Posted on 09/09/2006 6:54:38 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES
Few people turned out Saturday for a rally demanding amnesty for 11 million illegal immigrants, the latest sign of pro-immigrant groups' struggles to regain momentum after hundreds of thousands marched through the spring.
Local bands played rock music, vendors offered chicken tacos and dozens of activists set up information booths in a downtown field.
But by 5:30 p.m., more than an hour after the rally started, only 200 people had shown up. Most were organizers and journalists.
Organizers, who had expected about 5,000 participants, downplayed the low turnout. They said more people could appear later and stressed that they had made their point even with sparse crowds.
"This community has shown it wants a solution so we shouldn't have to show it with half a million people each time we do it," said Maria Elena Durazo, secretary treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.
The rally comes as pro-immigrant coalitions try to re-energize their campaign after summer vacation and internal divisions have weakened a movement that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets in the spring.
Saul Arellano, the 7-year-old son of a Mexican immigration activist who has sought refuge in a Chicago church to avoid deportation, greeted demonstrators.
Saul is an American citizen, but his mother, Elvira, crossed into the United States illegally in 1997. They have been staying at the Adalberto United Methodist Church since mid-August.
"I want President Bush to stop the deportations to let every family stay here. Then my mom could stay here," said Saul during an interview before the rally.
Saul, who has never been to Mexico, said he was afraid to leave his mother alone in Chicago for the weekend.
"If I'm over here and she is over there, it will be a little bit scary because I don't know what is going to happen," said the second grader, who was brought by Chicago activists.
The rally culminated this week's National Latino Congreso, billed as one of the largest gatherings of Hispanic leaders in decades.
Sessions included speeches and workshops on registering Hispanic voters, running Hispanic political candidates, wage gaps between Hispanics and whites, environmental issues and a lack of access to health care in immigrant communities.
But the week's central issue was creating new strategies to urge lawmakers to offer a path to citizenship to illegal immigrants.
"We need to frame this as a national security issue," said Peter Schey, president of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law in Los Angeles. "It's ridiculous to have immigrants at airports giving their fingerprints when there are 12 million people in the country illegally."
The House passed legislation in December that would add hundreds of miles of fence along the U.S.-Mexico border and criminalize anyone who lent a hand to illegal immigrants.
That bill created a groundswell of anger in immigrant communities, leading to a 500,000-strong rally in Los Angeles in March that was followed by hundreds of other demonstrations across the country.
The Senate scrapped the House bill when it took up immigration reform in April, instead passing legislation that would strengthen the border and create a limited legalization program.
Since then, however, Congress has all but shelved immigration reform. And efforts by pro-immigrant coalitions to registers thousands of new voters "Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote" has been the rallying cry during demonstrations has yet to take shape.
An Associated Press review this week of voter registration figures from Chicago, Denver, Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles and other major urban areas that saw large rallies showed no sign of a historic new voter boom that could sway elections.
Must've been "racism"...
That darn Bush, no law exsisted prior to his election!!!@!
Organizers, who had expected about 5,000 participants, downplayed the low turnout. They said more people could appear later and stressed that they had made their point even with sparse crowds.
The best thing in the world is to get more "momentum" like last spring. The backlash has been a wonderful sight to behold. I was hoping they would do it again and flaunt our laws and flag in the camera!
DAMN! Was that today?
There are very good reasons that our policy makers don't listen to 7 year olds. This is one of them.
L
It's hard to give teenagers a reason to cut school in protest on the weekend.
Hundreds of thousands rally in LA for immigrants' rights ^
Posted by Amerigomag On News/Activism ^
03/25/2006 8:03:27 PM PST · 142 replies · 2,253+ views
The Press - Enterprise ^ | 03-25-06 | Peter Prengaman & Bob Jablon
Totally slipped my mind , dang !!
Hey, let's say THEY'RE not terrorists.
OK, their numbers AID terrorists.
The costs of one blinding, white flash in a major US city are JUST TOO HIGH.
..they figured we elected one in 92, so give it a shot
Doogle
More good news.
L
"Saul Arellano, the 7-year-old son of a Mexican immigration activist who has sought refuge in a Chicago church to avoid deportation, greeted demonstrators."
nothing like using little children for political gain.../s
Same thing here with the 'march' on Hasterts office last weekend. Organizers 'predicted' thousands. At no point were there more than 200 and most of those were bussed in by the Rainbow Push thugs just before the cameras and reporters arrived. They left immediately after the TV crews leaving about 50 pathetic 'protestors' behind.
I got a bit in Dutch with the PTB for suggesting we bill Rainbow Push for all the security we provided for a political event, but I think they're thinking about it for future 'events' of this kind.
L
They are LOSING. Their turnout SUCKED, all around the US in the major cities this time. The massive silent majority of Americans arose against them, and often in response to them, precisely, going to the streets in April and May. It was a huge backlash. They will be in full retreat.
Dondi Manzon, right, with the Pilipino Workers' Center carries a Philippines flag as he arrives at the 'Justicia for Immigrants Rally and Concert National Latino Congreso, in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006. Few people turned out Saturday for the rally demanding amnesty for 11 million illegal immigrants, the latest sign of pro-immigrant groups' struggles to regain momentum after hundreds of thousands marched for the cause in the spring. (AP Photo/Ann Johansson)
The illegals now know if they lay low & just hang in there, nothing is ever gonna happen. No amnesty, but no deportation either.
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