As part of the effort to “buycott” Arizona to show solidarity with the state after its passage of a new enforcement law on immigration and border control, Tea Party activists will hold a Stand with Arizona Rally in Tempe, AZ. As Yahoo News reports, the effort is intended to both counter a protest against SB1070 being held in Phoenix and to encourage people to travel to Arizona to spend money to push back against the boycott endorsed by cities and organizations opposed to the new law (via Nick D’Orazio):
This weekend, a tea-party-backed Stand With Arizona rally will be held to support the law, while Alto Arizona is holding a Festival for Human Rights to protest the law. Stand With Arizona leaders are encouraging participants to spend freely over the weekend to boost Arizona revenue, while the Alto Arizona movement generally backs economic sanctions against the state.
Phillip Dennis, the Texas coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots, expects the Stand With Arizona rally to attract at least 10,000 visitors from around the country who will stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, and generally try to stimulate the economy. The rally is a part of the “buycott” movement that tries to support Arizona businesses and counter boycotts through tourism.
Meanwhile, Sylvia Herrera, an organizer of the Alto Arizona protest, says economic sanctions are the only way to get the Arizona government to listen to objections to the law. But she also isn’t preaching austerity to the 20,000 visitors her group expects — though she says many out-of-state demonstrators will be staying at the homes of other protesters instead of in hotels.”The people that are coming a lot of times can’t necessarily afford to stay in hotels,” she said. “They’re coming on limited budgets.”
The organizers of the Stand with Arizona Rally will live-stream the event starting at 8:45 ET, with the event kicking off at 9 pm ET. You can watch it here, and use the thread for comments about the rally and the topic.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member