Immigrants stage massive protest in Chicago

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N10308589.htm

Immigrants stage massive protest in Chicago


CHICAGO, March 10 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Mexican and other immigrants held a massive rally in Chicago on Friday to protest proposed changes to U.S. immigration laws.

Waving flags and carrying signs reading "We're people, not criminals" and "Working hands do not deserve handcuffs," they streamed on foot into the downtown area, overwhelming a square at the federal court house where the rally was held.

Chicago police said from 75,000 to 100,000 people were involved in the march and rally.

The target of the protest was legislation sponsored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, a Republican from Wisconsin, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last year and is being considered in the U.S. Senate along with competing proposals.

His bill would make it illegal to assist an undocumented immigrant, something that priests, ministers and other social workers have said would turn those who routinely help immigrants into criminals.

I walked through this on the way home from work, it was a sight to see... BTW Sensenbrenner is POS.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Good for them

It's about time they stood up and fought back.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

2. Good for them!

There need to be hundreds of thousands of people in the streets every weekend.

The robber barons have gotten off way too easy for way too long.

[Webster Green]

3. "Chicago police said from 75,000 to 100,000 people...

...were involved in the march and rally."

So, we can figure there were about 150,000.

[madrchsod]

4. some stupid asshole called in roe conn

this afternoon and started bitching that "they" should all go back where they came from and they were all kids,blah, blah..of course in the new tradition of wls he kissed her ass. remember the days when jay would call people like her "brainstems" and malloy would call her the "flying monkey right"...i wonder if the woman noticed there were whites walking too. i wonder where they came from? maybe poland and other eastern euro country`s...
besides the weather was great in northern illinois but it`s changing as i type...

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

9. madrchsod, there were Polish, Irish, and many other ethnic groups

represented in the march in Chicago today.

Count myself and Mr. Wonderful in among the hundreds of thousands that walked today.

Granted there were quite a few "kids" in the protest but there were also many families, Grandpa, Granma, Mom, Dad, and children of all ages among the crowd as well.

As for the asshats calling WLS and complaining, they can go Cheney themselves. They're just showing their complete and total ignorance.

[MetaTrope]

5. Funny, the peace protests in Chicago have seen riot cops lined up

two deep along the entire route...no such display this time...

[EuroObserver]

6. Chicago is different, isn't it. Realistic. eom.

[Terran1212]

7. Thank God For Them!

My Representative in Congress spends all his time on anti-immigrant tirades. They need to have these rallies all over to stop this nonsense of personally attacking the illegal immigrants.

Yes, there's a reason we have legal procedures and limits on entering the country, but dehumanizing people who risk all to come here any way they can is just cruel and stupid.

[Terran1212]

17. Police estimate 500,000 people

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_069125525.html

As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, the protesters -- of Polish, Irish, Latino, Chinese and many other nationalities -- gathered at Union Park, at Ashland Avenue and Lake Street, and marched to the Loop. From the air, it appeared to be an endless sea of demonstrators, flooding the streets to protest the recently-passed house bill, which would make it a crime to hire or even help undocumented immigrants.

At the end of the day, organizers say it was

[High Plains]

8. That's a very impressive turn-out.

I didn't see anything about it on the evening network news...

[mucifer]

10. I wish I could have gone. I was working. I'm a hospice nurse.

A fair amount of our patients are undocumented. I was happy to get caught in the traffic and seeing some of the demonstrators at the end of the march. There were many Latinos smiling who wrapped themselves in large American flags. It seemed to be a youthful crowd. But, like I said I wasnt able to go to the demonstration. I only obsevred people on their way out.

I wish I was there.

Oh and Yay to Durbin Daley and Governor Blago for being there oh and Luis Gutierrez my rep.

It's good to be from a blue state!!

There's some great photos at http://www.chicagotribune.com/


and a great article in Spanish at:
http://www.laraza.com/news.php?nid=31020&pag=0

It's not in the NY times.

[rodeodance]

14. thanks. Yes, good to be from a blue state (up the road--WI)

[EuroObserver]

18. Gracias por la noticia, mucifer.

"Al igual que ella, miles agitaban las banderas y diversas pancartas: “Stop GESTAPO practics, No HR4437”; “Sensenbrenner Mendigo racista”; “No somos criminales”. Las voces rugían “viva la raza”; “se ve, se siente, el pueblo está presente”; “aquí estamos y no nos vamos, y si nos tratan de echar, regresamos”, gritó Emma Lozano, una de las principales organizadoras, directora del Centro Sin Fronteras."

Grabado, thanks.

Just the other day we were informed here (Catalonia), via Spanish public radio, that at least 1 in 20 workers in the USA are "illegal immigrants."

[rodeodance]

11. AP 100,000 March in Favor of Immigrant Rights -Chicago (update)

100,000 March in Favor of Immigrant Rights

By KAREN HAWKINS, Associated Press Writer 23 minutes ago

CHICAGO - Hoisting American flags into the air, tens of thousands of immigrants from the Chicago area marched downtown in a display of support for immigrant rights as a bill to stiffen border enforcement awaits action in the U.S. Senate.


Many took up enthusiastic chants like "Si, se puede (Yes, it can be done)" and "La raza unida nunca sera vencida (A people united will never be defeated)."

The mostly Latino marchers Friday descended upon the plaza across from the federal courthouse, where they listened to speeches backing pro-immigrant legislation.

"Raise those American flags!" shouted U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (news, bio, voting record), a Democrat. "This is our country, and this is where we will stay.".....

[rodeodance]

12. "This is our country, and this is where we will stay."

...."Raise those American flags!" shouted U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (news, bio, voting record), a Democrat. "This is our country, and this is where we will stay.".....

[rodeodance]

13. "You are not criminals. You are workers" (Gov. Rod Blagojevich,Dem. IL)

......Police estimated that more than 100,000 marchers came from all over the Chicago area, many carrying — or wearing — Mexican and American flags. The protest was spirited, but peaceful, and there were no reported arrests or incidents.

The legislation, already passed by the U.S. House, is billed as a border protection, anti-terrorism and illegal immigration control act. It includes such measures as enlisting military and local law enforcement help in stopping illegal entrants and authorizes the building of a fence along parts of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich addressed the crowd in Spanish, telling them he is the son of immigrant parents and understands their issues.

The Democrat's proclamation that "ustedes no son criminales. Ustedes son trabajadores" ("You are not criminals. You are workers") brought loud cheers.

[Walt Starr]

15. I saw this march from a tall building

I'd say there were 300,000. The estimate is very light.

[RagingInMiami]

16. Excellent

Don't be surprised if this sparks more marches in L.A., NY and Miami.

Down here, I already know it's building up because they've been having much smaller rallies over the last few months.

[struggle4progress]

19. kick

:kick:

[central scrutinizer]

20. take action here on Sensenbrenner bill

Take action today!

Send a message to Congress opposing the Sensenbrenner Bill

This repressive legislation will make criminals of people seeking work, as well as those who offer them water, food or shelter.

Join the 100,000 people who marched in Chicago to oppose this legislation.

You can take action from the website listed here: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/usas_sensenbrenner/

More details:

On December 16, 2005 a rushed piece of legislation, "the Sensenbrenner Bill", was passed through the House. The bill gained fame as the most anti-immigrant legislation in recent history. It specifically targets day labor workers' centers for fines and would essentially close them down. It proposes to build a wall between Arizona and Mexico, classify all 11 million people currently in the U.S. without papers as aggravated felons and would charge anyone who aids undocumented people in any way with an aggravated felony. In other words...

If you find someone bleeding on the street and offer them a ride to the hospital where you find out they don't have papers, you just got charged with trafficking.

If you have a worker appreciation day for your custodial staff, some of whom may not be documented, you become a felon under this law.

Since its passage in the House, communities across the country have mobilized in opposition. Tens of thousands have rallied at the capital and in cities across the country with over 100,000 people marching in Chicago under the Banner "No to Sensenbrenner. We Are America." The Senate judiciary committee on immigration is currently reviewing a bill proposed by Senator Specter that would have similar provisions in a more watered-down form.

One piece that is rarely mentioned in all this activity is the affect such legislation would have on day labor workers centers like the Albany Park Workers' Center in Chicago or CTIWorC in Austin, TX or CHIRLA in Los Angeles. The bills would cut government funding to such Centers, require extensive immigration status checks, and prohibit municipalities from requiring the involvement in businesses that drive the day labor market. This is on top of already making all undocumented workers and anyone who aids them a felon. Essentially, it would force day laborers back to the street corners and into the shadows instead of passing reforms that would increase their ability to integrate into the U.S. and its workforce.

We need your help to defeat this legislation. Please go to http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/usas_sensenbrenner/ and send a letter to your Senator urging them to vote no on any bill that would negatively impact day labor workers centers.

[High Plains]

21. Kicking to encourage people to send a message to the Senate

see the post above.