Who/What: Many Immigration Rights Advocates and allies gathered to protest the opening of a restaurant named, "Illegal Pete's." More than 3,000 signatures were provided to the owner as a petition to change the name. Simply put, the term "illegal" in the name of a Mexican food joint was condescending to the people of that identity. A slogan that was chanted and written on posters was "Illegal Pete's, Where Racists Eat."
Where: The protesters rallied directly in front of Illegal Pete's on University Blvd, Tucson, Arizona during it's opening day where there were many people passing by that supported them and others that dismissed their presence.
When: The protesters began their movement on December 10, 2015 the day the restaurant opened and only continued their efforts for the following week.
Why: The members involved found it necessary to protest the opening after they provided the owner with a signed petition with over 3,000 signatures from people around the town that requested him to change the name. After the owner refused to change the name of his dinning branch, he was met with a group of protesters outside of his new, Mexican cuisine restaurant.
Identity: Identities tied into this protest would controversially be, "illegals" and "Mexicans." The point of the protest was to show the owner and the community that the word, "illegal" was dehumanizing the Mexican population around the country and more specifically, in Tucson.
Works cited:
Taracena, Maria. "Protesters Swarm Mexican Restaurant Illegal Pete's Opening Night." Web. 07 February 2016. Retrieved from: http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2015/12/11/protesters-swarm-mexican-restaurant-illegal-petes-opening-night-racists-enter-here-slideshow
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