Family Holds Public Viewing for ICE Shooting Victim Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
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Hundreds of community members gathered in Houston on Thursday evening for a public viewing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the 52-year-old Mexican man shot and killed by an ICE agent on July 7. His sons stood by their father’s casket for hours greeting mourners who wore blue, Salgado Araujo’s favorite color. A mariachi band played, and several altars adorned the chapel: One table held Salgado Araujo’s construction tools and hard hats, while another displayed two of his Mexico soccer jerseys. Photos and videos of some of the family’s most joyful moments were projected in the background.
Democracy Now!’s María Inés Taracena spoke to some of the attendees outside of the funeral home. “Looking back at history, it brought back memories of Emmett Till, when his mom also let the community grieve with them,” said Cesar Espinosa, a local immigrant rights activist. “She wanted to show the world what they had done to her son, and I think today, this family also wanted to show the world what they had done to them.”
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
Just within the same hours as President Trump giving his address, in Houston, Texas, hundreds of community members gathered Thursday evening for a public viewing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the 52-year-old Mexican father of three U.S. citizens, shot and killed by an ICE agent on July 7th. Members of the public lined up outside the chapel at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home in Houston’s predominantly Latino East End District before making their way inside, where the body of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was laid in an open casket, his sons standing by their father’s casket for hours, greeting mourners who wore different shades of blue at the family’s request, many of them in tears. A mariachi band wearing all black stood by the casket, filling the room with music. Photos and videos of some of the family’s most joyful moments were projected in the background. Several altars also adorned the chapel: One table held Salgado Araujo’s construction tools, including two of his white hard hats, while another displayed two of his Mexico soccer jerseys.
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Democracy Now!’s María Inés Taracena spoke to some of the people who attended. She was outside the funeral home because recording was not permitted inside.
CESAR ESPINOSA: My name is Cesar Espinosa, and I am the executive director of FIEL. The feeling inside is it paints a picture of a man who loved his family, who loved his kids, who loved life. And his life should have never been taken away on that fateful Tuesday morning, July 7th, you know, three days after our Independence Day, on the streets of Magnolia Park. He should still be alive today. At this time right now he should be having dinner at home. He should have been listening to his music, getting ready for the next workday, which he would have done, regardless. I think it’s the feeling, and there’s one of somberness, but it’s also a very peaceful kind of, you know,........
