More rallies for illegal aliens set
Posted on Thursday, April 27, 2006
Thousands of people will take to the streets of Arkansas next week, with some skipping work and freezing purchases, to rally for a federal path to legalization for the nation's 11 million illegal aliens.
Organizers are planning grassroots events Monday in Springdale, Little Rock, Fort Smith and De Queen. The demonstrations are in response to a national call to show immigrants' economic power through one-day labor and purchasing boycotts.
The events fall on International Workers' Day, which some countries use to celebrate the socioeconomic accomplishments of the world's labor movement.
The rallies follow two turbulent months of national protests involving millions of people. Pending U. S. House legislation, HR 4437, would classify illegal aliens as felons. The bill played a key role in sparking the debate.
The largest turnout came April 10, when tens of thousands of people gathered across the country. Nearly 5, 000 attended rallies that day in Springdale and Little Rock.
In Springdale and De Queen, organizers are asking immigrants to keep their pocketbooks closed Monday. Little Rock event planners are not endorsing any kind of boycott.
All of the organizers in Arkansas contacted by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette said they aren't endorsing an immigrant labor strike. That is best left a personal decision, they said.
"We aren't asking them to do it, but to ask their consciences, and if it's something they think is good, then we'll support them,"said Ada Aguilar, a spokesman for the Arkansas Coalition for a Better Future, the Springdale rally's organizer. "But if you do take the day off, do it the right way. We say get permission, even if it's without pay. Don't say you are sick and then be on the news."
In Springdale, a candlelight vigil is set for 6: 30 p.m. at Murphy Park, just south of Springdale High School. Organizers intentionally scheduled the event for the evening so residents would not need to skip school or work to attend.
A student group from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville plans to be on hand to register voters.
In Little Rock, the Arkansas Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform is sponsoring a march and rally in MacArthur Park at 2: 30 p.m. that will end at the foot of the state Capitol.
In Fort Smith, the River Valley Latin American Community plans to sponsor a 2 p.m. march from Ninth Street and Rogers Avenue to the courthouse steps.
In De Queen, organizers expect almost 1, 000 to attend a 4 p.m. march from the city park to the courthouse.
Leaders of some school districts say they expect increased absences Monday, but nothing extraordinary. Some Hispanic students, however, said they expect many classmates to stay home.
"People are sending text messages around saying May 1 is the day without a Mexican,"said Lorena Cela, a 17-year-old Springdale High School student. "I'm planning on participating because I have aunts and uncles who would be affected by this law, and I have really strong feelings about it."Students in Springdale and Rogers walked out of class earlier this month to protest HR 4437, which was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee in late January, where it has stalled. John Vinson, president of the Americans for Immigration Control Foundation, said previous rallies have backfired in the court of public opinion. A Zogby poll of 7, 967 people earlier this month found that 61 percent of respondents are now less likely to be sympathetic toward illegal immigrants because of the protests. "I think this could cause a reaction against what they are doing,"Vinson said. "They're trying to sell you on the idea that they are so significant that our country would fall apart without them. Well, our country was here long before them."
To contact this reporter: jkrupa@arkansasonline. com
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