, peopled by faux- Christians. “Do-Gooder” Lefties who Say NO to Secure Communities. Open the Borders! STOP Deportations! 
Bratty. Spoiled. Entitled. Anarchists with a plan. A game-plan. (For now) For Real …. when we don’t expect it … 