On May 29, 6:02 pm, dick thompson <rhomp2...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> If you have been here 21 years trying to get legal, then why aren't
> you. It can't be all that difficult since many who come from countries
> that don't even use our alphabet have managed to accomplish it. It
> sounds really fishy to me. And now you are using anchor babies to stay
> here?
>
> May 29, 8:00 PM EDT
>
> Immigration law opponents brave heat to march on Ariz. Capitol;
> supporters plan evening rally
>
> By JONATHAN J. COOPER
> Associated Press Writer
>
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> AP Photo/Paul Connors
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> PHOENIX (AP) -- Thousands of people from around the country marched to
> the Arizona state Capitol on Saturday to protest the state's tough new
> crackdown on illegal immigration.
>
> Marchers carrying signs, banners and flags from the United States and
> Mexico filled a five-mile stretch of central Phoenix. Dozens of police
> officers lined the route, and helicopters hovered overhead.
>
> Police declined to estimate the size of the crowd, but it appeared at
> least 10,000 to 20,000 protesters braved temperatures that were forecast
> to reach 95 degrees by mid-afternoon. Organizers had said they expected
> the demonstration to bring as many as 50,000 people.
>
> Opponents of the law suspended their boycott against Arizona and bused
> in protesters from around the country. Some used umbrellas or cardboard
> signs to protect their faces from the sun. Volunteers handed out water
> bottles from the beds of pickup trucks, and organizers set up three
> water stations along the route.
>
> About 20 people were treated for heat or fatigue-related symptoms, and
> seven of them were taken to a hospital, said Phoenix police spokesman
> Sgt. Tommy Thompson. There were no arrests or other incidents, he said.
>
> The law's opponents also gathered elsewhere. About 300 people rallied at
> the Texas Capitol in Austin, and another 300 people protested at the
> U.S. Embassy in Mexico City demanding legalization for undocumented
> Mexican workers in the United States.
>
> "Many of us have relatives or friends in the U.S. and we must now stand
> up and speak out on their behalf," said Elvira Arellano, who gained
> international attention in 2007 when she was deported without her U.S.
> citizen son.
>
> In San Francisco, groups planned to protest at the Arizona Diamondbacks'
> game against the Giants Saturday night.
>
> Supporters of Arizona's law expect to draw thousands to a rally of their
> own Saturday evening at a baseball stadium in suburban Tempe,
> encouraging like-minded Americans to "buycott" Arizona by planning
> vacations in the state.
>
> Critics of the law, set to take effect July 29, say it unfairly targets
> Hispanics and could lead to racial profiling. Its supporters say Arizona
> is trying to enforce immigration laws because the federal government has
> failed to do so.
>
> The law requires that police conducting traffic stops or questioning
> people about possible legal violations ask them about their immigration
> status if there is "reasonable suspicion" that they're in the country
> illegally.
>
> Supporters of the law insist racial profiling will not be tolerated, but
> civil rights leaders worry that officers will still assume illegal
> immigrants are Hispanic.
>
> "I don't think that this law is American. I think it's discriminatory,"
> said Chelsea Halstead, a 20-year-old college student from Flagstaff.
> "I'm offended by it because this is a nation founded by immigrants."
>
> Some marchers chanted "si se puede," a phrase coined by Hispanic civil
> rights leader Cesar Chavez that roughly means "yes we can." Others took
> aim at President Barack Obama, demanding that he prioritize
> comprehensive immigration reform that would create a pathway to
> citizenship for illegal immigrants now in the country.
>
> "Obama, listen, we are in the fight," they chanted in Spanish. A handful
> of protesters also carried a massive banner that read: "Where's the
> change? Mr. President how can we trust you for re-election?"
>
> Alfonso Martinez, a 38-year-old Phoenix carpenter and father of three
> children who are American citizens, said he's been living illegally in
> the United States for 21 years while trying to get legal status.
>
> "If they stop me and they find my status, who's going to feed my kids?
> Who's going to keep working hard for them?" he said, keeping a careful
> eye on his 6-year-old daughter as his wife pushed their 4-year-old girl
> in a stroller. Their 13-year-old son walked ahead of them.
>
> Some opponents of the law have encouraged people to cancel conventions
> in the state and avoid doing business with Arizona-based companies,
> hoping the economic pressure forces a repeal.
>
> "The point was to be here for this march to show support for these
> folks, then we're out," said Jose Vargas, a union representative for New
> York City teachers. "We're not spending a dime here."
>
> Supporters of the law sought to counteract the economic damage of
> boycotts by bringing supporters into the state.
>
> "Arizona, we feel, is America's Alamo in the fight against illegal and
> dangerous entry into the United States," said Gina Loudon of St. Louis,
> who is organizing the "buycott."
>
> "Our border guards and all of Arizona law enforcement are the
> undermanned, under-gunned, taxed-to-the-limit front-line defenders
> trying to hold back the invasion," she said.
>
> ---
>
> Associated Press Writer Martha Mendoza in Mexico City contributed to
> this report.
>
> ---
>
> Online:
>
> http://www.altoarizona.com
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