This weekend, the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team was in California for some Memorial Day games against the San Francisco Giants and the LA Dodgers, and at each location, they were met by hundreds of protesters speaking out against SB-1070, Arizona’s new harsh anti-immigration law:
— May 29, San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: Approximately 500 protesters gathered outside of AT&T; Park, calling for a boycott of Arizona. (The Seminal has images of signs from the protest here.) Also on this day, a crowd estimated at 10,000–20,000 people marched to the Arizona State Capitol as part of a “National Day of Action Against SB-1070,” “filling a 5-mile stretch of Phoenix in 95-degree heat.” Thee were other protests around North America, such as in Mexico City, where 300 people outside the U.S. Embassy demanded “legalization for undocumented Mexican workers in the United States.”
— May 31, LA Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks: Approximately 150 people protested “inside, outside and above Dodger Stadium” yesterday. In addition to protests outside, a dozen spectators in the left field pavilion unfurled a banner reading “Don’t Play With Hate” once the game began. Additionally, a plane flew overhead towing a banner that said “Immigration Reform Now.” Protesters with SEIU called for the Dodgers to move their spring training base out of Arizona if SB-1070 goes into effect as expected on June 29. When Dodgers manager Joe Torre was asked about calls for the team to “take a stand,” he replied, “A stand against what? Letting this club into town? Talk to the people higher up.”
Some images from the protests:
On April 30, the Major League Baseball Players Association put out a statement opposing SB-1070. Rep. José Serrano (D-NY), whose district includes Yankee Stadium, has said that the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, scheduled to take place in Phoenix in 2011, should be moved to another location. Several high-profile players and managers have also spoken out and suggested they may boycott the All-Star Game if it’s held in Arizona. The Diamondbacks’ management, however, has been reluctant to criticize the anti-immigration law, saying it would be “unfair and unjust” for them to take a position.