Thread: Hazelton rally planned for Sunday

http://www.standardspeaker.com/index.ph ... 6&Itemid=2

Rally planned for Sunday
Saturday, 02 September 2006
From staff reports
Buses packed with protesters from Philadelphia will arrive in Hazleton on Sunday to participate in an anti-Illegal Immigration Relief Ordinance rally, if several groups have their way.

The rally begins at 2 p.m. at Memorial Park, Diamond and Church streets.
According to the Philadelphia area chapter of Jobs with Justice, the event will be an “Interfaith Prayer Vigil in Solidarity with Hazleton Immigrants and Workers.”

A flyer explaining the vigil notes it “will be a non-confrontational event!” That phrase is also underlined for emphasis.

“Please join us this Sunday, September 3 for an afternoon of prayer, song and silence in solidarity with a community that needs healing and compassion,” it states.

“All participants are asked not to engage counter-protestors (sic) or police. This Interfaith Prayer vigil is about solidarity for a community under attack. On this Labor Day Weekend let remember (sic) that immigrants are workers too!”

The buses will leave Philadelphia at about 11 a.m. and return to the city by 6 or 7 p.m., according to the flyer. Protesters will have to pay $20 to ride on the bus.

The flyer also includes a retraction of a previous statement.
A few weeks ago, Philadelphia JwJ claimed, “More than 300 workers have already been dismissed and, without enough workers to remain open, the American Pork processing plant and the Van Hoekelen Greenhouse have closed their doors.”

The Standard-Speaker noted at the time that the claim was untrue.
Now, the latest flyer contains this disclaimer: “Van Hoekelen Greenhouses reports that they did not fire any workers. In fact they are trying to fill positions. If seeking a job in the Hazleton area, be sure to look them up!!!”
However, Friday night, the claim that Van Hoekelen and American Pork closed because of massive worker losses remained on the Philadelphia JwJ Web site.

Also included in the flyer: “A recent JwJ human rights delegation to Hazelton (sic) found vandalized Latino businesses, graffiti proclaiming the presence of the ‘KKK’ and condemning ‘***.’ … Some Latino city residents tell us that many of their neighbors have already moved out. Others tell us that city workers quit collecting trash for three weeks!”

Those claims appeared on the original JwJ flyer as well, though those reports have remained unconfirmed.

The flyer includes numerous Christian references, supported by quotes from the Bible. “Immigration,” it explains, “is a deeply relevant issue for both Americans and Christians…” because “the biblical story continually shows God’s concern for the migrant and the outcast.”

“Despite this call to higher acts, many immigrants find themselves under attack,” it states. Mayor Louis Barletta “passed the most draconian (sic) anti-immigrant law our nation has ever seen.”

The flyer claims the law “is set to go into effect in the next two weeks.” Actually, the ordinance was to be implemented Oct. 1, but that has since been postponed.

“Mayor Barletta, has lashed out against the city’s Latinos due to what he cites as a rise in crime,” the flyer states.

Barletta has repeatedly said the ordinance only targets “illegal aliens,” noting that “illegal is illegal” and illegal immigration “has no race.”

The JwJ flyer also states its delegation “saw signs on the front of local bars and night clubs warning … that the businesses would serve ‘...Legals Only.’”

However, it was unclear if that sign was a reference to legal American citizens or adults of the legal drinking age.

The flyer encourages people to make the trip to Hazleton; however, those who cannot can “(c)ontribute money to the effort” via the JwJ Web site “AND notify us of your generous support by e-mailing” a JwJ address.

Those who cannot attend can also “encourage your pastor, rabbi or imam to offer prays (sic) of solidarity for the Hazleton immigrant and worker community.”

Can you belief the rhetoric and lies these folks are telling to shed a bad light on Hazelton's ordinance. I'm sure everyone has noticed the huge amount of dishonesty constantly coming from the pro-illegal immigration activists to make the illegals appear as mistreated victims. Actually, it's we, the American people, that are the victims in all this mess!