Jews Against ICE Protest with Bend the Arc

Jewish clergy and community members will gather in Washington, D.C., to visibilize the growing, faith-rooted opposition to ICE’s cruel and unfounded immigration enforcement system.

Grounded in core Jewish values, this protest makes clear that there is broad Jewish communal consensus rejecting policies that dehumanize our neighbors.

Through prayer, moral witness, and public testimony, participants will demonstrate that this system is a failure of both morality and policy – and that it does not have to be this way.

Simultaneous actions will take place in Minneapolis and Boston to draw attention to the complicity of corporations, including Target and Signature Aviation, an airline that provides fuel and logistical support for ICE detainee transport flights throughout the United States. The action in Minneapolis will be led by Jewish Community Action, while the action in Boston will be led by Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action.

Questions? Email Hannah at hweilbacher@truah.org.

Stay tuned on this webpage for any updates.

Location

Here’s where we’ll meet:

Click here to open Maps on your device.

Preparation

There is virtually no street parking, especially with the snow. We strongly advise against driving; please come via public transit or a ride share.
It is very cold and we may be standing in the snow! Please dress warmly (hat, scarf, gloves) and we recommend snow boots.
Listen to some of the songs we’ll sing together to get in the spirit!
While we have no plans for anyone in attendance of this action to be caught up in the legal system, we also want to be prepared as much as possible. If you plan to attend, please ensure that someone who is also in attendance — such as a loved one, colleague, or friend — has your full legal name and your date of birth. We don’t anticipate this will be necessary, but want to take all the precautions we can.
This protest is an act of defiance, it’s not an act of civil disobedience. The stakes are higher than ever, and this protest is meant to signal an extremely broad base of support and a call to action for Jewish communities around the US. We have made this decision for strategic and security reasons. We ask everyone to hold the safety and security of the entire group – to whom they’re accountable – by holding the line with us on this. Absolutely do NOT risk arrest under any circumstances.
We ask all participants to adhere to the principles of nonviolence and de-escalation. We will have amazing marshals in yellow vests supporting our community at the protest; ask them for help if needed.

Access

The program will run for just over one hour
Our program will be interpreted into ASL
We will not have chairs or mobility aids, unfortunately, nor are there good places to sit down
We will have song sheets but will not be translating them into braille; everything we sing we will also teach a few times through

Visuals

Bring a shofar if you have one!
We encourage you to wear any religious garb (tallit, kippah, etc.).
No flags, please.

We would love to see your beautiful art! Please make signs that capture how you feel or what’s bringing you to this protest. We recommend your sign be extremely easy to read, with very little text, in order to make a big visual impact. Some suggested slogans are: