Thousands gather to battle 209

Monday, October 28, 1996

ACTIVISM:

Protesters hope to sway voters in last days of campaignBy Marie
Blanchard and Karen Duryea

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

"How does it feel to be the civil rights of the movement of the
’90s?" asked civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, at Sunday’s STOP
Prop 209 rally.

In the shade of the Federal Building, thousands gathered
yesterday afternoon to hear speakers Rev. Jesse Jackson; Eleanor
Smeal, leader of the Feminist Majority; Tom Hayden, 23rd District
state senator; Congresswoman Maxine Waters and singer/songwriter
Bruce Springsteen.

With Nov. 5 quickly approaching, the rally was one of several
last-ditch efforts in a 10-day countdown to the elections aiming to
appeal to indecisive voters.

"The polls say we’re behind," Smeal told the crowd. "Don’t be
discouraged by the polls; the supporters (of Proposition 209) are
dropping … Our job is to make sure they’re behind the only day
that counts, and that’s Election Day."

Organizers of the rally said their goal was to inform voters
that Proposition 209, if passed, would end affirmative action.
Nowhere on the ballot does the phrase affirmative action appear,
possibly misleading voters, Smeal said.

People of all races and ages pressed forward as Rev. Jesse
Jackson stirred the crowd, stressing that de-racialization of
issues like affirmative action must occur for Prop. 209 to be
defeated.

"It’s a majority issue, not a minority issue," Jackson said.
"Whenever we all come together, we almost always win."

The latest polls indicate that 54 percent of California voters
support the initiative, according to Smeal. Nonetheless, an
estimated 2,500 anti-209 advocates attended the rally, according to
Jen Bott, press coordinator. But when Huerta asked the crowd if
there were enough protesters there, they replied, "No."

"You shouldn’t have any room between you," Huerta urged.

Huerta told the crowd to help mobilize voters by asking for a
"big favor;" to ask at least 10 trustworthy friends to vote against
the proposition in hopes that their message will spread and 209
will be stopped.

"If, in fact, all of us do that, then we have a chance of
winning," she said. "Red shirts," as the volunteers were referred
to, worked the crowd to request donations and recruit more
volunteers to man the polling places a week from Tuesday.

As the final speaker, Bruce Springsteen took the podium after
Rev. Jackson and, once again, the crowd surged forward. He joked
that he was unprepared to speak.

"Jesse Jackson just gave the speech I was going to give," he
said.

The traffic and police sirens on Wilshire Boulevard served as a
backdrop for "The Boss’" speech, but he wasn’t talking about music
Sunday.

"I am here today because I believe it is very important to stop
Proposition 209 in California," Springsteen said. "It’s not a race
and colorblind country; if you think so, then there’s a job for you
over in Disneyland. Affirmative action has been an effective tool
since the beginning."

After he sang two songs, harmonica and all, the crowd made
requests for Springsteen to sing "Born in UCLA," to no avail.

Sen. Hayden expressed his opposition to the proposition.

"California can still be a model of opportunity and diversity
for the world if we defeat this initiative," he said. "Where is our
party? Is it courting Wall Street instead of Watts?"

Congresswoman Maxine Waters attacked the UC system and its lack
of diversity.

"Regents ought to be ashamed of the nine college campuses … ,"
Waters said.

"Look at the meager numbers of people of color who are still out
of the system. We need to work hard to attract young kids."

JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin

Bruce Springsteen and Jesse Jackson entertain anti-Proposition
209 ralliers at the Federal Building Sunday.