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http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/10 ... 0_4_06.txt

Rental ban protesters boycott Abed's business

By: PAUL EAKINS - Staff Writer

ESCONDIDO ---- Opponents of an ordinance approved Wednesday night by Escondido City Council that will ban landlords from renting to illegal immigrants took the fight to Councilman Sam Abed's doorstep today.

At about 10 a.m. Thursday, protesters began gathering at a Mobil gas station owned by Abed on the northeast corner of the intersection at East Valley Parkway and Midway Drive as part of what they said would be a two-week boycott of the business.

Standing on the sidewalks along both streets in front of the station, the protesters held signs that read, "Sam Abed is dividing the community" and "Owner Sam Abed is intolerant," and encouraged drivers entering the gas station not to buy gas there. Abed was one of three council members, along with Marie Waldron and Ed Gallo, to vote in favor of the rental ban measure during Wednesday's meeting.

"This is economics class for Mr. Abed," said Daniel Perez, a community activist who organized the boycott. "We're going to tell him, this is what happens when you remove half of the people in the city."

While the protesters received many honks of support from drivers passing by, several people stopped to buy gas at Abed's business.

Some said they hadn't realized why the protesters were on the corner and they had mixed feelings about the ordinance. However, one woman said she didn't really need gas, but decided to stop to buy some after seeing the signs because she supported the council's decision to pass the ordinance.