CA: 50 march in support of rights for immigrants

**Jean** · 12-11-2007, 02:46 AM

50 march in support of rights for immigrants
OPPONENTS ALSO RALLY
By Leslie Griffy
Mercury News
Article Launched: 12/10/2007 01:32:17 AM PST

Activists on both sides of the immigration debate took to San Jose streets on Sunday.

Both groups converged downtown at City Hall, but they didn't run into each other.

Marking the 59th anniversary of the United Nations' adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, members of Voluntarios De La Comunidad held their third annual 10-mile march for immigrants' rights.

"People need to take action," said Jose Sandoval, a coordinator with the group. "And this is an important way to get the issues into their consciousness."

He and other marchers handed out 5,000 fliers describing the concepts of freedom, equality, dignity and brotherhood promised in the declaration.

Current U.S. laws, the group believes, don't respect the rights of immigrant workers. As immigration reform remains stalled in Congress, the organization is pushing for legislation that would allow for family reunification and a route to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

Sandoval's mission to raise awareness started before the group even left the Mi Pueblo parking lot on Story and King roads to begin the march. Sandoval noticed a friend leaving the store and invited him to meet up with group members as they made their loop through some of the city's largely Latino neighborhoods on the way to City Hall.

Indeed, the group that left the parking lot about 1 p.m. numbered about 20. By 2:30 p.m., it had swelled to more than 50 people, who chanted as they marched through the streets.

As the group marched in the afternoon sun, a dozen members of the Minutemen, an anti-illegal-immigration group, waved American flags at City Hall beginning about noon. They carried signs warning about the cost of illegal immigration and "Don't Tread on Me" flags, and occasionally a driver honked for the group.

"The American Dream is that a family works hard and lives in a single-family home," said Steve Kemp, vice president of the Minutemen of Castro Valley. Illegal immigrants, he said, drive down wages and use tax money, keeping citizens from achieving those goals. "We're ticked off about it."

The two groups didn't get to exchange ideas about the American Dream or the dream to live without discrimination and fear of deportation.

The Minutemen left City Hall about 2 p.m. while the marchers continued to make their way through town.

By the time pro-immigration forces arrived, it was just past 5 p.m. And many of the marchers had peeled off from the group before the afternoon warmth gave way to a chilly evening.

Still, the 15 or so who remained kept their enthusiasm, chanting "Si se puede" (Yes, we can) as they crossed Santa Clara Street to the steps of City Hall.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_7681397?s ... ck_check=1

**PhredE** · 12-11-2007, 02:50 AM

"Immigrants" already are afforded rights on par with every US citizen.

Oh, but don't be fooled - undoubtedly they are saying 'immigrants' but really mean 'illegal aliens'. No, IAs don't have rights equivalent to US citizens. Never had, never should have either.

**azwreath** · 12-11-2007, 02:56 AM

Well, given the media's habit of inflating the numbers of pro-illegals who show up at these things, there must have been less than 50.

But still, where are the thousands and millions from a few months ago? Seems that these days they're not so quick to be flooding our streets with their foreign flags and demands......wonder what's up with that? :P

**alexz** · 12-11-2007, 04:13 AM