Apr 10, 2006 3:06 pm US/Central
Hundreds Rally For Immigration Rights At U Of I
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) ―
Hundreds of people marched along a busy street to the University of Illinois campus Monday in a call for support of immigrants' rights.
The protest, along with another in Schaumburg and others planned in Chicago, was part of a series of demonstrations nationwide billed as a "campaign for immigrants' dignity."
The protests were organized by the Fair Immigration Reform Movement, a group opposed to a bill passed in the U.S. House that would make illegal immigrants felons.
"It's an anti-immigrant, racist bill that would criminalize immigrants, their families that support them, their church that helps them, any service provider that helps them," said Diana Mora, an organizer of the Champaign march. "Of course it affects us locally."
Protesters marched from a small park along Green Street, the main street through Campustown, to a rally outside the Illini Union.
They carried Mexican and American flags and some had signs sporting slogans that included: "The pilgrims had no green cards," "No human is illegal" and "Immigrants built this nation."
Mora and other organizers used the rally to urge protesters to call House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Ill., who represents Champaign-Urbana, to register their unhappiness with their votes in favor of the House bill, passed last December, which tightens border controls and would stop illegal immigrants from getting jobs.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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