http://www.denverpost.com/politicswestnews/ci_10325314
Protesters march for immigrant rights
By Kirk Mitchell
The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 08/28/2008 09:30:43 AM MDT


A group calling itself "World Can't Wait" is leading a march protesting harsh measures taken against illegal immigrants, with about 300-400 marchers involved and more expected.
The march began shortly after 9 a.m. at Rude Park, 2855 W. Howard Place, and will go to Lincoln Park, West 12th Avenue and Mariposa Street, according to march oganizers.
"This is Germany in the 1930's all over again!" according to a news release. "The past seven years of the Bush regime have seen a dramatic escalation of attacks on immigrants on many fronts."
But marchers say they don't believe there would be significant changes under a Barack Obama or John McCain administration.
"Obama has made no call to reverse this whole ugly program," the news release says.
"Stop the attacks on Immigrants! Stop the ICE raids! Stop the Criminal Bush Program!" the news release says.
Van loads of marchers were unloading still at 9 a.m., as hundreds were gathered ready to start the march.
"I think it will be the most dramatic march we've had to this point," organizer Rudy Gonzales said. "We want the ICE raids to end immediately.
"We want to build bridges and not walls between our countries," he said. "We want pathways to citizenship. We want to decriminalize immigration."
Meanwhile, police began monitoring anti-immigration protesters who were reported as gathering at intersections along the parade route.
March supporters at the starting point included those with T-shirts that proclaim: "Immigrate rights are human rights."
Felipe Perez, 32, of Denver, said he is a first-generation citizen who lays tile for work, and that several members of his family were deported, including his aunt, who was pregnant when one day she just disappeared.
"We didn't know what happened to her. Something has to be done to open our borders. I still have family members who come here to make a better life," he said.
The Rev. Ron Stief, of Washington, D.C., helped organize the march. Said he has traveled the country visiting illegal immigrants held in detention centers.
"There is no issue more important than how we care for immigrants," he said. "The way that families can not be united is a problem as well as the way people have been criminalized and end up in jail."
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com