Protesters Rally Against Illegal Immigration Bill
SLIDESHOW: March And Rally

Jay Levine
Reporting

(CBS) CHICAGO Crowds marched through the city on Friday to rally against HR 4437 – The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005.

Supporters of the bill before Congress say it beefs up border protection. But thousands of people in Chicago's Latino community call the pending bill a blatant violation of rights.

As CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports, the protesters -- of Polish, Irish, Latino, Chinese and many other nationalities -- gathered at Union Park, at Ashland Avenue and Lake Street, and marched to the Loop. From the air, it appeared to be an endless sea of demonstrators, flooding the streets to protest the recently-passed house bill, which would make it a crime to hire or even help undocumented immigrants.

At the end of the day, organizers say it was more than half a million protesters. Police estimated the crowd at 300,000.

“I'm definitely surprised to see this many people,” said protester Cesar Garza. “I expected a small amount of crowd, but this is… wow! I'm really surprised.”

Many of the protesters were immigrants who took the day off work to attend the rally.

“This is a ridiculous bill,” said Polish immigrant Paulina Cdnok. “I don't understand how it got as far as it did, and they're trying to make this a law -- and then at this point it's a police state.”

Other immigrants said their most important goal was to be part of the United States.

“It’s important that they know that we make great contributions to this country,” Chicago resident Maricela Herrera said. “We’re not here to take any jobs or anything, we’re here to be able to give our contributions that make the United States what it is.”

Mexican immigrant Esperanza Martinez said, “We got a family to support. We got a job. We pay taxes. We want to be part of this country.”

Mexican immigrant David Martinez said, “I want to live here with my family.”

The march ended at the Federal Plaza, at Adams and Dearborn streets, where state and local leaders promised to fight for immigrant rights.

“Whether their names are Gutierrez or Lozano, Lipinski or Blagojevich; it doesn't matter,” said Gov. Rod Blagojevich. “This is a country build by immigrants.”

Mayor Richard M. Daley said: “This is a fight that includes every American. Those who are here undocumented, we're not going to make criminals out of them. That is not what America has ever stood for and will not stand for.”

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez told the crowd that immigrants are here to stay, and pledged to work to block the bill.

The United States flag and banners from Mexico, Honduras, and many others flew over the crowd of thousands at Federal Plaza.

The only opposition to the march came from a group called the Illinois Minutemen Project. Rosanna Pulido of that organization said she believed protecting illegal aliens would violate the law.

“They are asking that our laws be totally violated to protect illegal aliens, people who break the law and come into this country,” Pulido said.

Earlier in the march, Pulido said, “I don’t care if there’s three million people out there, if they are illegal they do not have a voice in America.”

The protest was a nightmare for motorists in and around the loop, but police were ready, and there were no arrests or problems.

“We had total cooperation from the organizers and volunteers,” said Chicago Police Deputy Supt. Charles Williams, “and that’s what made for a good orderly march.”

The new immigration bill is not a done deal. The U.S. Senate appears likely to pass much more moderate legislation, without the criminal sanctions and with a path to citizenship for those here illegally.

Still, the house version has struck a nerve in multi-cultural Chicago. Many think that could trigger other protests as the legislation is debated in Washington, D.C.


Additional link with pictures: http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local ... 85148.html