The Obama White House says 'No, You Can't' to "Yes We Can"-but maybe that's because protesting Illegal Immigrants have stolen the President's campaign slogan. Obama probably wasn't planning on his "Yes We Can" slogan referring to a right to stay in the United States after crossing the border illegally.
Thousands of protesters continue protest events in Arizona and across the United States, waving American flags as they rallied against Arizona's new Immigration law, push for national Immigration reform, and crackdown on illegal immigrants in Arizona. While Arizona isn't usually a 'leader' in political reform, that may be just what has illegal immigrants worried: after all, if it can happen in Arizona, other states are surely not far behind. "Si se puede," "Yes we can" and "Boycott Arizona" were common refrains for groups protesting from Los Angeles, California, to New York City. "Yes we can"? Didn't Obama use that one? hmmm....well, it seems to have worked for the President. The slogan's not faring so well as a repeat: Obama's message to "Yes We Can" is 'No, You Can't' apparently, considering arrests of protesters outside of the actual White House
May 1 has served as an official rally day for supporters of Immigration Reform. This year has even more of an appeal, as protesters nationwide say they were galvanized by Arizona's recent passage of a law cracking down on Illegal Immigration. Protesters are up in arms over the new Arizona law that requires Immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times; the same new Arizona law, for Illegal Immigration, also requires Police to question people if there is any reason for Police to suspect people are in the United States illegally.
Critics of the Illegal Immigration law are arguing that the law will lead to discrimination and racial profiling. But Arizona Governor Brewer says the new law is indeed necessary, specifically because the federal government has failed to enforce border security with Mexico; that failed border security with Mexico has allowed hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to move into Arizona. Brewer says that changes to the Immigration law have been approved, which clarify that police could only stop suspected illegal immigrants while enforcing some other law or ordinance, should eliminate concerns and arguments pertaining to racial profiling. Tens of thousands of protesters flooding the streets of Los Angeles May 1, where immigration law protest organizers said they hoped to send a strong message based on the number of people turning out for the event. Protest signs included "Does my face look illegal?".
50,000 people marched at the Illegal Immigration demonstration's peak, in what LAPD termed a "very peaceful" protest with no arrests. In Washington, contrary to Los Angeles, Police arrested about 20 protesters, including U.S. Congressman Luis Gutierrez at the rally in Washington. Of course the Democratic Congressman (D-Illinois) made sure his arrest for media publicity was properly captured. Arrested intentionally, with other protestors, for blocking the sidewalk outside of the White House, Gutierrez says the resulting arrest was based on "a planned act of civil disobedience." One would certainly hope Gutierrez's arrest was "a planned act of civil disobedience" on his behalf, since he's a Congressman and all and should surely be aware of the law.
Gutierrez and other protesters wore T-shirts with slogans: "ARREST ME NOT MY FAMILY" and "ARREST ME NOT MY FRIENDS." Police took the Congressman up on his offer, though it's still unclear as to whether Gutierrez's involvement with the immigration law is based more on the law itself, or based more on his planning of his future political career. Arrests are always so memorable. It seems that the movement and protesters involved in the "planned act of civil disobedience" surely did have good planning: at least they made sure that those arrested would actually be able to bail out of jail, rather than be deported.
A smaller group of about 200 people rallied outside the State Capitol in Phoenix in protest of Arizona's new immigration law, requesting federal government to step in and stop the new immigration law. Apparently those protesters are unfamiliar with how law works. About 1,000 people addtitionally gathered in New York City's Union Square. Cesar Mack, an international studies student at City College of New York, spoke with CNN and revealed he is an undocumented immigrant from Peru. "I've been living in this country six years and I'm still fighting for immigration reform," he said.
CNN reporter Julio Ortiz-Teissonniere said he saw signs in Arabic, French, Spanish and English at the New York protest rally, including a sign reading "Todos somos Arizona" ("We are all Arizona.") "They [rally protesters] were trying to convey that message that it's a city and nation based on immigration. Everybody came from somewhere else," Ortiz-Teissonniere said. Ummm...and the two are related how? Last checked, origination is unrelated to law, unrelated to being in the United States illegally.