Immigrants rally for US rights

2006-04-10 13:30

Dallas - Tens of thousands of people banged drums, waved American flags and marched in a protest urging United States federal lawmakers to pass immigration reforms legalising 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Shouting "Si Se Puede!" - Spanish for "Yes, we can!" - the marchers crammed into the downtown streets of Dallas on Sunday.

Many wore white clothing to symbolise peace.

US police estimated the crowd at 500 000. There were no reports of violence.

On Sunday, thousands of protesters gathered in New Mexico, Minnesota, Michigan, Alabama, Utah, Oregon, Idaho and California to urge the immigration reforms.

Oscar Cruz, 23, a construction worker who marched with 50 000 other illegal immigrants in San Diego said: "If we don't protest they'll never hear us."

Cruz arrived in the US illegally in 2003. He said he had feared a crackdown, but felt emboldened by the large marches across the country in recent weeks.

'I think it's real sad'

The rallies, however, also drew counter-demonstrators.

In Salt Lake City, Jerry Owens, 59 and a Navy veteran said: "I think it's real sad because these people are really saying it's okay to be illegal aliens.

"What Americans are saying is 'Yes, come here. But come here legally.' And I think that's the big problem."

Sunday's demonstrations come ahead of nationwide protests - set weeks ago - for Monday.

US analysts say this weekend's protests are a signal that what began as a string of disparate events has become more co-ordinated.

Joshua Hoyt, director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said the protests heralded a national immigrant rights movement.

Activists say last week's US senate's decision not to push a bill that would have given many illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship is neither a cause for celebration nor a lost opportunity - it's a chance to regroup.

Many groups had been preparing to rally since December, when the US house of representatives passed a bill to build more walls along the US-Mexico border.

The bills also makes criminals of people who helped undocumented immigrants, and makes it a felony to be in the country illegally.

- AP