Thread: Both sides in Az immigration dispute plan protests Saturday

Both sides in Arizona immigration dispute plan protests Saturday
by Glen Creno - May. 27, 2010 12:00 AM


Rival rallies supporting and opposing Arizona's new immigration law will turn the Valley into a crossroads for protests this weekend, with organizers predicting their events will draw thousands from Arizona and across the country.

Local police will not say exactly how many people they expect each event to draw, but there was a possibility of large crowds downtown and in Tempe as groups on both sides of the issue hold major events Saturday.


Saturday will begin with a march and rally through Phoenix by opponents, with supporters rallying in Tempe late in the day.

Both sides are trying to build support in what has become an emotional, and sometimes divisive, debate over the new law approved by the Arizona Legislature as Senate Bill 1070 and signed by Gov. Jan Brewer.

The law has generated national debate, prompting boycotts of Arizona, counter boycotts, lawsuits, condemnation from the Obama administration and moves in some states to create similar legislation.

"Arizona has become the testing ground for the most draconian anti-immigrant legislation in our country," Pablo Alvarado, executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said Tuesday.

"It is in Arizona, and similar states, where the immigration debate has been polluted with hate and poisoned by bigotry."

The anti-1070 group predicted about 50,000 marchers, maybe more, for its "March Against SB 1070" that will wind through central Phoenix. However, Phoenix Vice Mayor Michael Nowakowski conservatively estimated about 20,000.

The pro-1070 group will hold its "Stand with Arizona" rally at Tempe Diablo Stadium Saturday evening. Its organizers expect a crowd of about 10,000.

Both sides say supporters are bussing to their events from across the country, and both have more events planned through the summer. The new law takes effect July 29.

Arizona's immigration law makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally.

It states that an officer engaged in a lawful stop, detention or arrest shall, when practicable, ask about a person's legal status when reasonable suspicion exists that the person is in the U.S. illegally.

The Phoenix march will start at Steele Indian School Park, near Indian School Road and Third Street, and end at the state Capitol, where a rally will feature labor leaders like Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, and politicians including outspoken Democratic U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois.

A group of African-American clergy from California will also join the march.

Phoenix police declined to say how many officers it will have at the event, but the agency and the Arizona Department of Public Safety were expected to staff up in case larger-than-expected crowds materialize.

"We'll have enough to maintain the peace," Sgt. Brian Murray said.

Opponents of the law want the federal government to bar state and local police from enforcing immigration law and to refuse to take custody of anyone arrested under the new law. They also support legal efforts to block enactment of the law.

Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox said the march and rally would underscore what she described as a climate of fear among Hispanic residents.

"It has opened up a racist state," she said.

The Tempe event, meanwhile, was organized by "tea party" groups that support the law.

The rally will promote an Arizona "buycott" urging people to spend money in the state to counter boycott efforts.

Gina Loudon, a St. Louis radio host who came up with the buycott idea, said the goal is to render boycotts ineffective.

"No matter how you feel about the issue, it is ridiculous to punish business owners with a boycott," she said in a statement about the event.

Phillip Dennis, a Dallas tea-party member and an organizer of the Tempe event, said he felt it was wrong to impose a boycott over the state trying to secure its border.

"Arizona has the right to protect its economy and its citizens, and we stand behind their right to do that," he said. "The federal government has failed to protect the border. Obviously, the federal government is not going to enforce the law."

Loudon will speak at that event, along with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and others.

Tempe said it will have about 20 police officers at the event.


http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... llies.html

Cool, be sure the spend your ca$h in Arizona.

Their laws are not anti immigrant. They are anti illegal alien....
Happy to correct that obvious mistake for you Glen. Perhaps you should do some more research or just learn how to write truthfully, rather than subtly turning your articles into propaganda with these obvious ummm "mistakes?"