December 8, 2007 - 5:56PM
Immigration debate swirls around furniture store

Jill Redhage, Tribune
Protesters amassed Saturday across the street from a Phoenix furniture store for the seventh week in a row in response to managers’ efforts to keep day laborers off their property.

Pruitts furniture store at Thomas Road and 35th Street hired off-duty Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies to patrol the property, and that’s when the protests started.

Immigration activists viewed the store’s decision as racist against Hispanics and a violation of people’s rights to assemble on public sidewalks.

Each week since then, the number of protesters has grown, reaching more than 100 on Saturday.

And each week, the number of counter-protestors has grown, as well. More than 70 people gathered Saturday across the street from the protesters, shouting support for Pruitt’s decision and Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s crackdown on illegal immigrants in the neighborhood.

It was clear the clash had more to do with immigration policy and Arpaio than it had to
do with Pruitt’s furniture store.

Protesters focused on the preservation of civil rights and the proper use of tax dollars.

“I think it’s a shame that they’re using tax dollars on this instead of fighting crime,â€