Immigrant Justice Rally Will Be May 1 at UNH in Durham

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Photo from Eva Castillo's Facebook post

DURHAM — Rejection of racism, xenophobia, and anti-Muslim sentiment will be the theme of the annual May Day Rally for Immigrant Justice to be held this year on the Durham campus of the University of New Hampshire.

The rally will take place at 4:30 p.m. on the lawn in front of Thompson Hall in the center of the UNH campus featuring the voices of UNH students, immigrant activists, and local faith leaders.

“Speaking out for policies rooted in compassion, justice, and fairness is more important than ever,” said Eva Castillo of the NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees, a Manchester-based group that has been involved in organizing annual May 1 rallies since 2006.

Speakers at the rally will include

  • Eva Castillo of the NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees
  • Rev. Sandra Pontoh of the Maranatha Indonesian UCC Church in Madbury
  • Gabby Greaves of the UNH Black Student Union
  • Auderien Monareh of the United Asian Coalition of UNH
  • Siddarth Nigam, a UNH international student
  • Lina Shayo, an immigration attorney
  • Rev. Larry Brickner-Wood of the Waysmeet Center

The Leftist Marching Band, a Portsmouth-based ensemble, will perform songs including “Solidarity Forever,” with choruses in English, Spanish, and Bahasa Indonesian.

Wanda White and Eny Wahyuningsih will perform a dance from Sumatera, Indonesia called “Lancang Kuning.”

Sponsors of the rally include the Waysmeet Center, the Immigration Working Group of the United Church of Christ NH Conference, Maranatha Indonesian UCC Church, American Friends Service Committee, and the NH Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees.

Previous May 1 rallies have been held in Portsmouth, Dover, Manchester, Nashua, and Concord.

May 1, which is celebrated as International Workers Day in many countries, has over the past decade become a day for immigrants and their allies to rally in the United States.

Additional updates will be posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/1086051458124426/?active_tab=posts.