Immigrants Try to Extend Boycott Momentum

ap/yahoo ^ | 5/2/06 | gillian flaccus

[LouAvul]

LOS ANGELES - Illegal immigrants and their supporters vowed to keep up the pressure on Congress for reforms after more than 1 million people stepped out of the shadows and poured into the streets in a nationwide show of economic clout.

From Los Angeles to Chicago, Houston to Miami, a "Day Without Immigrants" Monday meant a day boycotting work and school in favor of rallies and marches with waves of red, white and blue filling streets for miles.

"We have far exceeded our expectations," said Mahonrry Hidalgo, chairman of the Immigration Committee of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey. "The events are intended to show solidarity and, at the same time, send a message that injustice against the immigrant community is unacceptable. This is not the end of our struggle. It is the beginning."

The boycott was organized by immigrant activists angered by federal legislation that would criminalize an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants and fortify the U.S-Mexico border.

While some businesses suffered, the marches were festive — despite divisions among activists who argued a boycott would alienate federal lawmakers.

In all, police departments and local officials in more than two dozen U.S. cities contacted by The Associated Press gave crowd estimates that totaled about 1.1 million marchers.

Two major rallies in Los Angeles attracted an estimated 400,000, according to the mayor's office. Another 400,000 marched through Chicago's downtown business district, police estimated. The list was long: As many as 30,000 in Houston, 50,000 in San Jose, 30,000 more across Florida. From New Mexico to Tennessee to Massachusetts, smaller rallies attracted hundreds more.

Marchers standing shoulder-to-shoulder sang and chanted and danced in the streets wearing American flags as capes and bandanas. In most cities, those who rallied wore white to signify peace and solidarity and waved signs reading "We are America" and "Today we march, tomorrow we vote."

In Los Angeles, marchers held U.S. flags aloft and sang the national anthem in English as traditional Mexican dancers and Korean drummers wove through the crowd. In Philadelphia, about a thousand people from different marches converged in the historic area near the Liberty Bell.

In Washington, D.C., rallies were scattered but the White House took note — spokesman Scott McClellan said President Bush disapproved of the boycott.

While most demonstrations were peaceful, a Santa Ana rally of 5,000 in California was marred by people hurling rocks and plastic bottles at officers. Police made several arrests, but it was unclear if they were protesters.

Two people were arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Both men had been throwing rocks and bottles at police, Officer Jason Lee said.

And a march in Seattle was disrupted when a car struck a group of marchers, though injuries were minor: The driver was arrested, five other people were arrested for possible weapons violations and one person was arrested for obstructing.

Industries that rely on immigrant workers were clearly affected, though the impact was not uniform. There was low attendance at hotels in Indianapolis, construction sites in Miami and plant nurseries and landscapers across a wide area.

Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat producer, shuttered about a dozen of its more than 100 plants. Eight of 14 Perdue Farms chicken plants also closed for the day.

The rallies shut down 29 branches of Chipotle Mexican Grill, a Denver-based fast-casual dining chain. Goya Foods, which bills itself as the nation's largest Hispanic-owned food chain, suspended delivery everywhere except Florida in what the company called a gesture of solidarity.

In the Los Angeles area, many restaurants and markets were dark and truck traffic at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — the nation's busiest — was off 90 percent, said spokeswoman Theresa Adams Lopez.

The construction industry was hard hit in Florida. More than half the workers at construction sites in Miami-Dade County did not show up, according to Bill Spann, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of Greater Florida.

"If I lose my job, it's worth it," said Jose Cruz, an immigrant from El Salvador who rather than working his construction job protested with several thousand others in the rural city of Homestead outside Miami. "It's worth losing several jobs to get my papers."

About 35 to 40 anti-immigration demonstrators got into shouting matches with pro-immigration marchers as they were leaving a Denver park. Among them were Ron and Marge Mason of Thornton, a Denver suburb.

"We're tired of seeing the illegals coming in," Ron Mason said.

College Republicans at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte staged a rally of their own Monday, demanding tougher enforcement of existing immigration laws. The GOP group sold $5 bricks symbolic of a wall it said was needed to secure U.S. borders.

The impact on some school systems was significant. In the sprawling Los Angeles Unified School District, which is 73 percent Hispanic, about 72,000 middle and high school students were absent — roughly one in every four.

In San Francisco, Benita Olmedo pulled her 11-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son from school.

"I want my children to know their mother is not a criminal," said Olmedo, a nanny who came here illegally in 1986 from Mexico. "I want them to be as strong I am. This shows our strength."

[From One - Many]

extend boycott

What are they going to do?
Pass out their dung amongst themselves?

[bill1952]

"Today we march, tomorrow we vote."

And there you have the end of the conservative movement in America.

Lets work it out 12 million illegals - and we all know that is a low-ball figure - get the vote, bring in their wife, kids and parents.

Figure another 12 - 20 million on top of the original 12 million and you have 24 - 32 million new voters, mostly with strong Socialist roots and very strong National identities - with MEXICO, no respect or love for the pride and dignity of American culture or the values of Western Civilization, and there you have the ending of America and the triumph of Mexamerica.

If this bill passes into law then this is the point where future historians will mark as the beginning of the fall of America.

[headstamp]

Good old AP. This reads like a press release for the illegal organizations.

[TexasTaysor]

My life went on yesterday pretty much as it always has.

Mine did too, except a lot more pleasant. I went shopping and didn't hear spanish spoken once in any of the stores I went in, the traffic was less with fewer accidents, etc. The store employees were friendly and in good moods. It was a great day.

[bill1952]

> but that's the snowbirds going home.

Ain't it great, Susie? :^)

[sheana]

We have a friend that owns a Mexican restaurant here. He was busier than crap yesterday. Of course he told all his people....show up or you are fired. He also does not employ illegals.

[Logical me]

American is out of patience and that slowly building backlash is guaranteed to sink not only their little movement, but all those politicians and businesses that support it as well.

100% correct. The backlash is growing. Congress, the House, and President Bush better wake up. Wall up the border, but in the meantime use the military to stop intrusions. It won't be the first time we have maintained a border protection but it seems to help a foreign country with their borders is more important than ours. Is this the civil war we were fearing. I thought it was going to be against the RATS. Now I have to expand my thoughts. Still time but it is getting short.

[nightdriver]

"The boycott was organized by immigrant activists angered by federal legislation that would criminalize an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants and fortify the U.S-Mexico border."

Uh, Ms. Flaccus, illegal immigrants are already criminals.

[headstamp]

Wait until the leftist moron becomes president of Mexico.

We had better have some kind of border plan in place by then.

[Cautor]

Bush and the Republicans had best get the message that amnesty for these criminals is a loser. Consider Bush's polls in latest Gallup.

Bush's Numbers

New Gallup poll figures are in. Bush's job approval rating is 34 percent — two points down from mid-April. That's no surprise. But there are a few interesting numbers in the poll. One is Bush's personal approval rating — he is now at 39 percent approve, 60 percent disapprove, the first time his personal approval rating has ever fallen below 40 percent. Another interesting number if approval of Bush's handling of the economy. It is now 34 percent — another low. (Perhaps if economic growth skyrockets to 15 or 20 percent per year, that number will fall even lower.) Finally, the poll shows that approval of Bush's handling of the war in Iraq — 32 percent — is significantly higher than approval of Bush's handling of the immigration issue — 26 percent. His number on immigration is the lowest of any issue, except for his approval rating on the energy issue, which is at 22 percent.

[sinkspur]

The American public is tired of all this. I know I am. Any future demonstrations will be puny, and the media will move on to something else.

[LibLieSlayer]

We Conservatives are making headway. My Senator (TRENT LOTT) actually gave a radio address this morning in which he stated, "We need to work a bill out in committee with the House, that Secures our borders FIRST, and truly secures them, and then and ONLY then should we consider a LIMITED Guest Worker program. No Amnesty!"

LLS

[sinkspur]

I'm done patronizing Mexican restaurants. They all hire illegals.

LOL! How long will your boycott last? I'll bet not long.

Some posters on the anti-side sound as silly as those on the pro-side.

[sheana]

And don't forget that will be approximately 30 million or more to add to the welfare roles. Since they are all undereducated and make approx $20k a yr (from an article I read the other day) every single one of them are eligible for EVERY social service available. The federal poverty level is $24k.

[From One - Many]

Now you and I know its just the illegal criminal invaders trying to raid the treasury. We can pay them to be illegal, can't we? We must have pity on these poor unfortunates who only want to raid our treasury, illegally. After all, they are only raiding the treasury some Americans refuse to raid.

As Ben Franklin said, "We have given you a Republic, if you can keep it."

[Spunky]

These are the two groups responsible for the illegal alien rallys. Unite Here is the Union Group that provided the marchers with the placards, WE ARE AMERICA.

UNITE HERE

A.N.S.W.E.R.

[sinkspur]

The Stop & Go was quiet, no greasy laborers.

You give aid and comfort to those who would paint all anti-illegals as racist.

[brytlea]

There should be a statewide holiday when they start to return to their own states!
susie

[sheana]

Tell Senator Lott we already have a guest worker program. It is called the H2B visa and has no caps.
We need to educate these stupid azz politicians I guess.

[absolootezer0]

I was home all day, I swear

but where was your car? was it an evil, manslaughtering SUV?