Protest

While many New Mexicans will have traditional 4th of July celebrations with fireworks and cookouts, there will also be a number of protests around the state as citizens use the First Amendment rights.

Thousands of New Mexicans gathered Saturday in downtown Albuquerque to oppose the Trump Administration. The event was one of about a dozen in New Mexico and many more nationwide.

Long-time labor activist Dolores Huerta was at the Hands Off! protest in Albuquerque on Saturday. She’s originally from Dawson, New Mexico, and worked alongside César Chávez to co-founded the United Farmworkers.

As President Trump entered the chamber to address a joint session of Congress Tuesday, New Mexico U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury stood behind him with a sign that read, “This is not normal.”

In response to President Trump’s inauguration, people came together on Monday in downtown Albuquerque to call for protection of workers’ rights, immigrants, and more housing.

Protesters rallied outside a University of New Mexico Board of Regents' meeting Thursday, before joining in public comment to condemn the clearing of a pro-Palestinian encampment by police on Wednesday.

Protesters say that while they celebrate having won a commitment from the university to investigate its financial connections to Israel, the police action was unjustified and they plan to keep up the pressure on university leaders.

Twelve hours after the deadline to either pack up and leave or face more police raids, the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at the University of New Mexico stayed in place. By 7 a.m. Wednesday, police had moved the group from the encampment.

The University of New Mexico issued an ultimatum to protesters at a pro-Palestinian encampment at the campus Duck Pond Tuesday afternoon, warning them to dismantle the camp by 5 p.m.

The pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of New Mexico has been holding space day and night at the campus’s duck pond for the last week following similar protests across the country. Last night, organizers moved into the Student Union Building. New Mexico State Police forcibly removed the protestors around 3:30 a.m., detaining several.