Day laborer organizers protest Home Depot, pressuring it to "scrape ICE out of their stores."
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Nearly one hundred people had just one item on their list as they entered the Home Depot in Monrovia on Saturday: a small ice scraper worth a little less than a dollar.They got back in line only minutes later to return the item.The action, known as a buy-in, was part of a larger demonstration at the Home Depot to pressure the company to “scrape ICE out of their stores,” said Erika Andiola, political director for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, which coordinated the event.Demonstrators flocked to the location, some wearing makeshift aprons, similar to those worn by Home Depot employees, with the phrase “ICE out of Home Depot.” Others used the orange Home Depot buckets as drums as they marched through the store.“Whether the corporation wants to admit it or not, Home Depot has become ground zero for this cruel, vicious immigration enforcement that’s taking place in our country,” said Pablo Alvarado, NDLON’s co-executive director.George Lane, manager of corporate communications for Home Depot, said in an email to The Times that “we are not coordinating with ICE or Border Patrol, and we’re not involved in the operations.
We aren’t notified that immigration enforcement activities are going to happen, and often, we don’t know operations have taken place until they’re over.“We’re required to follow all federal and local rules and regulations in every market where we operate.”Home Depot employees did not interfere with the protesters and eventually closed off one of the store’s entrances.
Organizers blocked off vehicle access to the front of the store during a news conference that followed the march.S.J.
Denning volunteers with East Pasadena Community Defense Corner, a group that runs patrols for ICE activity in the area, and hoped that Saturday’s demonstration would “create a little mischief” and increase awareness.“It’s not OK t...