Posted on 03/24/2006 3:10:57 PM PST by Crackingham
Thousands of people across the country protested Friday against legislation cracking down on illegal immigrants, with demonstrators in such cities as Los Angeles, Phoenix and Atlanta staging school walkouts, marches and work stoppages.
Congress is considering bills that would make it a felony to be illegally in the United States, impose new penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants and erect fences along one-third of the U.S.-Mexican border. The proposals have angered many Hispanics. The Los Angeles demonstration led to fights between black and Hispanic students at one high school, but the protests were largely peaceful, authorities said.
Chantal Mason, a sophomore at George Washington Preparatory High, said black students jumped Hispanic students as they left classes to protest a bill passed the House in December that would make it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally.
"It was horrible, horrible," Mason said. "It's ridiculous that a bunch of black students would jump on Latinos like that, knowing they're trying to get their freedom."
In Phoenix, police said 10,000 demonstrators marched to the office of Republican Sen. Jon Kyl (news, bio, voting record), co-sponsor of a bill that would give illegal immigrants up to five years to leave the country. The turnout clogged a major thoroughfare.
"They're here for the American Dream," said Malissa Greer, 29, who joined a crowd estimated by police to be at least 10,000 strong. "God created all of us. He's not a God of the United States, he's a God of the world."
Kyl had no immediate comment on the rally.
At least 500 students at Huntington Park High School near Los Angeles walked out of classes in the morning. Hundreds of the students, some carrying Mexican flags, walked down the middle of Los Angeles streets, police cruisers behind them. The students visited two other area high schools, trying to encourage students to join their protest, but the schools were locked down to keep students from leaving, said Los Angeles district spokeswoman Monica Carazo.
In Georgia, activists said tens of thousands of workers did not show up at their jobs Friday after calls for a work stoppage to protest a bill passed by the Georgia House on Thursday. That bill, which has yet to gain Senate approval, would deny state services to adults living in the U.S. illegally and impose a 5 percent surcharge on wire transfers from illegal immigrants. Supporters say the Georgia measure is vital to homeland security and frees up limited state services for people legally entitled to them. Opponents say it unfairly targets workers meeting the demands of some of the state's largest industries.
Teodoro Maus, an organizer of the Georgia protest, estimated as many as 80,000 Hispanics did not show up for work. About 200 converged on the steps of the Georgia Capitol, some wrapped in Mexican flags and holding signs reading: "Don't panic, we're Hispanic" and "We have a dream, too."
Neo marxists walking out of schools and places of work. Too bad they don't keep walking right back to where ever they came from.
What? Did you expect ZERO backlash against legislation cracking down on illegal immigrants? The provision in HR 4437 that has me most concerned is criminalizing charity work done by Churches for illegal aliens.
For those protesting born in America, would it be satisfactory if they walk back to their own State, if different than the State they are protesting in, or would you require they actually walk back to the hospital they were born at?
What is it these people expect? Legal immigrants want the borders to be wide open? Illegals expect to be able to go back and forth as though a border doesnt exist?
For illegals especially, this isnt their country. This country belongs to the USA, if they are here ilegally then they are ilegal. making it a felony wont help there arent enough jails to hold them. They should be taken to a Border crossing and shown the way home. Then the border should be closed so they cant get back. Mexico isnt allowing illegals to cross their southern borders. Whats good for them is good for us.
man, is that ever reaping what we've sown in a nutshell...America, where are you now?
there's a monster on the loose but not the one Steppenwolf lamented about....quite a different animal and a direct result of excessive redress of the elusive inequality phantom
and most freepers are too young to know..
How many were there - 1000:1 ratio?
At the very least, I don't think charity work should be criminalized. From HR 4437 that was passed by the House:
". . . assists, encourages, directs, or induces a person to reside in or remain in the United States, or to attempt to reside in or remain in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such person is an alien who lacks lawful authority to reside in or remain in the United States;"
Do you think that could never be applied to serving illegal aliens in a soup kitchen?
..most Americans have had a dream too...why can't you obey the law and enter a country that offers so much... LEGALLY? Most Americans nightmare is we have a US Congress that refuses to uphold their oath of office where it states ..to serve and PROTECT the CITIZENS of the United States.
The Atlanta news station I watch reported on this tonight. Apparently many Hispanic businesses were closed for the day. Gee, that hurt me a lot. :)
There are 12 million illegals here now -- how many marchers were there?
Great way to round 'em up and fingerprint 'em.
"All workes" = neo marxists
The latinos had a boycott today in metro Atlanta, it was great, actually felt like I lived in the US. I just got home from work to see how many people protested at the capitol, the AJC is reporting 100 highschoolers, that it!!! LOL
The reason is simple:
ILLEGAL ALIENS VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS
Don't get too comfortable, unless you really think Tom Tancredo has a lot of pull in D.C.
LOL
They should not be voting for EITHER party.
As long as they can do this, there is no point in anyone becoming an American citizen. If citizenship through proper channels means nothing, why would anyone do it? If these people become "citizens" the legal way, they would lose all the freebies our government has bestowed upon upon them.
IMHO one reason some of our politicians don't push for legal immigration (besides Hispanic vote pandering) is the work it will take to repair our social security, disability, welfare, education and medical resources that are presently horrifically overburdened with handling people who shouldn't be eligible for using any of those resources in the first place.
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