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6/12/2005
By: The Californian North County Times
(Protests, illegal immigration, laws, crimes, day labor, campaigns, Home Depot)
MURRIETA ---- A group of people spent several hours Saturday outside the Home Depot store in Murrieta protesting what they say is that company's support of day laborers in Southern California.

Read the latest headlines about illegal immigration.

Robin Hvidston of Upland was one of the protest organizers and said, while the Murrieta store isn't taking part in that alleged support, other Home Depots do.

"We view it as akin to slave labor," she said.

Representatives of Home Depot could not be reached for comment Saturday.

About 30 to 40 people from various groups gathered on the sidewalk at the entrance to the store on Madison Avenue to, as they described it, "educate" shoppers by handing out fliers and talking to them as they came and went.

According to Hvidston, many Home Depot stores have day laborer centers right next to the store.

People who shop at those Home Depots, or contractors who are coming there for supplies, find cheap labor to take with them after making their purchases, the protesters say.

"The workers and those hiring them then don't pay taxes," Hvidston said. "We support using workers from places like manpower companies instead."

Dottie Dalton, of Murrieta, was among the protesters and said using day laborers like that "takes jobs away from Americans."

The protesters stressed they are not against immigration, just illegal immigration.

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