Suburban solidarity: Estimated 500 marchers take to Edmonds streets for immigrant rights

In a passionate show of suburban solidarity, an estimated 500 marchers from across the region gathered in downtown Edmonds on Saturday morning to voice support for inclusion, immigrant rights, and to protest the recent actions coming out of Washington, D.C. that would curtail these.

Marchers gathered at Edmonds’ Civic Field, where event organizer Julie Hertl of Edmonds addressed the crowd, acknowledging how their presence at the event sends a strong message that these values and beliefs are not limited to the disenfranchised, but are widely shared across America, particularly in traditional middle-class suburbia.

“This is what America is about,” she said. “It’s not time to be fearful. It’s time to stand up and be counted. It’s time to be engaged.”

In an impromptu gesture, Rick Steves bounded out of the crowd and up to the podium, took the megaphone and underscored Hertl’s message.

“Today Edmonds arises from complacency and whiteness to show the world what we really are,” he said. “We are committed to standing by the ideals the rest of the world looks up to. If you’re afraid of Muslims, get to know some. If you’re afraid of gays, get to know some. Celebrate the beautiful fabric of our community. Be engaged!”

Participants then left Civic Field and marched through downtown Edmonds, as Steves jumped into the role of unofficial cheerleader, chanting with the crowd, “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.”

The march concluded at Frances Anderson Center field, where marchers could browse informational tables, read educational materials and learn about opportunities for further involvement.

— Story and photos by Larry Vogel

  1. Had I been in town, I would have been marching with them. We need to ensure that Edmonds is a community that is accepting of all.

      1. Ron, 3 million of those people you call illegal immigrants have pending petitions for adjustment of status with USCIS, the office in charge of immigration. They paid $2000 to file the petition (a lot of money if you earn minimum wage), but in many cases, it takes between 10-17 years for a petition to be approved. For example, it takes 17 years for a Mexican legal resident to adjust his/her spouse’s immigration status. There would be another 3 million in the process, but immigrants also divorce, so the petition is dropped. The divorced spouse is left without recourse, though most likely is the parent of American children and doesn’t want to be separated from them. Would you like to be separated from your children? Also, many American citizens who marry foreigners, intentionally don’t adjust their spouses’ status, to have them under the danger of deportation so they stay obedient. And then you have the children who were brought to this country by their parents. This is the only country they know and they barely speak their parents’ language. They filed for DACA. So these examples cover 70% of the ones you called “illegals”. If the procedure was as short as the Ellis Island interview (15 minutes) that got most of the white immigrants in American, all of the 11 million undocumented immigrants would be legal. Your last name is German. You are also an immigrant. Have some compassion.

        1. Excellent answer, Rosamaria. I have a shorter one for Ron: Yes. Unless they give me a reason not to accept them. Which is the same answer I would give for any other subset of “all”.

        2. Rosamaria:

          You’re right; I am an immigrant. I went thru all of the required process to get the required documents, so that I was legal when I arrived in this country in 1974.

        3. Ron, that was 1974 (as you mentioned) and things are significantly different now – the *legal* process is far more convoluted, far more painfully long than it was in 1974. I fully agree with Rosamaria. Further and a less pejorative: undocumented is the status of people without the official United States of stamp of approval.

        4. If you don’t like the law get a new one passed but don’t encourage breaking the law. Illegal is illegal and should not be tolerated.

      2. Ron, you said you emigrated in 1974 and did all the paperwork. I am a citizen and petitioned for my husband as soon as we got married. It took a little over 3 months from the day we mailed the petition to the day he got his job authorization; and one more month to get his green card. We paid about 2K and waited 4 months. That is a very reasonable time. I supported him while he could not work. Why does a Mexican who is a legal resident in the US have to wait 17 years to get a green card for his/her spouse, after filing the same paperwork and paying the same amount?

  2. My boyfriend and I participated in today’s march. I’m with Bruce, we need to ensure that Edmonds is a community that is accepting of all… and yes Ron, that included illegal immigrants.

    1. So you are encouraging breaking the law? If that is the case, Edmonds should encourage gangs to bring their illegal behavior to the streets of downtown Edmonds. The law is the law, don’t encourage illegal behavior. If you accept one illegal behavior and reject another you are being a hypocrite.

      1. I don’t think anyone here said anything about encouraging anyone to break the law. I believe the statement was that Edmonds should be accepting of all, including illegal immigrants – meaning those who have not yet completed all of the documentation requirements to become a “legal” immigrant.

        1. If a person hasn’t completed the documents they shouldn’t be here yet. Coming here without the proper documentation would mean they are illegal and have broken our laws. There are laws on the books regarding immigration and they need to be followed.

        2. So what you’re saying, John mcallen, is that if a person has not followed every law on the books, then they should not be accepted by the Edmonds community?

        3. That doesn’t leave very many to be accepted. So I guess you and I don’t have much left to discuss.

        4. So now you are saying that only “citizens” who follow every law on the books should be accepted by the Edmonds community? Best of luck to you.

  3. Sorry to have been out of town!! Glad to see that several of my fellow council members where in attendance and for sure, I was with you in spirit.

  4. I’m thinking there might be a bit of exaggeration on the attendee count. A couple of us think more like 200/250. There were 400 people attending an event at the ECA perhaps the counter got mixed up…..

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  5. Great pictures! I missed it but was happy to see such a great turnout! Whatever the number, it shows that we all need to listen, open our hearts, and express ourselves in a peaceful and thoughtful manner.

  6. To those stating counts from this wonderful event were off: The participants from Saturday’s event were counted one by one as they left Civic Field carrying hundreds of homemade signs with messages of love and acceptance. The counts are accurate, as many can confirm. Thank you to citizens of Edmonds and surrounding communities- it was exciting to march in solidarity with 500+.

  7. Wonder how many of the solidarity suburbanites feed, clothe and house ‘refugee’ families under their own roof? Say refugees from Syria, Somalia, etc. ??

    …just curious

    1. Probably none. Everyone marches so they have the appearance of caring, because it’s the cool thing to do these days in the Seattle bubble of thought. Once the march is done, they go back to their venti vanilla latte feeling good about themselves and how “caring” they are. It’s all about the appearances.

      1. “Everyone”? The amount of invective in your post, and the width of your very broad brush detract from the point you are trying to make, which I take to be that it’s easy to *look* concerned – but accusing everyone? Please! This is shouting, not reasoning, nor can you really have any clear knowledge of what people do when they get home. Civility used to be an Edmonds characteristic.

        1. Nathaniel,

          Do you know any individual in the civil community of Edmonds that has taken in any refugees?
          I guess painting with a broad brush is only allowed if you happen to be of a certain political party. Painting with a broad brush seemed to be fine when defining the people who voted for Trump all as racists and homophobes.

  8. “Today Edmonds arises from complacency and whiteness to show the world what we really are,” he said.

    I find that statement horribly racist.

    1. Exactly. He’s suffering from being a guilty white liberal who mistakenly believes that race, ethnicity, religion or gender is the issue rather than if someone is here illegally or coming from a nation that is a sponsor of terrorism and doesn’t properly vet their people. Playing the race card is easy for liberals, it’s their go-to talking point on issues when they have no basis in reality.

      Putting American citizens safety and security is the first and foremost role of government which makes this outrage over President Trump’s action absurd on its face. The real outrage ought to be against elected officials like Gov. Inslee, AG Ferguson, council members and law enforcement that put ‘legal’ citizens safety at risk by not following the law and extending protections to those who willingly break the law coming into our nation. With ‘leadership’ like that, we’re marching towards anarchy.

  9. The process by which one becomes a “legal” immigrant throughout the world varies and is complicated; and the U.S. is no exception. Speaking from personal experience, two very close relatives—both U.S. citizens—are currently undergoing an equivalent process as non-citizens/residents in a Schengen Zone country in Europe. Having bought property in this particular country 20 years ago, they don’t receive any special privileges in fast-tracking their legal residency status just because they’re homeowners paying property tax. In fact, in order to become “legal” they must in fact remain in the country sometimes beyond the term of their “legal” visitors’ visas, in order to attend official immigration hearings scheduled by the government agency of this particular country. The amount of bureaucracy they’ve had to endure in order to become “official” is mind-boggling; yet they’re willing to follow through until they attain legal status.

    One can’t assume that every “illegal” here in the States isn’t enduring a similar process; particularly when rules change drastically on a dime, as we’ve seen in the last month.

  10. Title is misleading, no one is against immigrant rights, the issue which President Trump’s order and the one by the previous administration extends to ILLEGAL immigrants and those that come from nations that cannot properly vet these individuals and are well known for sponsoring terrorism. The same 7 nations that cannot properly vet these migrants/refugees were covered under the current and previous administrations but there were none of these protests under Obama which proves the point that the protesters are hypocrites. The whole issue is about the ‘rule of law’ nothing more, nothing less and for those claiming otherwise are in essence demanding that we abscond with laws for those here illegally, thus make Americans, 2nd Class Citizens that have less rights and privileges than those here legally.

    Proponents of this madness better be careful what you wish for as you’re turning a blind eye to law breaking and asking elected and law enforcement officials to pick and choose the laws to uphold. With your mindset if God forbid someone enters your home, business or vehicle without your permission, then too bad, they’re not their illegally, they’re undocumented family members that have every right, if not more so, for what you consider your property or your life.

    The march/rally are fools on parade.

    God Bless President Trump for having the courage to put America and Americans first even if it’s against the will of those who don’t know any better.

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