Friday, May 1, 2009

May Day rallies reignite immigration debate

Leaders of groups on both sides of the immigration debate plan marches throughout the day.

By CINDY CARCAMO and THERESA CISNEROS
The Orange County Register
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Groups on both side of the immigration debate are expected to turn out today for May Day rallies throughout the county.

Five anti-illegal immigration activists kicked the day off by meeting at 7 a.m. at the corner of Memory Lane and Bristol Street.

The group, made up of Lupe Moreno's Latino Americans for Immigration Reform and members of Huntington Beach-based California Coalition for Immigration Reform, waved American flags and held signs with phrases like: "Stop illegal immigration." About the same time, another anti-illegal immigration group was scheduled to meet at the Ortega Highway overpass in San Juan Capistrano.

The Santa Ana group said they were there to show their loyalty to the country and to counteract May Day rallies scheduled to take place across the county today. The event elicited some honks and waves from passing motorists.

"We want to let people know that we're here to stand for our nation when other people break the laws," said Moreno, 51, of Santa Ana, holding American flags in both hands.

Evelyn Miller, of Irvine, said she participated in the protest to counteract those who would march elsewhere in support of granting amnesty to illegal immigrants.

"Amnesty rewards lawbreakers who crashed the border," she said.

While group leaders from both sides of the issue said they wouldn't let fears of swine flu – including reports of two probable Orange County cases – scare them away from standing up for what they believe, some braced for a lower turnout and urged activists who feel sick to stay home.

Immigrant-rights activists are scheduled to begin their rallies at 10:30 a.m. in the 1500 block of North Sycamore Street in Santa Ana.

Organizers, who plan to join Justice for Janitors and other groups, say they're hoping for a couple of hundred people to show up and celebrate the plight of the everyday worker.

"Some will be calling for amnesty … some of them will be calling for human rights," organizer Carolina Sarmiento said Thursday. "More than anything we're going to get together and celebrate workers and the work they do and the contributions they do for society."

On the other side of the issue, Raymond Herrera and about 20 other Minuteman Project members are scheduled to protest at 11:30 a.m. in front of the Mexican Consulate on Broadway in Santa Ana.

"We're protesting the (Mexican) government for their lack of being able to provide for their people," Herrera said. "We will not tolerate amnesty on American soil."

About 500 immigrant-rights activists are expected to show up at 3 p.m. for a march just south of Sarmiento's protest, starting at the Plaza of the Flags, said Nativo Lopez, executive director of Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana.

Lopez said that today is important because that's when his group and others will launch the Legalize America Now campaign, a national petition and advocacy campaign, directed toward President Barack Obama, to provide comprehensive immigration reform.

A counterprotest is scheduled to take place at 4:30 p.m. at the Lake Forest overpass off the I-5 freeway in Irvine.

Contact the writer: ccarcamo@ocregister.com

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/immi ... ta-amnesty