May Day - And I Mean It In The Sense of "Emergency"

OK, folks, I know that most of us around here focus primarily on the threat posed by Islam. More and more, however, the threat posed by Islam is associated with the threat posed by our government's "open border" policy. This being the case, I am following both issues.

And if you think that our porous borders with Mexico (and Canada) are where the problem, ends, just take a look at "The UN's 'Borderless' World" by Joseph Klein over at FrontPageMagazine.

Here's the scoop on the plans by the illegals and their supporters for May Day.

First, the original e-mail from our friends at Voz de Aztlan. It is followed by a translantion (with gratitude to a friend) and than an AP article on the whole subject:

MEXICO:

"Nada Gringo" el 1 de Mayo El Universal Lunes 24 de abril de 2006 MONTERREY, NL.

La influyente Cámara de Comercio de Monterrey (Canaco) se sumará al boicot que realizarán diversas organizaciones civiles locales en apoyo a la protesta denominada "Un Día sin Latinos". Ésta se llevará a cabo el 1 de mayo en Estados Unidos.El próximo Día del Trabajo, dirigentes hispanos han convocado a un paro nacional, así como a diversas manifestaciones, para apoyar la legalización de los inmigrantes y han llamado a la población mexicana a que se solidarice al boicotear productos y servicios de Estados Unidos."

Unos días antes del 1 de mayo, haremos un llamado a la población para que no viaje a la frontera a comprar en los comercios de Laredo y McAllen", afirmó Jesús Marcos Giacomán, presidente de la Canaco.Según estadísticas de la Oficina de Impuestos de Texas, los mexicanos que compran en los comercios de McAllen y Laredo dejan una derrama de alrededor de 2 mil millones de dólares al año.

Para el presidente de los comerciantes de Monterrey, la salida de capitales que provocan los mexicanos al comprar en los comercios de Estados Unidos le hace un "gran daño" al país. "Por eso vamos a apoyar el boicot", precisó el líder de la Canaco que afilia alrededor de 10 mil negocios.Mencionó que han realizado encuestas entre la clase media de Monterrey, las cuales arrojan que las familias regias de clase media alta gastan entre 3 mil y 5 mil dólares en los comercios de McAllen, Texas."Y eso sucede porque actualmente el dólar es la mercancía más barata que tenemos en el país", subrayó Marcos Giacomán."

Por eso también estamos protestando por el aumento de la franquicia de 300 dólares para importar productos de Estos Unidos", concluyó el presidente de la Canaco.De esa manera el comercio organizado se suma a las agrupaciones civiles que ya están convocando a la población a que el 1 de mayo no realice llamadas, no consuma productos estadounidenses y se abstenga de viajar a ese país.´Clausura´ de supermercado"Ese día vamos a hacer el cierre simbólico de alguna tienda Wal-Mart", afirmó Ignacio Zapata, líder de la Unión de Usuarios de Servicios Públicos y regidor del ayuntamiento de Monterrey.

Ignacio Zapata y otras organizaciones civiles se reunieron recientemente con Ventura Gutiérrez, miembro de la Coalición Internacional 1 de Mayo."La dirección de la Coalición Internacional 1 de Mayo me asignó la tarea de ser el promotor principal del lado mexicano para que la población de este lado se solidarice con la protesta", aseguró Ventura Gutiérrez a los representantes de diversas instituciones.Ventura Gutiérrez es también presidente de la organización Braceroproa, la cual aglutina a 10 mil ex braceros que reclaman un fondo de retiro que nunca les fue devuelto y quienes también se sumarán al boicot contra Estados Unidos."Estamos solicitando a la población mexicana que ese día no hagan una sola llamada a Estados Unidos", precisó Gutiérrez.

Agregó que ese día no compren ningún producto de Estados Unidos y se abstengan de viajar a ese país."Queremos que el 1 de mayo dejen de tomar Coca-Cola y en su lugar consuman agua de horchata y jamaica", añadió el líder social."

Queremos que el 1 de mayo se preparen diversas acciones de protesta para solidarizarse con la que será la marcha más grande en la historia de Estados Unidos", concluyó Ventura Gutiérrez. Ignacio Zapata comentó que ese día también realizarán un mitin de protesta frente al consulado de Estados Unidos en Monterrey.* * * * * * * * * * La Voz de Aztlanhttp://www.aztlan.net/

And now, the translation of that e-mail:

"Nothing Gringo on May 1st" "El Universal" Monday 24, April, 2006

Commercial group "Camara de Comerciao de Monterrey" (Canaco) put together a summary of the boycott in which various local civil organizations are creating to support the protest called "A Day Without Latinos." This will take place on May 1st in the United States. The day after the meeting, participating Hispanics created a national work stoppage to be manifested in various ways in order to support the legalization of immigrants, and have requested that the population of Mexico boycott products and services that come from the United States."

A few days before May 1st, we will call on Mexicans to not travel to the border to do business in Laredo or McAllen," affirmed Jesús Marcos Giacomán, president of Canaco. According to statistics from the Tax Office of the State of Texas, Mexicans that do business in McAllen and Laredo spend about $2 million a year there.

The president of this Monterrey commercial group feels that encouraging Mexicans to do business in the United States damages Mexico. "For this reason we are going to support the boycott," said the leader of Canoco, a group that represents 10,000 businesses. He mentioned that polls taken of middle class families of Monterrey have shown that they spend between three to five million dollars in McAllen, Texas, businesses.

According to Marcos Giacomån, "This happens because the dollar is actually the 'cheapest product' we have in the country. For this reason we are also protesting the rise to $300 in the import charge of importing products into the United States," Canaco's president finally stated.

This is the summary of action plan made by Canaco to various civil groups that are mobilizing to support the boycott on May 1st: Don't make phone calls, don't use any products or services from the United States, and don't go there. Shut Down the Super Center. On this day we will make a symbolic gesture by closing all Wal-Marts," said Ignacio Zapata, leader of the Union of Public Services Users and governing body of Monterrey.

Ignacio Zapata and other civil organizations recently met with Ventura Gutiérrez, a member of the "International Coalition of May 1st." "The leaders of of the "Coalition of May Ist" made me the principal promoter on the Mexican side in charge of solidifying the protest in Mexico," Ventura Gutiérrez affirmed when he spoke to the representatives of the various organizations.

Ventura Gutiérrez is also president of "Braceroproa," an organization that joined together about 10 million ex-braceros that are involved in a suit to claim retirement funds that are owed but they never received. The members of this group will also participate in the boycott."We are asking Mexicans not to make a single phone call to the UnitedStates," said Gutiérrez.He added that no one should buy U.S. products nor travel to the UnitedStates."On May 1st, want them not to drink Coca-Cola, but instead, drink products made from " 'horchata,' i.e. almond syrup, and 'jamaica,' i.e. hibiscus flower juice, Gutiérrez added.

"We want May 1st to create solidarity as a prequel for various other protests that will culminate in the biggest march in the history of theUnited States," concluded Ventura Gutiérrez.

Ignacio Zapata commented that on this day there will also be a protest meeting in front of the U.S. Consulate in Monterrey.

And now, the AP article (hat tip: AOW) :

Activists plan one-day boycott of U.S. businesses

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- "The Great American Boycott" is spreading south of the border, as activists call for Mexicans to boycott U.S. businesses on May 1.

The protest is timed to coincide with a May 1 boycott of work and shopping in the United States that also has been dubbed "A Day Without Immigrants." The boycott, which grew out of huge pro-migrant marches across the United States, is designed to pressure Congress to legalize millions of undocumented people.

Mexican unions, political and community groups, newspaper columnists and even some Mexican government offices have joined the call in recent days.

"Remember, nothing gringo on May 1," advises one of the many e-mails being circulated among Internet users in Mexico.

"On May 1, people shouldn't buy anything from the interminable list of American businesses in Mexico," reads another. "That means no Dunkin' Donuts, no McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks, Sears, Krispy Kreme or Wal-Mart." For some it's a way to express anti-U.S. sentiment, while others see it as part of a cross-border, Mexican-power lobby.

In some cases, advocates incorrectly identified firms as American -- Sears stores in Mexico, for example, have been owned by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim since 1997. And ironically, the protest targets the U.S. business community, which is one of the strongest supporters of legalization or guest-worker programs. "At the end of the day, boycotting would only hurt corporations that are backing what people want done in the immigration bill," said Larry Rubin, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico. Rubin is encouraging people to write to their legislators instead of boycotting.

Roberto Vigil of the California-based immigrants rights group Hermandad Mexicana said his group has asked some of Mexico's largest labor unions to back the protest. Elias Bermudez, president of the Phoenix-based Immigrants Without Borders, is actively promoting the boycott in interviews with Mexican radio and television stations.

Mexican groups are responding. Pablo Gonzalez, spokesman for one of Mexico's largest labor unions, the Federation of Revolutionary Workers and Farmers, said his organization will support a boycott against "at least four of the most important U.S. firms, among them Wal-Mart," Mexico's largest retailer. Two other major labor groups -- the telephone workers' and auto workers' unions -- also are expected to join, Vigil said.

Even parts of the Mexican government have signed onto the protest.

"We are not going to be buying any products from the United States on May 1," said Lolita Parkinson, national coordinator for the National Board of State Offices on Attention for Migrants, which represents state government-run migrant aid offices.

For some, the boycott is fueled not just by debate on the immigration bill, but by long-standing resentment over the perceived mistreatment of Mexicans in the United States. "We want to show the power we have as Mexicans," said Carlos Chavez y Pacho, vice president of the chamber of commerce in Piedras Negras, across from Eagle Pass, Texas. Chavez y Pacho is also urging Mexicans not to shop in U.S. border cities on May 1, in part to protest what he calls arrogant behavior by U.S. customs officials and border officers.

Rafael Ruiz Harrell, who writes a column in the Mexico City newspaper Metro, predicted the boycott could give rise to a broader, pan-Latino movement. "If we could get all of Latin America, for one day, to leave the U.S. firms without customers, we would be sending the kind of clear message they seem incapable of understanding," he wrote.

Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/04/14/mexico.boycott.ap/index.html