Boycott aims to "close" US cities

[Controlled Chaos]

Immigrant boycott aims to "close" US cities By Dan Whitcomb

1 hour, 17 minutes ago

 

 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Pro-immigration activists say a nationwide boycott and marches planned for May 1 will flood Americas's streets with millions of Latinos to demand amnesty for illegal immigrants and shake the ground under Congress as it tackles reform.

 

But while such a massive turnout could make for the largest protests since the civil rights era of the 1960s, not all Latinos, nor their leaders, were comfortable with such militancy -- fearing a backlash in Middle America.

 

"There will be 2 to 3 million people hitting the streets in Los Angeles alone. We're going to close down Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Tucson, Phoenix, Fresno," said Jorge Rodriguez, a union official who helped organize earlier rallies credited with rattling Congress as it debates the issue.

 

Immigration has split Congress, the Republican Party and public opinion. Conservatives want the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants to be classified as felons and a fence built along the Mexican border.

 

Others, including President George W. Bush, want a guest worker program and a path to citizenship. Most agree some reform is needed to stem the flow of poor to the world's biggest economy.

 

"We want full amnesty, full legalization for anybody who is here (illegally)," Rodriguez said. "That is the message that is going to be played out across the country on May 1."

 

Organizers of the May Day marches, which have strong support from big labor and the Roman Catholic church, vow that America's major cities will grind to a halt and its economy will stagger as Latinos walk off their jobs and skip school.

 

Teachers' unions in major cities have said children should not be punished for walking out of class. A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Unified School District said school principals had been told that they should not try to keep students in class but instead should walk with the children to help keep order.

 

In Chicago, Catholic priests have helped organize protests, sending information to all 375 parishes in the archdiocese.

 

CRITICS CHARGE INTIMIDATION

 

Chicago activists predict that the demonstrations will draw 300,000 people -- compared to the 100,000 who turned out on March 10 to clog downtown streets. Minneapolis-based agribusiness giant Cargill Inc. said it will close seven meatpacking plants so workers can participate.

 

In New York, leaders of the May 1 Coalition said a growing number of businesses had pledged to close and allow their workers to attend a rally in Manhattan's Union Square.

 

But some Latinos have expressed ambivalence about the boycott and marches, saying they could stir up anti-immigrant sentiment amid an incendiary atmosphere surrounding the issue.

 

Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Los Angeles archdiocese, who has emerged as an outspoken champion of immigrant rights -- even calling on priests to defy laws aimed at those who would help illegals -- has lobbied against a walkout.

 

"Personally I believe we can make May 1st a 'win-win' day here in Southern California," Mahony said in a statement. "Go to work, go to school, and then join thousands of us at a major rally afterward."

 

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the son of a Mexican immigrant who has long fought for immigrant rights, has taken a low profile on the issue. A Villaraigosa spokeswoman said the mayor expects protesters to be "lawful and respectful" and wants children to stay in school.

 

Critics have accused pro-immigrant leaders of stirring up uninformed young Latinos by telling them that their parents were in imminent danger of being deported and accuse them of trying to bully Congress.

 

"It's intimidation," Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman volunteer border patrol group, said of the May 1 events. "It's intimidation when a million people march down main streets in our major cities under the Mexican flag."

 

"It angers the people you are trying to impress," he said. "This will backfire just like the Mexican flag parades backfired."

 

(Additional reporting by Aarthi Sivaraman in Los Angeles, Dan Trotta in New York and Michael Conlon in Chicago)

[kapkomet]

WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!

 

Screw them. I have no sympathy for these people if their stated intent is to inflict harm on the economy... go ahead, bite the hand that feeds you. Morons.

 

Meanwhile, are all you AMERICANS, regardless of heritage, ready to buy some crap on Monday?

[Texsox]

WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!

 

Screw them.  I have no sympathy for these people if their stated intent is to inflict harm on the economy... go ahead, bite the hand that feeds you.  Morons.

 

bad move politically. Compromise is a far better path. I do not want my eleceted leaders to be intimidated into a decision. Rally, state your cause. But don't try to harm anyone in the process.

[southsideirish71]

Mexica movement, they will be at the May1st parade

 

This makes me f***ing sick. These are the type of nutjobs that start with a movement, and then start doing stupid s***.

 

 

The Mexica Movement has big issues with many other equally radical groups participating in the massive, united-front rallies. The group makes a point of distinguishing its goals and objectives from others, such as the separatist Aztlan Movement.

 

Aztlan, the mythical birthplace of the Aztecs, is regarded in Chicano folklore as an area that includes California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and parts of Colorado and Texas. The movement seeks to create a sovereign, Spanish-speaking state, "Republica del Norte," or the Republic of the North, that would combine the American Southwest with the northern Mexican states and eventually merge with Mexico.

 

This Aztlan movement sounds like a certain Basque separatist movement in France/Spain. They started out wanting something similiar, then boom went the bombs.

 

Stupid

Edited April 27, 2006 by southsideirish71

[Texsox]

Nuts to the left, nuts to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you. Like many important debates in our society, the fringe groups get the press because it's entertaining, but we really can't take them seriously.

[southsideirish71]

Nuts to the left, nuts to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you. Like many important debates in our society, the fringe groups get the press because it's entertaining, but we really can't take them seriously.

 

Can we start to fire the nuts that are teaching our kids

 

Usually its the fringe groups that start to use violence to get their way. At some point something is going to happen whether its a klu klux klan guy killing a mexican, or its one of these nut jobs trying to resurrect their homeland.

 

The ones that worry me are the the ones who identify themselves with the Palestinian resistance group and likes their methods.

Edited April 27, 2006 by southsideirish71

[Texsox]

Interesting article. What I think is very interesting is the notion of a state leaving the United States. I always thought New Hampshire would make a nice country. Although their olympic program would probably suck

[NorthSideSox72]

Mexica movement, they will be at the May1st parade

 

This makes me f***ing sick.  These are the type of nutjobs that start with a movement, and then start doing stupid s***.

This Aztlan movement sounds like a certain Basque separatist movement in France/Spain.  They started out wanting something similiar, then boom went the bombs.

 

Stupid

There has already been seperatist violence in northern New Mexico among various segments of the Hispanic population, on and off, since the Spaniards arrived there in the 16th century. As recently as the 70's, there were massive protests and violent riots. Even now, there are occasional acts of violence and lots of civil disobedience there. Nothing new in that part of the world - we just don't hear about it much.

[kapkomet]

"Why would you hold a Mexican flag when you are trying to tell America that you love this country..... It's like coming to my house, crapping on the table and then asking 'What are you cooking next?'" - Carlos Mencia

[Rex Kickass]

I love the fact that people call a demonstration intimidation yet a threat to make 12 million instant felons and put everyone that looks Latino subject to scrutiny over their papers is just a legislative agenda.

[SleepyWhiteSox]

I love the fact that people call a demonstration intimidation yet a threat to make 12 million instant felons and put everyone that looks Latino subject to scrutiny over their papers is just a legislative agenda.

 

[southsider2k5]

I love the fact that people call a demonstration intimidation yet a threat to make 12 million instant felons and put everyone that looks Latino subject to scrutiny over their papers is just a legislative agenda.

 

I love it when people knowingly break our laws repeatedly, and expect to not only to be welcomed into the country, they are threatening to punish us if we don't give into their demands.

[jackie hayes]

I love it when people knowingly break our laws repeatedly, and expect to not only to be welcomed into the country, they are threatening to punish us if we don't give into their demands.

How is this punishment? These protestors are not going to work for one day. They're also not getting paid. What's the big deal? People are acting as if they vowed to bring the US to its knees.

 

The stores aren't gonna run out of meat on account of this.

[jasonxctf]

freedom is a great thing.

[kapkomet]

How is this punishment?  These protestors are not going to work for one day.  They're also not getting paid.  What's the big deal?  People are acting as if they vowed to bring the US to its knees.

 

The stores aren't gonna run out of meat on account of this.

I am not going to waste my time finding the quotes, but that's EXACTLY what they were intending... 'to make their impact felt'.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

"Why would you hold a Mexican flag when you are trying to tell America that you love this country..... It's like coming to my house, crapping on the table and then asking 'What are you cooking next?'" - Carlos Mencia

 

 

^^^^

 

 

These Mexican separatists are a bunch of idiots.

[Texsox]

I love the fact that people call a demonstration intimidation yet a threat to make 12 million instant felons and put everyone that looks Latino subject to scrutiny over their papers is just a legislative agenda.

 

 

I love it when people knowingly break our laws repeatedly, and expect to not only to be welcomed into the country, they are threatening to punish us if we don't give into their demands.

 

 

I can easily agree with both of those statements. Which is probably why our poor parties can't come up with a "party line". OMFG, their members have to actually think, and vote, for themselves.

 

If we're (those that are for helping illegals become legal) are going to help you, don't piss on me. But if we're going to admit that we have a sizable population with brown skin and accents, let's not round up everyone that doesn't look like a Swede.

[jackie hayes]

I am not going to waste my time finding the quotes, but that's EXACTLY what they were intending... 'to make their impact felt'.

"Make their impact felt" is not the same as bringing the country to its knees. 'See how important we are for a day' is not the same as 'We'll use scorched earth tactics until you capitulate'.

[SleepyWhiteSox]

"Make their impact felt" is not the same as bringing the country to its knees.  'See how important we are for a day' is not the same as 'We'll use scorched earth tactics until you capitulate'.

 

[kapkomet]

"Make their impact felt" is not the same as bringing the country to its knees.  'See how important we are for a day' is not the same as 'We'll use scorched earth tactics until you capitulate'.

This is how many "protests" now, which by the way, really aren't "protests" at all. They're what I like to call "sensationalistic rallys".

[Rex Kickass]

Kap, there was never a gilded age of protests. At their nature, they are always a sensationalist act.

[kapkomet]

I guess. That's kind of depressing in a way.

[Rex Kickass]

Not at all. It's a tool to bring awareness and to force action. Most of the time people don't get embarrassed about something until the reality they ignored is sensationalized.

[Controlled Chaos]

On Monday, May 1, another large scale immigration rights march will be held in downtown Chicago. City agencies expect the number of marchers to be triple that of the first march held earlier this month. BOMA/Chicago members are advised to make appropriate preparations and to pass this information along to your tenants.

 

The march is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. at Union Park, located at 1501 West Randolph Street. Smaller groups from other Chicago neighborhoods are expected to join the main group at Union Park. Marchers will proceed east on Randolph to Des Plaines Street and then turn south on Des Plaines. Marchers will continue east on Monroe Street and Jackson Boulevard simultaneously to Columbus Drive. They will turn south on Columbus and proceed to Grant Park’s Hutchinson Field at Balbo Avenue, where they are scheduled to disband.

 

The Chicago Police Department is anticipating a peaceful rally. Nevertheless, they will deploy a full complement of resources in addition to assistance from county, state, and federal law enforcement partners.

 

Traffic delays should be anticipated on Monday throughout the day. Traffic will be impacted not only on the march route but also on surrounding streets. There will be rolling closures of cross streets to allow marchers to pass. The following streets are expected to be closed on Monday:

 

Grant Park Area Closures:

Columbus Drive from Randolph Street to Roosevelt Road

No turns off Lake Shore Drive from Monroe Street to Balbo Avenue and Jackson Boulevard

Michigan Avenue from Jackson to Balbo, Monroe, and Congress

 

Loop Reroutes:

Northbound Michigan Avenue traffic will be rerouted west at Congress Parkway

Southbound traffic will be rerouted west at Adams or Monroe, depending on the march route

The following streets will remain open: Randolph, Roosevelt, Lake Shore Drive, and Damen

 

Downtown buildings and tenants are encouraged to go about their normal course of business, but to prepare for traffic delays and large numbers of marchers through the rush hour. The Chicago Police Department has the following recommendations for downtown buildings:

Move building security staff to forward positions so that they are more visible.

Post security officers at entrances and outside.

Clean and empty outdoor trash receptacles before, during, and after the march.

Be prepared for marchers entering your buildings seeking restrooms and develop your own protocol for responding to such requests.

If you see something, say something. Call 911 to report any suspicious or criminal activity.

 

For more detailed information, you can download the Chicago Police Department’s press release from the BOMA/Chicago web site under the heading “What’s New” at: http://www.boma-chicago.org/advocacy/issues.

[BHAMBARONS]

I am not sure how a boycott will help there cause, I believe that if that an Immigrant starts on the road to citizenship and agrees to a payment plan on back taxes then I have no problems with them staying otherwise they are breaking the law and should be dealt with.