Posted on 09/01/2006 9:08:33 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Pro-immigration activists took to the streets of Chicago on Friday, in the first of a week of marches nationwide to step up pressure on a returning U.S. Congress to move forward with a stalled immigration overhaul.
Dozens of marchers waving U.S., Mexican and other flags set off from Chinatown, at the start of a four-day trek to the district offices in Batavia, Illinois, of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican.
Organizers said they planned to make the 50-mile (80-km) trek in stages, holding rallies along the way. They hope to pressure Hastert to push a bill favorable to immigrants through the U.S. Congress after it returns from recess on September 5.
The rally marks the start of renewed demonstrations by pro-immigration activists, hundreds of thousands of whom thronged the streets of cities from California to New England on May 1, demanding measures to bring 11-12 million illegal immigrants in from the shadows.
The Senate has since passed a package combining tighter border security with a guest worker program and a plan offering many illegal immigrants a path to citizenship, while the House voted through a measure focusing just on enforcement.
Activists plan further street rallies across the United States over the September 3-5 Labor Day weekend to ramp up pressure on lawmakers to break the impasse, with marches planned in Portland, Oregon; Phoenix, Arizona; and Knoxville, Tennessee, in coming days.
The week of action culminates on September 7 with a march through Washington that organizers hope will attract a million participants from across the eastern United States and galvanize lawmakers and President Bush to reach a deal.
"We want to make sure that both Congress and the administration takes on board how important immigration reform is, not just to immigrants, but to all Americans," said Jaime Contreras, the president of the National Capital Immigration Coalition, which is organizing the rally.
"We need a pragmatic solution to this problem to allow people to come out of the shadows in an orderly fashion," he added.
IMMIGRANTS WEIGH OPTIONS
The immigration debate looms large as the United States heads to the polls on November 7 in Congressional and local elections, although party lines are blurred on the issue.
Some Democrats support tighter enforcement, and some Republicans -- led by President Bush -- back the guest worker program and other reforms.
Latino activists have been working hard to register up to a million Hispanics and other immigrants before polling day, and are urging them to scrutinize candidates' records and policies in each district.
"We want to put lawmakers in Congress that represent immigrants' interests," said Rosa Rosales, the national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens pressure group.
"We are urging voters to look at their records carefully before voting," she added.
The League is nonpartisan.
However, opponents of immigration reform say that resurgent Hispanic activism could in fact have the opposite effect in coming weeks, electrifying support for hard-line candidates at the polls.
"Every time immigrants take to the streets and fly Mexican flags, it shows more Americans what's going on in this country," said Ric Oltman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform pressure group.
"Illegal immigration is a big problem, and a backlash in public opinion is inevitable," he added.
Norm, Sept 17th is Mexico's Independence Day. This is why they're ramping up the marches and protests to coincide with their Independence Day. I remember when 9/11 hit, and just mere days later the Mexican flags, lowriders, banana-seat bicycles, bandannas, etc. were out in force in the streets of Green Bay, WI celebrating. They have no respect for our laws or the tragedy that happened to this nation on that day.
Without regards to citizenship, no doubt.
No beef with immigrants.
Beef with illegals.
Knoxville - Tennessee's most conservative city - is sure to welcome this with graceful Southern hospitality.
Perhaps I should send a letter to the Knoxville News-Sentinal "explaining" how these uninvited guests are marching to show their disrespect for the Tennessee Vols.
heh heh heh...
The September 1 Chicago Tribune quotes a march organizer as saying that more than half of march participants are "anti-capitalists" as well as open borders advocates. The front page story said the march would be kicked off with speeches attacking America's "foreign policy." Finally, the paper reported that the despicable Miller Beer Company had contributed $30,000.00 to March organizers. I've quaffed my last MGD.
Maybe they'll take down the U.S. flag on some more Federal properties and fly the Mexican flag on the pole instead. The more they do that, the more they'll intimidate the Congress into abandoning reform. I've heard that the MOST effective tactic they've used is flying the Mexican flag above the U.S. flag.
Ping!
"Dozens of marchers waving U.S., Mexican and other flags set off from Chinatown, at the start of a four-day trek to the district offices in Batavia, Illinois, of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican."
Dozens? What is that? Two dozen? Three Dozen? Four? Interesting how they characerize the size of the demonstrators crowd. And calling them "marchers"! I consider them Law Breakers.
Here's my suggestion to them: Take a trip down to Oceanside and show how much bells they have by taking down the flag at Camp Pendleton and run the Mexican flag up in it's place.
ping
Yeppurs. I hope these folks keep up their rallies right into the November elections.
The = they
Not really:
"The League (LULAC) is nonpartisan."
If you don't count their being overwhelmingly Democrat; and
"However, opponents of immigration reform say..."
misrepresenting opponents of illegal immigration.
The media continues trying to reshape the publics' perception.
Hopefully, these latest antics by the abolish-America crowd will yield nothing, and the massive amnesty betrayals favored by Ted Kennedy, John McCain, and George Bush will go nowhere.
Please keep it up. There's NOTHING that angered Americans more than the sight of Mexicans marching in OUR streets DEMANDING more rights while flying the flag of Mexico. IF they want the Mexican type of government in America, go the Hell back to Mexico!!
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