Thousands rally in Milwaukee to protest illegal immigration bill

[struggle4progress]

MILWAUKEE What was billed as "A Day Without Latinos" filled Milwaukee's streets with thousands of demonstrators today.

Police estimate more than ten-thousand people turned out to protest congressional efforts to crack down on illegal immigrants. Organizers say the crowd was closer to 30-thousand. About 90 Latino-owned businesses were closed for all or part of the day in support.

As one protester put it, "We want to be equal."

The demonstrators oppose a bill that would make it a felony to live or work illegally in the U-S. The measure approved by the House would also impose new penalties on employers who hire illegal migrants and build a fence along about a third of the U-S border with Mexico.

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=4674762

[rodeodance]

1. whow. i am impressed. First Chicago, now Milwaukee (just up nort)

[babylonsister]

2. And I've been told NO ONE in the U.S.

wants illegals here. Ah, America!

[IsItJustMe]

4. Corporations' love it. Cheap labor.

[IsItJustMe]

3. Well

That's a start

...impose new penalties on employers who hire illegal migrants and build a fence along about a third of the U-S border with Mexico....

[movonne]

18. Yes, that is the way to go about this problem..you may not even

have to spend the money for the fences, it you go after the businesses that are hiring illegals...

[IsItJustMe]

20. If there are no jobs, what's the purpose. It works pretty good in Germany

I had a friedn go over to Germany with her husband. She could not work there because she was not a citisen. Germany has a very low immigration rate. That's the reason.

[rodeodance]

5. MilwJounSen has beatiful pic (and longer) story here:

I would upload but do not know how.


http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=3/23/2006&id=3923

THURSDAY, March 23, 2006, 10:51 a.m.

By Mark Johnson and Larry Sandler
Marchers fill streets on south side


Marchers pack S. 5th St. this morning as part of the "A Day Without Latinos" demonstration. Photo/Mark Wilke. VIEW PHOTO SLIDESHOW

Marchers took to the streets this morning on Milwaukee's south side as part of the "A Day Without Latinos" demonstration. Milwaukee police estimated the crowd at more than 10,000 people.

The demonstration began at Voces de la Frontera on S. 5th St. and moved across the 6th St. Viaduct to Zeidler Park. The marchers are protesting legislative efforts that target undocumented immigrants.

About three dozen Latino-owned businesses on the south side are closed part or all of today in support of the protest.

The Milwaukee Common Council also added its voice to the immigration debate this morning, by condemning legislation to criminalize illegal immigration.

[struggle4progress]

6. Thanks!

[rodeodance]

8. saying they oppose the Sensenbrenner (R. WI) bill.

The Milwaukee Common Council also added its voice to the immigration debate this morning, by condemning legislation to criminalize illegal immigration.

Aldermen voted, 11-1, to oppose a congressional bill that would set tough penalties for illegal immigrants and those who aid them. Instead, they called on Congress to approve a different immigration reform bill that would help illegal immigrants attain legal status, expand temporary work visas and tighten border security.

"There are thousands of people in my neighborhood who would be affected," south side Ald. Jim Witkowiak said of the criminalization bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). "My neighborhood would be greatly harmed by criminalizing all the Latinos who are here undocumented at this time. ... If we deported all the undocumented Latinos who are here at this time, our economy would absolutely fold."

Sensenbrenner's bill has already been approved by the House. Both that measure and the competing legislation, sponsored by U.S. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), are awaiting Senate action.

Complete coverage online later today and in the Journal Sentinel in the morning.

[rodeodance]

9. says Kennedy/McCain have an opposing bill.

...Sensenbrenner's bill has already been approved by the House. Both that measure and the competing legislation, sponsored by U.S. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), are awaiting Senate action.

[babylonsister]

7. Here's the picture to go with the article:

[rodeodance]

10. hey thanks. I love the pic

[Terran1212]

11. I will become a felon (I'm a US citizen but..)

Anyone who helps the migrants will also be held responsible.

It is human to help people; I am not going to see a sick person and not help them.

Sensenbrenner can go back to the little closet he was in before he did this to bring support for himself up.

[ThomasNewton]

12. I support the law

To beat the neos we have to beat their supporters - the corporations. We have to take cheap labor away from them.

As long as cheap labor is available we'll never get a living wage or even a halfway decent minimum wage either.

[rodeodance]

14. I support some sort of program to make these people legal.

[rodeodance]

15. I am talking of the ones already here.

[rodeodance]

13. "more than ten-thousand people "

[lovuian]

16. CHEAP LABOR is a CRIME

Its a crime to take good wages from Americans who fought hard to get them...

this is about Corporations wanting slave labor working for 2 bucks a day...

Americans will NOT stand for it!!!

[struggle4progress]

17. We really need to raise the minimum wage significantly.

And employers that try to stiff folks on wages need to face stiff penalties ...

[sam the dawg]

19. I support it

I support some kind of legal action to
1). criminalize those who hire illegals and the illegals who are breaking the law to come here.
2). permit temorary and migrant workers - protect them and make it a decent honest thing.

Always we have had a migrant worker component.
The illegals are exploited. Often they do dangerous work without proper safeguards or
health protection. They are exposed to lots of toxic stuff and undersirable stuff.
Rewarding this situation erodes the integrity of our legal system and preculdes a healthy regulatory environment in the workplace.