Coalition of Immokalee Workers 2005 Taco Bell Truth Tour

DAY ONE
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2005 TACO BELL TRUTH TOUR: DAY ONE
Departure from Immokalee

photos © Jacques-Jean Tiziou / www.jjtiziou.net

 

5:00 a.m. in Immokalee, Florida: two buses park in front of the Coalition office, quietly waiting to be packed.

Meanwhile, Monday's edition of the Washington Post is hitting newsstands across the country, carrying a feature article on the CIW and the Taco Bell boycott... an unmistakably good omen for the two weeks ahead.

Back in Immokalee, it was only a matter of time before our dedicated team of participants filled the vehicles with all the necessary energy and equipment for the 2005 Taco Bell Truth Tour.


One by one, CIW members boarded the bus, eagerly anticipating the long journey ahead.

Before the farmworkers rolled out of Immokalee, the tour caravan gathered outside of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, where Father Hector Rubin came aboard to extend his blessings for the trip.

After two short hours on the road, we stopped in Venice, FL, for what has become a Truth Tour tradition, breakfast and official send-off from long-time supporter Bishop John Nevins of the Diocese of Venice and the Knights of Columbus, Council #7052.

When breakfast was finished, it was time to bid a quick farewell as the two tours parted ways -- the East tour to Atlanta and the West tour to Tallahassee. The tours won't reunite until Saturday evening when both buses arrive in Louisville, Kentucky, home of Yum Brands and the March 12th National Convergence for Farmworker Justice.

The West tour's six-hour journey to the Florida panhandle provided time for both business...

...diversion...

...and a little bit of both. (Here, workers practice their newly acquired interviewing and recording skills courtesy of Andrew Stelzer of Pacifica Radio in Tampa)

Upon arrival at Florida State University in Tallahassee, farmworkers brought their message to the student body at a powerful and sunny afternoon rally.


We were joined by a team of Aztec dancers from Mexico City that entertained the crowd with a traditional performance ...

...and also united farwmorkers and student allies in a ceremonial friendship dance.


Following the rally, a fired-up contingent mobilized to a nearby Taco Bell...

...where an energetic mix of Truth Tour participants and local supporters carried out the very first protest of the 2005 Taco Bell Truth Tour!

The message to Taco Bell and Yum Brands was clear: as long as they continue to ignore the injustices in their supply chain...


...the idea of patronizing their businesses will remain unappetizing, to say the least.


After a long day, tour riders were treated to a REAL Mexican banquet in the company of old and new friends: Florida State MEChA, the American Indian Students Union, Center for Participant Education, Students for Peace and Justice, and members of local faith communities.

After dinner, it was another round of quick goodbyes, and then the West tour crew was back on the road just as the East tour was pulling into Atlanta for the night. All in all, it was a fantastic start for the 2005 Taco Bell Truth Tour with plenty more to come!

Next stop: Montgomery, Alabama, a city with a rich history of using the power of boycotts in the struggle for human rights and dignity.

Click here for more photos from Day 1!

Click here for photos & reports from Day 2!

Don't miss the Tallahasee Democrat's coverage of the Truth Tour's stop: "Group says time is ripe for living wage"