Posted on 05/01/2010 7:29:55 PM PDT by rdb3
Crowds gather at Arizona Capitol
Small crowds gather to protest immigration law.
Protesters gathered in Phoenix and Tucson Saturday for May Day rallies as anger over Arizona’s strict immigration law continues to fester.
Latino activists, students, laborers and mothers with children in strollers met on the state Capitol lawn under the eye of Arizona authorities standing watch and videotaping the event from the roof of the state Senate building.
The event was peaceful as speakers talked over a megaphone to denounce the state law that requires local law enforcement to question people about their immigration status if there’s reason to suspect they’re in the country illegally. It also makes it a state crime to be in the United States illegally.
Some activists came from as far away as Los Angeles to rally against the new law.
Citlelli Anahuac, a spokeswoman for the Mexica student movement, said they came to Arizona to show support and to confront white supremacy.
“We’re tired of being harassed for being Mexican and Mexican-descent,” Anahuac told The Associated Press.
“The law is specifically targeted to brown people even if you’re from here, you’ve been here five or six generations. You’re not going to escape this racial profiling,” Anahuca said.
Crowds were light Saturday morning.
LAPD: Crowd orderly, smaller than anticipated
Estimated Crowd At Immigration Rally Is Half of What Expected
[Updated, 3 p.m.: Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck estimated that about 50,000 immigration rights activists participated in Saturday's May Day rally, about half of what organizers estimated earlier.
Police and organizers had anticipated a larger crowd because of the controversy surrounding the recent passage of a tough immigration law in Arizona that allows police to check the legal status of people they believe are in the state illegally.
“All this was an estimate," Beck said when asked about the department's earlier projection. "These are educated guesses. We were unable to tell what the event in Arizona would do, so we estimated 100,000 people.”]
Only one arrest has been reported for a minor vandalism incident.
“The event was peaceful,” Beck said. “Everyone who came out here was peaceful,” Beck said.
“Everyone got to do what they came out here to do, which is express their issues.”
Beck attributed the peacefulness of Saturday’s march to months of coordination between police and the march organizers.
“We spent months with organizers making sure we were all on the same page,” Beck said.
“I want to thank the governor of Arizona because she’s awakened a sleeping giant,” said labor organizer John Delgado who attended a rally in New York where authorities estimated 6,500 gathered.
Organizers estimated about 20,000 gathered at a park on Chicago’s West Side and marched, but police said only about 8,000 turned out.
Most of the demonstrators in Phoenix on the day of signing were high school students. Today is Saturday, no school to walk out of.
We had a garage sale this morning with plenty of Mexican shoppers. I told my husband, “The smart ones are staying away from the protest.” It seems I was right. With all the benefits available to them and their kids, they’d be fools to draw attention, and anger, to themselves.
Yep, folks POTUS Obama and the Democrat Party have lost the Hispanic majority. Only a few nut cases that hate America turned out for these Communist demonstrations. Plus, Obama could care less about Hispanics or immigation legislation. It ain’t gonna happen this year for sure per POTUS Obama. So....the Hispanics have been thrown under the bus by POTUS Obama. Shucks, folks, Obama is running out of folks to toss under the bus. Who’s next???
AMNESTY is dead ;-)
“Obama is running out of folks to toss under the bus. Who’s next??? “
Rahm & Napolitano.
Then Geithner
Once again, the Chicago Police can't count a crowd. It was estimated by the Parks folks and many in the media to be "about 2500."
Yep, it was a big success alright! LMFAO
“Who’s next?”
Harry Reid. See the `A mariachi band showed up to protest low tips in the Las Vegas’ thread above.
Harold is assuring Las Vegas business owners that they’ll keep their maids, valets, laborers, etc. while Obama is casually strolling to the back of the plane and telling the press corpse that he doesn’t think `Americans have the appetite for immigration reform at this time.’
It reminds me of the scene from the movie 1What Happened to Baby Jane?’ when Betty Davis pushes wheelchair bound Joan Crawford down the stairs.
You’re right, he’s running out of weak sisters.
Nothing compared to Tea Party. I think they are going home without work here. Please hurry home.
It sounds as though even the Marxists and communists are getting tired of Marxism and communism. I don’t blame them. People have to grow up sometime.
You might be right!!! I mean, you cannot blame moron POTUS Obama for wanting to broom Janet “The Brainless” Napolitano. She is obviously msiing any brain matter whatsoever. Now Rahm, the Jewish fellow from Chicago needs to take heed. Obama really don’t think to highly of Jewish folks especially if they are in the IDF or IAF in Israel!!! Jewish folks are just not his kind of people.
Thanks for the update rdb!
Seems like the legal immigrants are having little to do with this nonsense. Just kids and the usual May Day loudmouths.
50,000 illegal immigrants left L.A. for parts south and couldn’t be there for the demonstration.
It is only a matter of time before Rahm outlives his usefulness. He will be replaced by an Arab, or a radical black, like Holder.
“Rahm & Napolitano.
Then Geithner”
Napolitano - yeah.
Geithner - sure.
But not Rahm, who do you think is running the country? Obama? He can barely tie his own shoes.
How has he lost the hispanic majority?
C’mon...you Navy guys are sharp. Rahm did the dirty work....now he will go make money for Obama and himself....just watch ;-)
The teleprompter?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.