Day-laborer protesters fall short of expectations
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 19, 2007 10:13 AM

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... ch-ON.html

A planned march on Phoenix City Hall by immigrant-rights activists has only managed to draw several dozens protestors Wednesday morning in east Phoenix.

Immigrant rights leader Salvador Reza planned for at least 100 people to join him in the march created to draw attention to what he calls the persecution of immigrants in Arizona and to oppose Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon's proposal to give police more authority to question people about immigration status.

Rank and file police had sought that discretion and anti-illegal immigration leaders and supporters have said that police have to be involved in immigration enforcement to get the problem under control.

The protest march's starting point is Pruitt's furniture store, at 35th Street and Thomas Road, which has become the epicenter of the battle on illegal immigration in the Valley. Protestors and counter protestors have gathered at Pruitt's for several straight weekends and clashed over illegal immigration. Anti-illegal immigration supporters continue to push for the deportation and arrest of undocumented immigrants, while immigrant rights activists say immigrants, both legal and illegal, are being intimidated by police and treated unfairly.

Today, a handful of anti-illegal immigrant protesters were on hand waving American flags including Calvin Cassada, 37, of Phoenix, who was there to show his support for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio enforcement of immigration laws.

"I believe if they want to live there they should come the legal way," said Cassada. "And if they can't come legally they should stay in their own country and make it better."

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has patrolled the protests and has arrested several illegal immigrants. Arpaio, who was at the gathering this morning, promised to have deputies in the area to enforce immigration laws and arrest illegal immigrants if they are involved with crime. Arpaio said that in the last five weeks, his deputies have arrested 60 undocumented immigrants in Pruitt's area.

Marchers carried signs and expected to reach City Hall in the afternoon. The rally is timed to coincide with the Phoenix City Council's last meeting of the year. Reza said a change in the city's policy, operation order 1.4, would lead to racial profiling around the city.

Marcher Rev. Liana Rowe, Interfaith Worker Justice of Arizona, said she was walking for immigrants' basic right to make a living.

"I am here to stand in solidarity of the workers and their rights to seek work without harassment," Rowe said.