Let's start focusing on that.
We have a big prize to win, the ordinance.
That is a big prize.
Let us focus on that.
You can see the kind of opposition there is, the kind of bigotry.
But let's just focus on what we have to do, which is the ordinance.
So we're going to get inspired.
We're going to get pumped up.
We will have.
Folks, we will have our cast oppressed.
friends, brothers and sisters, come and inspire us before we go in.
And then we will have Shama also tell us about what is at stake.
Before going in, I'm just here to MC it and introduce the speakers.
And at the end, we'll also have Indu telling us a bunch of bookkeeping items that are important notes for us to take before we go into council chambers.
So let's get started.
Let's have Tanmay come over here and share a few words.
Hello, everyone.
I'm really, really grateful that you all have come from North America, Canada, USA, like many of the states that you have come here for one purpose.
Like today, we are going to make a history here.
We are going to ban caste discrimination.
All right, let's focus on our, like, you know, we don't want to delay.
Like, today, what we are here for is vote yes.
All right?
Which side of the history council members want to be?
Our side.
The side that is right.
Okay?
And...
Thanks, Tanmay.
Our next speaker is going to be another one of our core coalition members, Ram Kumar Bhai.
Yeah, yeah.
Thank you.
Thank you, Seattle.
Thank you, Ms. Akshama Sawanji, for bringing this ordinance.
We waited thousands years.
How much more we want to wait?
It's inhuman.
It is shame.
It is disgusting to keep waiting for this thing.
We have to ask the justice.
If justice not here, where we will go?
Do the testimonies of all the victims are not enough?
Do you want to see students committing suicide here also, like you have been sitting in your homeland?
We want justice, and we want it today, now!
Cannot wait anymore!
Thank you, my dear friends, brothers, sisters, and bed brides, and all the coalition members.
Thank you very much.
Vote yes today, no cost!
Our next speaker is Dan Murray.
We are here.
Cast oppressed Seattleites and Americans after centuries of oppression.
We are speaking truth to power.
We are speaking truth to power.
We see the bigots.
We see the people who want to throw us back into centuries of violence.
And we meet them here with love, with compassion, and with justice.
We are not afraid.
We are here for our rights.
We know that caste is a workers' rights issue.
Caste is a women's rights issue.
Caste is a queer issue.
And we are here to free all people.
And we stand here with our ancestors.
unafraid of those who want to throw us into darkness.
That is why we ask even those who are here to deny Dalit's rights.
to actually listen, listen with love, listen with honor, listen with empathy.
Every single Dalit that is here has stood here since two in the morning because our justice has been denied.
We are risking violence.
We have received rape and death threats.
and disinformation, simply because we are here to fight for our freedom.
That is why, no matter what, we are here in the name of Dr. Ambedkar.
And with Ambedkar, we can do anything.
J-J-J-J-J-Beam!
J-J-J-J-J-Beam!
J-J-J-J-J-Beam!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
Vote yes!
So sisters, brothers, siblings, can I have your attention?
Before I say anything, let's do a chant together.
One struggle, one fight.
City Council, do what's right, OK?
One struggle, one fight.
One struggle, one fight.
One struggle, one fight.
One struggle, one fight.
Thank you.
So let's keep in mind the fact that we are being shouted at by the right wing shows how much is at stake.
Because if we win today, it will be an absolutely historic victory.
And the best way of shutting up the right wing is not to engage in individual arguments with them.
They can shout it out loud if they want, but if we win the audience, they'll defeat us.
So let's make sure we defeat them by letting the Democrats know
that we are watching them.
History is going to watch the Democrats today, and the history books will write about which side they're going to be on.
They can either do the right thing and be on the correct side of history, or, I'll come here, or they get to be the politicians who empowered some of the most dangerous far-right elements in our society.
I hope everybody has had a chance to look at this leaflet Hold it.
I hope everybody has had a chance to look at the leaflet.
Please read through carefully, because what you say in public comment will decide what the Democrats are going to do.
So make it very clear to the Democrats, if they vote no on this ordinance, or if they vote for any kind of delays, What would that mean?
That would mean they are going to empower some of the most dangerous elements, the far right, and they will send a chilling message, a demoralizing message to some of the most oppressed people in our society.
So if they do that, they are not progressives.
They have just enabled the far right I think I should just stop.
I'm going to do one more chant with you all.
And this chant, this chant is a reminder for us quite how much is at stake.
If we just win in Seattle, that will be history itself.
But we are not going to stop at Seattle.
We want to win in every major city in the United States.
And we want the Democrats and Republicans in the US Congress to get the message.
that this is an international movement with working class solidarity internationally against not only caste oppression, but every form of oppression.
So chant with me.
So our chant is, first Seattle, then the nation, ban caste discrimination.
OK?
First Seattle, then the nation.
First Seattle, then the nation.
Loud, loud.
First Seattle, then the nation.
First Seattle, then the nation.
First Seattle, then the nation.
Solidarity.