Thread: Protesters Force 2 Day Labor Centers To Shutdown

We had one hell of a successful day. The five of us shut down two centers (temporarily) and made the local rag!

You can watch video's of our actions here.



There are a few errors in the newspaper stories. We shut down 2 centers not just 1. The Glendale center was longer than 15 minutes, it was almost 2 hours. They didn't open the gates back up until we were leaving. The Burbank center was a complete shutdown.

Glendale News Press

A small protest by the group Save Our State forced the brief shutdown of the city’s day labor center on San Fernando Road Saturday, after protesters entered the center to confront a prospective employer.

An official at the center closed the gates for at least 15 minutes at about 11 a.m. after Save Our State representative Don Silva and another group member equipped with a video camera walked onto the property and asked a patron not to pick up any of the day laborers. The individual, who did not identify himself, left without hiring anybody after Silva gave him the address of a business that hires out only documented laborers.

“The gates were only closed for a few minutes,” said Juan Rodriguez, who manages the center on behalf of Catholic Charities. “We are contracted to run these centers and they are interrupting our contracting duties.”

It was the first time that Catholic Charities had decided to close the gates of the Glendale center as a result of a protest, said Jess Duran of the city’s Community Development and Housing Department.

“They closed it because there wasn’t enough coordination with the Police Department to have the patrols that Catholic Charities felt they needed to have” in order to prevent the protesters from entering the property, Duran said.

There were more than 50 people in the center seeking work at the time of the closure. But even before the doors were closed, no one had stopped to hire any workers while the Save Our State protesters were in front of the center. They wielded signs reading “Illegal Aliens are Terrorists” and waved American flags as they urged passing drivers not to pick up the workers, many of whom, they claimed, are undocumented.

The protesters, who typically set up in front of the Glendale or Burbank day labor centers once or twice a weekend, have an effect on business, said day laborer Victor Romero.

“When they see employers coming they stop them and they scare them away,” Romero said. “They are only here for a little while, but while they are here they drive away a lot of people. If they were here all day we wouldn’t have any work.

“We just want them to at least stay outside the fence and leave us alone,” he added.

The protesters have no right to actually enter the day labor center and disrupt business, said City Atty. Scott Howard.

But the fact that the property is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and leased by the city complicates the enforcement of trespassing laws, he said, and he acknowledged that there are issues of the protesters’ free speech rights that must be considered.

“But this is not going to happen much longer, and we are looking to develop some guidelines for Catholic Charities as far as what we can or cannot do to assist them in keeping the protesters out,” Howard said.

“Even in labor disputes like a supermarket strike, you can’t have people inside the supermarket disrupting business. They can picket outside, with signs.”

But Silva of Save Our State said that since the land the center is located on is leased by the city, he and his supporters have a right to enter freely.

“California law says you cannot post a no-trespassing sign in a public access area, so I don’t think they have a leg to stand on,” he said.

As for Saturday’s disruption of business at the center, even if it was only for a few minutes, Silva was elated.

“We think we are taking the right approach here,” he said.

“We are a group of people that are very frustrated with the total breakdown of our laws, and we are reacting to this. It is a very American thing to do.”

http://www.glendalenewspress.com/front/ ... 8326c.html

Way to go SOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm really proud of your team. I think if you keep it up, you may end up shutting that place down. Youve changed tactics and you are fighting smart like pros!

W

http://www.burbankleader.com/news/story ... 8529c.html

Protests shut down job centers

By Fred Ortega and Lauren Hilgers
(Published: February 28, 2006)
BURBANK -- Protesters forced a brief shutdown of the day labor centers in Glendale and Burbank on Saturday, when members of the anti-illegal immigration group Save Our State confronted prospective employers.

For the Burbank center, which was closed for more than an hour on Saturday, this was the second weekend the center was forced to shut by what Save Our State members refer to as their "invasion tactic."

The tactic is staged when Save Our State members enter the center, explained Save Our State representative Don Silva.

At the Glendale center on San Fernando Road on Saturday, Silva and another group member equipped with a video camera walked onto the property and asked a patron not to pick up any of the day laborers. The man, who did not identify himself, left without hiring anybody after Silva gave him the address of a business that hires out only documented laborers.

The same tactics were used at the Burbank center, Silva said, although an official at the Flower Street center closed the gates on Saturday before he could enter. A padlock closing the gate, however, was not locked.

After the center was left vacant, Save Our State members slipped in for a brief victory celebration before moving on to the Glendale center.

"We are contracted to run these centers and they are interrupting our contracting duties," said Juan Rodriguez, who manages the centers on behalf of Catholic Charities.

It was the first time that Catholic Charities had decided to close the gates of the Glendale center as a result of a protest, said Jess Duran of the city's Community Development and Housing Department.

"They closed it because there wasn't enough coordination with the Police Department to have the patrols that Catholic Charities felt they needed to have" in order to prevent the protesters from entering the property, Duran said.

There were more than 20 people at the Burbank center and 50 people at the Glendale center seeking work at the time of the closures. But even before the doors were closed, no one had stopped to hire any workers while the Save Our State protesters were in front of the center. They wielded signs reading "Illegal Aliens are Terrorists" and waved American flags as they urged passing drivers not to pick up the workers, many of whom, they claimed, are undocumented.

The protesters, who typically set up in front of the Glendale or Burbank day labor centers once or twice a weekend, have an effect on business, said day laborer Victor Romero. "When they see employers coming they stop them and they scare them away," Romero said. "They are only here for a little while, but while they are here they drive away a lot of people. If they were here all day we wouldn't have any work. "We just want them to at least stay outside the fence and leave us alone," he added.

The protesters have no right to actually enter the day labor center and disrupt business, said Glendale City Atty. Scott Howard.

But the fact that the Glendale property is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and leased by the city complicates the enforcement of trespassing laws, he said, and he acknowledged that there are issues of the protesters' free speech rights that must be considered.

The Burbank center is leased from the city, said Roger Baker, a Burbank city planner. The arrangement makes matters more simple, he said.

"It's private property so (Catholic Charities representatives) have the authority to tell (the protesters) to go." Baker said. "They have a responsibility for worker safety."

Glendale is looking at developing guidelines for Catholic Charities to help keep the protesters out, Howard said.

But Silva of Save Our State said that since the land the Glendale center is located on is leased by the city, he and his supporters have a right to enter freely.

"California law says you cannot post a no-trespassing sign in a public access area, so I don't think they have a leg to stand on," he said. As for Saturday's disruption of business at the centers, even if it succeeded for just a few minutes, Silva was elated.

"We think we are taking the right approach here," he said.

"We are a group of people who are very frustrated with the total breakdown of our laws, and we are reacting to this. It is a very American thing to do."

BRAVO!!!! Great job, guys!

Way to GO! Maybe those organizations will stop and consider which side of the border they are on before re-instating such practices as opening day centers for people to loiter.

Now if they would only start arrresting the illegals who go to those centers.

Thanks everybody. I'm trying to get a legal team behind us so that we can sue Home Depot and the cities of Glendale and Burbank, also to avoid tresspassing charges. If you know any lawyers that would like to help send me an email or PM.

Way to go, watchdog. Are you on "catpatrol"? just wondering.

added to homepage

http://www.alipac.us/article1076.html

We're getting there.

We need to do this in Pompano Beach. There is a street called Sample Road. YOU SHOULD SEE IT between 7-8 AM everyday. There are SO MANY illegals standing all over the place waiting to be picked up, there are hundreds and I'd venture to say over 1,000, maybe more. Remember, we're not talking about Miami here.

I wrote to Congressman Clay Shaw and suggested that he "come and see for himself".