Labor Day Rally Will Target Hazleton's Illegal Immigration

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http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news. ... 5154&rfi=6

Labor Day rally will target Hazleton’s illegal immigration law





BY WADE MALCOLM
STAFF WRITER
08/24/2006





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Leaders of Hazleton’s Hispanic community hope more than 2,000 people will gather for a demonstration against the city’s illegal immigration ordinance on Labor Day weekend.



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What all those demonstrators will do when they arrive in Memorial Park at Diamond Avenue and Church Street is yet to be determined.

The initial flier circulated by organizers detailed a two-part schedule for the Sept. 3 event: at 1 p.m. demonstrators assemble; at 2 p.m., they march to city hall.

Organizers, though, are reconsidering phase two, fearing it could turn a peaceful protest into an ugly scene, like a similar event did in Riverside, N.J.

On Sunday, demonstrators there marched down a street protesting a Hazleton-type ordinance that punishes those who employ or rent to illegal immigrants.

Ugly confrontations ensued, according to an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, with counter-protesters cursing and spitting at the marchers.

“I don’t want this to take a divisive tone,” said Dr. Agapito Lopez, one of the event’s organizers who believes a march could be “a sign of division.”

The demonstration is likely to take the form of a contained vigil, Lopez said, with members of the clergy from various faiths present.

Lopez said he has been in communication with Hazleton police to ensure the event would be peaceful.

“We would hope it is conducted in an orderly fashion, and we’re confident that our police department will do everything to ensure that,” Hazleton City Solicitor Christopher Slusser said.

A pro-union advocacy group, Philadelphia Area Jobs with Justice, is helping to organize the event and hoping to bus more than 1,000 demonstrators from the Philadelphia area to join in the protest, according to Director Fabricio Rodriguez.

Rodriguez said the group is interested in the demonstration because the ordinance “will hurt workers and the economy” in Hazleton.

Lopez said he has wanted to plan some kind of demonstration ever since the ordinance was proposed. A rally he tried to plan for Aug. 13 did not occur, and he hopes the Labor Day weekend does not decrease the turnout. But most importantly, he said, the event must occur without incident.

“If we have a single bad incident, it will smear everything else we are doing,” he said. “I don’t think it would be welcome in the community, and I don’t think it will better our cause.”

wmalcolm@citizensvoice.com

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“If we have a single bad incident, it will smear everything else we are doing,” he said. “I don’t think it would be welcome in the community, and I don’t think it will better our cause.”

If you are illegal or supporting illegals you are not welcome now...

[Posie]

Opportunity for us in NE PA to counter-rally and support to support Hazelton. Illegals from all over NE PA will be going there. Should be an interesting event.

[moosetracks]

These people, lawbreakers, absolutely do not take NO for an answer, do they?

I guess people are just going to have to come right out and say, "We do not want you here, so please go back home now!"