Thread: Chicago rally stirs both sides

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Rally stirs both sides
Across U.S., immigration supporters, foes view Chicago rally as catalyst

By Oscar Avila and Antonio Olivo, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson contributed to this report

March 12, 2006

Eye opening as Friday's massive pro-immigrant rally was for Chicagoans, it also caught the attention of activists on both coasts and on both sides of the debate over illegal immigration.

Coming at a key juncture in the congressional debate over immigration, organizers of rallies in other U.S. cities immediately began dissecting and analyzing the tactics of the Chicago march, hoping to deliver the same effect, or even improve upon it.

"We've been taught a lesson by Chicago," said Martha Ugarte, who is helping to organize a pro-immigrant march in Los Angeles this month.

Critics watched the same coverage with a different kind of glee--hoping it would act as a catalyst for stricter enforcement.

Both sides expect to use the Chicago rally as supporting evidence in their fight on Capitol Hill.

Frank Sharry, executive director of the Washington-based National Immigration Forum, predicted that lawmakers will be talking about the Chicago rally next week.

"I'm sure they will exchange a meaningful glance and say, `Whoa, we never expected 100,000 immigrants in the streets of Chicago,'" Sharry said. "What's remarkable is how quickly this has happened. I really hope this rally is the beginning of something nationwide."

Already, Chicago organizers were planning follow-up events to make sure that the activism doesn't end.

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is planning an event Saturday in which it will help newly naturalized citizens vote for the first time through the state's early voting program.

Juan Salgado, the coalition's president, tried to get the message across at the rally, imploring: "Today, we march! Tomorrow, we vote!"

Joshua Hoyt, the coalition's executive director, said the current wave of rallies and events shows that immigrants can turn their frustration over their treatment in this country into direct political action.

"You're seeing the beginning of a Latino civil rights movement in this nation," Hoyt said.

March pleases critics

Critics of illegal immigration are equally convinced that the rally will push the buttons of U.S. citizens frustrated by unchecked border crossings. They hope those constituents will give their lawmakers an earful.

Rosanna Pulido, director of the Illinois Minuteman Project, sarcastically thanked the protesters for publicizing the presence of illegal immigrants better than opponents ever could.

And she believes U.S. citizens fed up with the state's growing illegal immigrant population, now estimated at about 400,000, will make their voices heard.

"I am hoping the outrage of the people of Illinois is heard through voting," she said.

With Illinois primary elections less than two weeks away, the rally played into different political battles as well.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich gave a passionate bilingual defense of state policies that make it easier for undocumented immigrants to attend college and buy homes. Immigrant leaders nationally consider his administration a leader in advocating for immigrants.

"You are not criminals!" Blagojevich told the crowd. "You are workers who love your families!"

Peter Gadiel, a board member of a group called 9/11 Families for a Secure America, flown in by GOP gubernatorial contender Jim Oberweis, criticized the governor's support of the rally.

"I wonder if we had 75,000 Illinois tax cheats here whether Gov. Rod Blagojevich would come here and say I am all for you. Probably not," Gadiel said.

Sharry and Hoyt both acknowledged that the rally might turn off some U.S. citizens and legal immigrants.

"Anytime you do something aggressive, you're going to antagonize some people," Sharry said.

News of Friday's march spread quickly to other cities with large immigrant populations.

"Thanks to Chicago there will be more people interested in our efforts," said Ugarte, the Los Angeles organizer. .

Ugarte said activists in Southern California were on the phone all day Friday analyzing how well the Chicago march went. She said she was most surprised about how Chicago organizers incorporated men into the rally--women, she said, are usually more inclined to take part in such events.

In Philadelphia, immigrant advocates pored over news footage from Friday's rally for lessons in planning their own rally later this month, said Ricardo Diaz, an organizer with a group called El Paro.

One thing they'd like to avoid is allowing marchers to primarily chant in Spanish, as happened in Chicago, Diaz said.

"It justifies the bad guys in their message that Americans are being trumped by Latinos," he said.

A touch he liked in Chicago was the heavy use of American flags, with traditional Mexican icons playing a smaller role.

"We like the American flags. We're planting American flags all the way through" the march route, he said.

`Face on immigration'

Colleen McShane, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, who had followed the rally planning closely enough to warn members that they might face a shortage of workers Friday, quickly turned her attention to the long-term impact of the large turnout. She believes it could spotlight the need for immigrant workers, motivating business owners and industry leaders who will be key to winning bipartisan support.

"It puts a face on immigration," she said.

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oavila@tribune.com

aolivo@tribune.com

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http://www.alipac.us/article-1104-thread-1-0.html

Rosanna Pulido, director of the Illinois Minuteman Project, sarcastically thanked the protesters for publicizing the presence of illegal immigrants better than opponents ever could.

Excellent response. And why aren't those illegals working instead of protesting.

My sister lives in CA. She told me it really annoys people when protestors gang up like that out there because it jams up traffic and makes people angry. Some turn against causes because their "protesters" become a thorn. I hope Los Angeles comes to a stop when they protest there so they can see first hand that there are a hundred thousand illegal aliens close enough to get to Los Angeles for a rally. And this time I hope ICE is prepared.

Perhaps we should alert ICE and let the government know we expect them to do something about those illegals other than sit around and watch them on TV this time.

Americans have always had a very civilized way of going about their dessent...I hope this mob of 100,000 lawbreakers rampaging and shouting in the street scared the congress pea green.

RR

Perhaps we should alert ICE and let the government know we expect them to do something about those illegals other than sit around and watch them on TV this time.

Unfortunately, ICE knows all about these events, they just deliberately choose not to interfere, nor even dare try to arrest any of the illegals attending. They know that to round up illegals at such an event would draw masses of negative press, calls of profiling and racism, and other PC type criticism. Similar events in Georgia took place with illegals even marching into the State Capitol Building, with the local ICE office a block down the street, and not a single ICE agent was even present, let alone rounding up these lawbreakers.

So much for this living in the shadows nonsense, these criminals are out in force and in our faces, letting us know they are here to stay and are not going anywhere. And thanks to Bush and his cronies, like the moronic DHS head Cherk-off, the incompetent ICE Princess, Julie Myers, and the pro-illegal alien Anchor-Baby General, Alberto Gonzalez, have made it clear, they have absolutely no intention whatsoever of enforcing the law when it comes to the mass invasion and reconquista movement being perpetrated by Mexico.

Unfortunately, ICE knows all about these events, they just deliberately choose not to interfere, nor even dare try to arrest any of the illegals attending.

I recommend adding a phone in campaign to ICE to our weekly activism tasks. They can hear pressure, even if they dont have the nerve/authorization to move on these scenes.

I recommend calling the election commission about VOTER FRAUD starting RIGHT NOW. They are organizing these mobs to VOTE. And they're going to get away with it if we dont do something NOW.


I CALL IT A THREE PRONG APPROACH - CONGRESS, ICE/HOMELAND SECURITY AND THE ELECTION COMMISSION.