Thousands marching across US for immigration reform
LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Thousands of immigrants and rights groups marched peacefully across the United States on Thursday, renewing calls for reform to help bring 12 million illegal workers out of the shadows.
More than 10,000 people marched in Los Angeles late Thursday for one of the biggest demonstrations, one year after a similar protest erupted in violent clashes between police and protesters.
Immigrant rights activists say the protests -- which were taking place in more than a dozen other cities including New York, Washington, Chicago and Miami -- will draw attention to the issue of immigration reform.
Activists are campaigning for an overhaul of federal immigration laws that will provide illegal workers with a path to citizenship and an end to raids of businesses aimed at cracking down on immigrants.
About 10,000 people of Hispanic and Asian origin gathered in downtown New York's Union Square before a march to the federal immigration office.
In Los Angeles, police said around 10,000 people had gathered, sharply down on the vast crowd of around one million that turned out at 2006 protests.
Jose Gutierrez, leader of the Latino Movement USA, one of the organizing groups, said the protests would give voice to the millions of undocumented workers across the country.
"It is imperative to raise the voice of the more than 12 million undocumented people who work in this country," Gutierrez told AFP. "Every day families are being separated because of the raids."
Another activist, William Torres of the March 25th Coalition, said undocumented workers deserved the right to stay in the country legally.
"Is it fair that we only exploit them for their cheap labor and deny them citizenship when they love this country?" Torres said as crowds carrying American flags and placards began gathering in downtown Los Angeles.
Among the Los Angeles demonstrators was 15-year-old student Jorge Prieto, who had skipped classes to attend the rally. Prieto said he was demonstrating on behalf of his parents, both illegal immigrants from Mexico.
"I want my parents to be legalized in this country," Prieto said. "I see that all the immigrants are here to make the country a better place."
Protesters in Los Angeles have also won support from the city's chamber of commerce, with the body's vice president Samuel Garrison saying recent immigration raids were hurting the local economy.
"The raids are frightening workers. They are worrying employers," Garrison told the Los Angeles Times. "I think it's going to cause a lot of businesses to think twice about coming to Los Angeles."
Los Angeles police are determined to avoid a repeat of the violent scenes that erupted at last year's protests in the city, where police were accused of heavyhanded tactics against marchers and media.
A coalition of rights groups were holding rallies in Los Angeles from 4pm (2300 GMT).
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama meanwhile said the most effective way for protesters to make their voices heard was by registering to vote in this year's presidential election.
"Today, I encourage the thousands of people who are marching and calling for change to work hard registering voters in the months to come. Your vote is your voice," Obama said in a statement.
Obama's rival Hillary Clinton reiterated her pledge to introduce immigration reform in the first 100 days of her presidency, if elected.
"As President, I am committed to working with Congress to introduce a comprehensive immigration reform bill within my first 100 days in office," Clinton said.
