Thread: Seattle -thousands rally for changes in immigration

In Pioneer Square, thousands rally for changes in immigration

Waving little American flags and chanting in Spanish and English, thousands of people rallied for a comprehensive change in the way the nation deals with immigration at a boisterous rally in Pioneer Square Saturday.

By Katherine Long

Seattle Times Eastside reporter

Waving little American flags and chanting in Spanish and English, thousands of people rallied Saturday for a comprehensive change in the way the nation deals with immigration, at a boisterous gathering in Pioneer Square.

The Washington Immigration Reform Coalition, an umbrella group of about 60 organizations, believes there's a very short time frame for legislation to be introduced and passed before the midterm elections. It is asking Congress to introduce a bill by May 1 to revamp immigration policy and to pass a bill by the summer, said Pramila Jayapal, executive director of OneAmerica's Seattle office.

"Today is really about showing the power, and the diversity, and the intensity of the problem," she said.

Immigration rallies were held in a number of other cities around the country Saturday, including Las Vegas and Chicago. They were meant to add to the momentum of a Washington, D.C., rally in March that drew 250,000 people.

Some political watchers say it's unlikely President Obama will throw his weight behind such a controversial and ambitious piece of legislation so soon after his narrow victory on a health-care overhaul. And Jayapal acknowledged that "health care has sucked up a lot of oxygen for a lot of time. Our window is very small now."

Jayapal said the group is trying to counter negative stereotypes about the typical immigrant as "a bad Mexican immigrant coming across the border, who's potentially also a terrorist." She said more than two-thirds of immigrants are women and children. Many work in the high-tech sector and come from a variety of different countries, not just Mexico, she said. Jayapal is from India, and Seattle rally organizers claimed to have the largest contingent of Asian-Americans for an immigration rally in the U.S.

Still, there appeared to be a Hispanic majority at the rally. Most speeches were translated into Spanish, and people waved Mexican flags and chanted "!SÃ* se puede!" — Spanish for "Yes we can," Obama's election slogan. A mariachi band drew the rally to a close at 2 p.m.

Organizers said about 2,900 people came from across the state on 74 buses, and several thousand more came by van pool and carpool from nearby, putting the number at 7,000 to 8,000. Seattle police estimated a smaller crowd, saying there appeared to be a few thousand at noon, although the numbers ebbed and flowed throughout the afternoon.

Rally leaders played a prerecorded message from Washington's U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell in support of immigration reform. According to OneAmerica, Washington was the first state to have both its senators write a letter to President Obama demanding immigration reform this year.

U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, opened his remarks by saying, "Good afternoon, fellow immigrants," which received a cheer. He went on to talk about how "our current immigration system places more emphasis on filling out forms properly than on compassion and common sense."

McDermott charged that opponents of change are hiding behind "a thin veil of racism and xenophobia," and were focused on immigrants coming from countries to the south. "But if you look around this audience, people come from all over the world," he said.


Carlos Padilla, a senior at Chief Sealth High School and vice president of the student body, said he has held little hope of gaining citizenship until recently, when he began working for immigration reform. Padilla, 17, has been accepted at University of Washington and plans to become a lawyer, but he can't get financial aid because he's an undocumented immigrant who came here from Mexico with his mother when he was 2 years old.

If an immigration bill passes, he said, he hopes to be able to gain permanent residency in a few years. If not, he believes he'll have to leave the country to apply for legal status.

"This is our moment," Jayapal told a cheering crowd as the two-hour-long rally came to a close. "Congress will never make anything happen on their own; it is the people who will make immigration reform happen. Movements make things happen."

Katherine Long: 206-464-2219 or klong@seattletimes.com

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... ly11m.html

So that explains the blue "Transporte Del Norte" bus I saw at about 5 pm on the freeway.

U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, opened his remarks by saying, "Good afternoon, fellow immigrants," which received a cheer. He went on to talk about how "our current immigration system places more emphasis on filling out forms properly than on compassion and common sense."

Really? So everyone shouldn't even bother obeying the law and sneak in anyway? Our current immigration system is not ENFORCING the laws, that's the problem. Compassion and common sense is for those who are waiting to come legally. Illegal aliens deserve neither compassion or a path to legalization, they deserve automatic deportation!

These people are like parasites. Don't they know that they are pests?

Do they think they are Pioneers now? Why else did they picked that location? It's the oldest neighborhood and historic district.

Trying to trounce history and rewrite it?

Dixie

Many work in the high-tech sector and come from a variety of different countries, not just Mexico, she said. Jayapal is from India, and Seattle rally organizers claimed to have the largest contingent of Asian-Americans for an immigration rally in the U.S.

Many illegal aliens work in the high-tech sector? I thought they were all working in jobs "Americans don't want to do". So, apparently there aren't ANY Americans who want to work in the high-tech industry. Huh.

This appered at the the same URL under "more local news".

State House OKs tax on candy, pop, water; bill headed to Senate for vote
By Andrew Garber

Seattle Times Olympia bureau

OLYMPIA - The state House voted Saturday to boost a host of taxes -including on beer, water, soda pop and candy - to help close a $2.8 billion budget shortfall.

The bill passed by a 52-44 vote. No Republicans voted for the bill. Eight Democrats joined with Republicans to vote no.

It now goes to the state Senate, which could vote as early as Sunday.

The measure passed by the House makes up the bulk of a nearly $800 million tax package Democrats argue is needed to prevent cuts in state services from going too deep.

Article continues at:


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... es11m.html

What I find the most positive is the fact that we are seeing places like Seattle that are typically liberal, destroy illegal immigration in the comments section. Again, illegal immigration is really one of the FEW things that BOTH sides agree on, and as long as we do nothing but name-calling to the other side and insult them we will never stand side by side to fight the issue. Here is my favorite comment from the site:

"This is like being a Mariners (or other event) ticket holder. Upon arriving at your seat, you find someone else already there. Event staff tell you that since the party somehow made it through security, they are now entitled to your seats. This is illegal and unethical."

Still, there appeared to be a Hispanic majority at the rally. Most speeches were translated into Spanish, and people waved Mexican flags and chanted "!SÃ* se puede!" — Spanish for "Yes we can," Obama's election slogan.

Mostly Mexican, mostly Spanish language, still shouting "!SÃ* se puede!",& waving Mexican flags.

This doesn't lie. It's America's future if they have their way and it must be stopped.