| ALERT!!! Vigil to Protest Farmworker Evictions When: Monday, Feb. 16 @ 4:30 pm Where: The Strawberry Fields (Cannon Road near the I-5 freeway) Carlsbad says yes to animals, No to local farmworkers A vigil-protest against farm worker evictions will take place Monday Feb. 16, at 4:30 pm at the strawberry fields (Cannon Road near the I-5 freeway). A march will then proceed eastward along Cannon where a press conference will be held. Despite pleas from farmworkers and their supporters from Ecumenical Migrant Outreach (EMO), the City of Carlsbad will to evict more than 70 farm workers from their homemade dwellings near Cannon Road in Carlsbad on Tuesday, Feb. 17. We demand that these evictions be halted. An attempt to stop the evictions was made Feb. 9 by members of Ecumenical Migrant Outreach at a meeting with city officials. Lloyd Hubbs of the city's public works department told the group of 15 people that the "cleanup" (he refuses to use the word evictions) has been delayed long enough. He cited pressure from the California Coastal Commission and the State Wildlife services to effect the evictions. Asked if his references to "habitat" referred to animals living in the area, he said, "Yes, that's the reason." This means that animals now have priority rights over farm workers. For the past year, the City of Carlsbad has worked with local residents and a Temporary Housing Task Force to establish a more permanent camp for farm workers. But EMO says that the city has paid lip service to the task force, and has not fulfilled its commitment to achieve shelter for the workers. "Nothing has happened," said Barbara Perrigo of EMO. "The city has balked at every solution made by the task force. Meanwhile conditions in the camps continue to deteriorate. With the evictions, the workers are put into worse conditions--sleeping in the bushes and in overcrowded, overpriced rooms Oceanside." EMO has offered a temporary solution at the camps--placing port-a-potties and dumpsters. But property owners, growers and the City of Carlsbad refuse to consider these alternatives. EMO and its sister organizations demand that the evictions be stopped. Depriving workers of shelter is a serious violation of their human rights. Barbara Perrigo, EMO (619) 709-9803 Mark Day (760) 224-3872 Juan Ramon (760) 213-1904 Jose Gonzalez: (760) 470-2776 |