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12:02 PM Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday, April 5, 2006

Kim Martinez reports

A very large march and rally for immigration reform will take place Monday in downtown Phoenix.

The march is expected to attract 100,000 people, which would make it the largest march in the history of Phoenix.

On March 24, 20,000 people marched from 24th Street and McDowell Road to Sen. Jon Kyl's office at 22nd Street and Camelback Road to protest a bill in Congress that would make it a felony to be an illegal immigrant in the United States.

Several of the marchers that day held up Mexican flags. This time organizers are asking marchers to hold up United States flags. They want to show a strong display of American pride.

Hundreds of Valley high school students walked out of class last week to protest the proposed legislation.

Organizers said they do not encourage students to walk out of class to join Monday's march. They would like for the students to wait until their classes are over to join in the rally.

Marchers will start meeting at 11 a.m. at the Arizona State Fairgrounds at 19th Avenue and McDowell Road. The march begins at 1 p.m. The participants will head down Grand Avenue toward Van Buren Street to Third Avenue, west on Washington Street and end up at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza. Then they will march back to the fairgrounds after the rally.

Some lawmakers want Gov. Janet Napolitano to call up the National Guard for Monday's rally.

With so many people expected, public safety is a big concern.

Tuesday, the governor met with Valley law enforcement and the Phoenix Fire Department to plan for Monday's march.

"These agencies are already in place and they're doing a terrific job of preparing for this," said Jeanine L'Ecuyer from the governor's office. "We never know, ultimately, what's going to happen, but the governor feels good that we're well on the way to having a well-planned, safe event and that's the goal."

State Sen. Ron Gould sent a letter to Napolitano, asking her to use the National Guard as security in case things get out of control. The governor said that's not necessary.