Groups like the Border Patrol Victims Network are organizing a vigil in Tampa’s Ybor City Thursday for people who have been killed by Customs and Border Protection officers.
Jenderless is an organizer with Occupy ICE Tampa and Border Patrol Victims Network.
“The vigil itself is for the people who specifically have been killed by border patrol. When they’re trying to get to the border or they’re accused of throwing rocks, they return with lethal force. They’ve also been caught on video dumping over much-needed water and essentials for those that are trying to cross the border as well.
“And it’s not just about that border violence. It’s about the migrants that have recently come and the violence that has been perpetuated on them with not allowing them medical treatment and children dying once they get to the border as well.
“Recently Lonnie Swartz was a border patrol agent that was not held accountable for his murder of Jose Antonio Elena, whose birthday actually would have been January 5th. So, he’ll be represented at the vigil as well.”
You’ve had otehr vigils and demonstrations in front of the border patrol in Ybor City. How’s that gone? I know there’s been some incidents at some recent ones.
“Yeah. We’ve had a few. The first one was nonviolent. There was a row of us across the building. The most recent one, there was a blockade in the street. They were accosted and almost run over by a van that had sprung up, actually, from a line of traffic specifically to target them. It wasn’t just a vehicle that happened to be at the front of the line. It came up specifically out of traffic to target them.”
It’s Tuesday beginning at 3:00 p.m. in Tampa’s Ybor City at 1624 East Seventh Avenue.
