300 marchers bring their message to Apopka: "Si Se Puede"

"Show me the suffering of the most miserable; So I will know my people’s plight. Free me to pray for others; For you are present in every person. Help me take responsibility for my own life; So that I can be free at last. Grant me the courage to serve others; For in service, there is true life. Give me honesty and patience; So that I can work with other workers. Bring forth song and celebration; So that the Spirit will be alive among us. Let the Spirit flourish and grow; So that we will never tire of the struggle. Let us remember those who have died for justice; For they have given us life. Help us love even those who hate us; So we can change the world. Amen."

-Cesar Chavez

A national movement came to Apopka yesterday.

Representatives from The Farmworker Association of Florida (headquartered in Apopka), the Hope CommUnity Center and approximately 300 supporters took to the streets of Apopka and marched from Kit Land Nelson Park down Park Avenue to US441 to City Hall and back. They braved sweltering heat and a persistent rainstorm to bring a voice and a face to their cause.

They cheered, they waved to oncoming traffic and passers-by. They chanted “Si Se Puede,” which means, “Yes, we can,” in Spanish.

They called the demonstration a March and Rally for Immigrant and Worker Rights.

Before they marched, they listened to speeches at the park in both Spanish and English. Sister Ann Kendrick of the Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka prayed before the march.

"Today we pray to a God whose arms are open to everyone...every person...especially those that are vulnerable. Today we pray for those immigrants who are afraid to attend because they fear for their safety. But instead of bowing our heads I want you to look around at these people, the diversity of this demonstration, the hundreds that turned out for this event."

She rang a Tibetan bell in tribute to the plight of immigrants and refugees throughout the world.

"May this sound go out to all them... those here and afraid, and those who have not made it to America...may it bring them safety and comfort."

In major cities across the United States and dozens of smaller communities like Apopka, protesters marched for immigrants, for workers and the cause of laborers around the world.

For Tirso Moreno, the march and rally illustrated the fact that the farm working community is weaved into the fabric of Apopka.

“Most of Florida’s agriculture industry and rural economy is sustained by the work and contributions of farmworkers and their families,” said Moreno, General Coordinator of the Farmworker Association of Florida. “Today we sent a message loud and clear to all local elected leaders and to the American public inviting them to value farmworker and immigrant communities. We are not criminals. We work hard, and we are an important part of the nation’s economy.”

Larger rallies drew thousands in other cities, including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and Seattle on May Day, which traditionally has celebrated workers’ rights but took on more momentum this year.

Other organizations participating included the Central Florida Jobs with Justice, Farmworker Self-Help, Young American Dreamers, Youth and Young Adult Network of the National Farm Worker Ministry, Organize Florida, and the Florida Immigrant Coalition.