Illegal Immigration Watch: May Day 2007 Immigration Rally Turnout Much Lower than May Day 2006
Protesters hold up signs in Spanish calling for legal status for all and an end to immigrant raids and deportations.
Immigration rally turnout lower than ’06
Immigration rallies held nationwide Tuesday produced only a fraction of the million-plus protesters who turned out last year, as fear about raids and frustration that the marches haven’t pushed Congress to pass reform kept many people at home.
n Los Angeles, where several hundred thousand turned out last year, about 25,000 attended a downtown rally, said police Capt. Andrew Smith, an incident commander. In Chicago, where more than 400,000 swarmed the streets a year earlier, police officials put initial estimates at about 150,000.
Organizers said those who did march felt a sense of urgency to keep immigration reform from getting pushed to the back burner by the 2008 presidential elections.
“There’s no reason a pro-immigration bill can’t be passed. That’s one of the messages being sent today,” said Chicago protester Shaun Harkin, 34, of Northern Ireland, who has lived in the United States as a legal resident for 15 years.
Melissa Woo, a 22-year-old American citizen who immigrated from
South Korea, carried a Korean flag over her shoulder in Chicago as she criticized politicians for “buckling at the knees.”“Us immigrants aren’t pieces of trash, we’re human beings,” she said. “To be treated as less than human is a travesty.”
Organizers had long predicted lower turnouts for this year’s marches, saying an increase in immigration raids in recent months have left many immigrants afraid to speak out in public. That’s a change since rallies in 2006, when some illegal immigrants wore T-shirts saying “I’m illegal. So what?”
Others believe that the marches have not pushed Congress to pass immigration legislation, and many groups are now focusing on citizenship and voter registration drives instead of street demonstrations.
Whatever……the pro-illegal immigration folks did NOT turn out.
Did they finally figure out that the LEFTY organizers might be using them?
More photos from today’s LA action:
Students climb the fence at Hollenbeck Middle School to join Roosevelt High School students marching to the immigration rally during the Great American Boycott 2007.
And lastly a photo which is sadly ironic:
Mothers and their babies march down Broadway for a May Day rally at Los Angeles City Hall.
As Flap said last year, illegal immigration will be an issue in the Presidential campaign of 2008 but it will be the next President and Congress who will finally deal with the problem.
Mayor Sam notes that Hispanic Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was no where to be seen today.
Why?
Mayor Villaraigosa to Visit Mexico, El Salvador
Stay tuned…….
Previous:
Illegal Immigration Watch: Great American Boycott 2006 Mid-Day Round-Up
Illegal Immigration Watch: Pajamas Media Update From Los Angeles Protests
Illegal Immigration Watch: Great American Boycott 2006 – Los Angeles Getting Ready for Protests
Illegal Immigration Watch: Immigration Roundup Fear Spreads
Illegal Immigration Watch: May 1 Protest to “CLOSE DOWN†American Cities – Redux
Illegal Immigration Watch: California State Senate Supports Mexican “NOTHING GRINGO†DAY
Illegal Immigration Watch: May 1 Protest to “CLOSE DOWN†American Cities
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