Posted on 04/22/2006 7:34:30 PM PDT by Heartofsong83
Hundreds rally in Toronto for illegal workers Updated Sat. Apr. 22 2006 7:19 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Organizers expected up to 3,500 people for a march and rally through the streets of Toronto, but only a few hundred supporters of undocumented Portuguese workers braved rainy weather on Saturday.
Chanting "support, don't deport," the crowd made its way from Queen's Park to Toronto city hall to cheer speakers who said Canada's "immigration system is broken."
"We are trying to put a human face on the issue," Peter Ferreira of the Portuguese Congress said. "Sometimes we tend to see these people as numbers. They are not numbers, they are people, they are human beings."
The federal immigration department is cracking down on undocumented foreign workers living in Canada. Planeloads of people have recently been sent to their home countries, despite the fact that many work full-time, pay taxes and have established families in this country.
Toronto is home to an estimated 10,000 Portuguese nationals, working as skilled tradespeople in Toronto's booming construction industry. The federal crackdown is sending chills through the city's Portuguese community.
"I know families that are in hiding," Paul Brasit told CTV's Chris Eby. "They are afraid to go to malls, families that are afraid to go anywhere."
Trinity-Spadina NDP Member of Parliament Olivia Chow called on the government to grant undocumented workers a reprieve.
"I certainly hope the minister has a heart and to say we need these workers in Canada," NDP MP Olivia Chow said. "They build our country, they build our city."
Saturday's rally is the second in as many days.
On Friday, about 1,000 Portuguese workers and their family members converged on Queen's Park.
Waving Canadian flags, they tried to send a message to provincial and federal government officials that they want to stay and work in this country.
That rally was organized by the Universal Workers Union Local 183. The union brought the protest to provincial government buildings to say deportations will hurt the local economy.
"I think it will have a domino effect in the future," union representative Andy Manahan said Friday. "Because if they go back to their home country, workers will likely not come back."
But protesters are also upset about the emotional toll of deporting people who have built lives in Canada.
Toronto city councillor Joe Mihevic believes there is something wrong with how the immigration system is working.
"It makes no sense to have these people leave," Mihevic said Saturday.
Despite the protests and a level of public sympathy for deportees, the federal government appears to be unmoved.
The federal government has said there are no plans to provide amnesty to undocumented workers, regardless of their skills.
I was just reading a historical novel where the hero was forced to put hundreds of people over the sides in order to save the ship. He understood that everyone would perish if he didn't sacrifice the dead weight. He started with the people who stowed away.
I think I'll immigrate to Saudi Arabia and demand they live the way I do...
Illegal aliens out of control!
Wow!
Their Quisling liberals sound just like our Quisling liberals.
Remember back in 2004, when Dubya won and the Lefties got so mad they all moved to Canada? It looks like the RCMP finally caught up to them.
My friends portuguese, and he went to his country recently.
He says the EU policies has made it a potential third world in the near future. It really looks like it's heading that way, since the French mentality of work is seting-in almost everywhere in Europe, and it's becoming more of a leech state than anything.
My friend is vehemently against illegal immigration. He's catholic and he admantly against socialism...so he feel that Europe as a whole is doomed. I tend to agree.
Excellent!
GWB, Please pay attention, and (re)learn some Conservative values.
It really, REALLY must be hard to be President: Every moment the burning question is running through the mind: "Do I pay attention to my base; or pander to my donors? Decisions, decisions!"
Canada doing anything surprises me. Seems like all illegals expect handouts and special status in all western countries.
At least someone is doing something about it...finally.
There was a thread about a demonstration in support of these illegal aliens the other day, which failed to attract many protesters due to the fact that it was raining.
Apparently all of these "hardworking" illegals blanch at the thought of getting wet.
Oops, same thread.
D'oh.
:-)
Yes, at least the CANUCKS are rounding up some illegals. Now, about all these Mex's doing jobs that no one will take.
First,my uncle had the second largest apple orchard in upstate NY. The CANUCKS picked the apples and went back to Quebec. Second, I am growing my own Victory garden to put the illegals out of my life for several crops. Third, Che was no hero, and; a bunch of reserve types wiped him out. Last, but; not least, why does God, Duty, Honor, and Country mean so little today that we allow the Mex flag to fly here and we do zip? Are we whimp PC Multiculterism types now?
You got it right. Che was a commie/socialist like Castro and Chavez. He is dead like you depict. Yes, he was a murderer. America and our neighbors to the North need to wake up. We owe illegals zip. Looks like our Canadian friends have more guts then the majority of our spineless elected officials in America.
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