Posted on 01/07/2006 12:30:22 PM PST by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Small groups of protesters rallied nationwide Saturday against illegal immigration and lax border security, demanding the government penalize employers who hire illegal workers.
The so-called "Stop the Invasion" protests were organized in 19 states, but in several cities only a smattering of opponents of illegal immigration turned out.
In Glendale, Calif., a Los Angeles suburb, about two dozen protesters waving American flags gathered outside a home-supply store, but they were surrounded and shouted down by more than 100 drum-beating supporters of immigrant rights who chanted, "Racists go home."
The two groups traded shouts and obscene gestures for more than an hour. There were no arrests, police said.
"We are keeping the debate on illegal immigration in the forefront of the American consciousness," said Joseph Turner of Save Our State, which wants to shut down day labor centers set up near large home-supply stores that the group claims are magnets for illegal immigrants. The centers pair employers with people seeking temporary work, such as painting or landscaping.
In Danbury, Conn., about 50 people calling themselves the Connecticut Citizens for Immigration Control spent about two hours chanting and holding signs that read "Arrest Illegal Employers."
Paul Streitz, who organized the demonstrations, said members believe illegal immigrants are taking jobs from citizens while driving down property values.
"This is not a racist thing," said Daniel Anastasia, 46, a construction worker from Westchester, N.Y. "We pay taxes, they don't. I get paid what the union says. The contractor pays them cash. It's not fair to me."
In Las Vegas, John Holiday, 43, and his son, Conner, 9, held signs near a convenience store where undocumented workers are picked up by employers. The boy, who held a sign that read "Our lawmakers encourage lawbreaking," said illegal immigration has divided the country.
"Do you think the problem will be over when I grow up?" Conner asked.
In Farmingville, N.Y., where immigration-related violence erupted several times in recent years, only about a dozen protesters showed up and argued against the growing number of day laborers on eastern Long Island.
The hiring has been a source of tension among longtime residents since at least the late 1990s. In recent months, town officials have been cracking down on illegally overcrowded houses, leaving many of the day laborers scrambling to find new housing.
"Close our borders," protester Bill Pearson said. "Close down the businesses that are hiring these people."
In Framingham, Mass., near Boston, a small group protesting illegal immigration was met by a much larger group of counter-demonstrators, some of whom surrounded them and temporarily disrupted the protest.
"What they are doing is just harassing people who are out here to go to work every day, and they're doing it in a hateful manner, which is against everything this country stands for," said Manuel Olivera, pastor of the nearby New Life Presbyterian Community Church.
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AP writer Ken Ritter contributed to this report.
The only Illegal immigration rally that truly will matter in the end is the one that occurs in the halls and chambers of Congre$$.
fyi
I never heard anything about these rallies until someone posted information here fairly late last night. Very few people can get to a rally with that little prior notice.
There's always next weekend or tomorrow. ;-)
Join the National Day of Protest of illegal immigration this Sat. Jan. 7, 2006!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1553514/posts
On a macro economic basis, with unemployment at 4.9% and property values at all time highs, this is a tough sell.
Now for a given individual or a specific property this might be true, but in the big picture, this statement is difficult to justify.
Hey! The USA is our home and we reserve the right to protect our home...
The USA is NOT your home so you go home to wherever the heck that is!
And dont come back ya here...
hmmmm. Protesting against those illegals is racist? I thought Mexicans were caucasian by race. There's no there there.
"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,
1. The act of invading; the act of encroaching upon the rights or possessions of another; encroachment; trespass.
Dear Mr. Blood,
What do you mean, "The so-called "Stop the Invasion..."? Either the protests were called "Stop the Invasion" or they weren't. For pete's sake, don't you know? If not, why not? If so, what's with the "so-called"? We all know the media is bias, but cheeze....
ping
This is sad, isn't it?
How anyone can honestly believe that illegal trespassers, who broke the law to enter the U.S., work and live here illegally, commit crimes against American citizens, buy homes illegally, and obtain counterfeit social security numbers actually "have a right to be here" is beyond comprehension.
Just like there were no people who showed up for these hysterics for the reason that only a few sour, hateful pathetically out of touch loons (the kind that grow in the FR immigration threads) have been able to morph the public's concern with an out of control border into a national consensus that we should completely lock down the borders and expell all illegals. The majority of the public is not nearly as hateful in their concerns about border security and controlling the flow of immigrants as the hard core types here on FR.
Your screen name fits you to a tee.
And my neurons are just fine, thanks.
More propaganda from the AP.
The key point is that even a few Americans speaking up makes a big difference.
If folks don't like this invasion, it is up to them to stop it. Their elected 'leaders' aren't going to do it for them.
Close down the border and expose the employers who are exploiting slave labor and flouting the law.
President Bush, I didn't know you read FR. Gee, I'm honored to be called a loon by you, as I don't care for your open border policies either, so we're even!
lol
So, using the MSM anti-spin translation: These rallies were attended by more people than Cindy Sheehan can round up, and in more locations. But because we are against doing anything to stop illegal aliens, we report this as a big disappointment for anyone concerned about US sovereignty.
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Support our Minutemen Patriots!
Be Ever Vigilant ~ Bump!
Anti OPEN BORDERS Sarcasm TorpedoTM ARMED. FIRE!!
"Pathetically out of touch" ?? I even checked your Freeper page and no state flag was listed. Try living in Phoenix and tell me there's no problem.
Full Disclosure: Dare I hazard a guess that you live in one of the following three places?
1. Washington, D.C.
2. Alaska
3. Hawaii
...ok, four:
France
Cheers!
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