While roughly 150 to 200 people came out Saturday, May 1 at a downtown rally in support of Arizona’s newly-adopted immigration law, an estimated crowd of 1,000-plus marched through the streets from Chicano Park to the Federal Building, to oppose it. “They keep talking about how the illegal immigrants have drained all our monies,” said Anita Turner, who resides in the college area. “But in reality, eight years of George Bush has drained our monies. That’s why we’re in the shape we’re in.” Turner, who was among the protestors, which included groups like Union del Barrio, Collectivo Zapatista and Coalicion Primero de Mayo, compared the Arizona ruling to apartheid. She said although she agrees people should come into the country legally, she’d like to see a federal immigration law enacted that is not “so drastic.” “Anyone who’s brown-skinned will be stopped, whether or not you live here legally,” she said. “It won’t be the blue-eyed, blonde-haired Canadians. I’m afraid it’s too much power for the police.” Larry Rubin, a San Diego native who lives near the University of San Diego, was among the counter protestors in favor of the Arizona ruling, which also included the San Diego Minutemen. Rubin said he sees a very simple solution to this issue — close all the borders and deport all the illegals. “There’s not a job out there an American would not do,” he said. “It’s just that we have greedy owners and manufacturers that want to pay $2 an hour. I don’t want to work for $2 an hour. I have a higher standard. They’re causing our standard to be lowered.” Rubin, who at one point during the demonstration shouted, “Show us your face, you freaks! You cowards!” to a group of men in the march who wore bandanas covering their mouths and noses, said he’d also like to see immigrants learn English. “There’s nothing more disrespectful and rude than when you’re in English surroundings and a group of people break off and start speaking Spanish,” he said. “Enabling people like that doesn’t help them, we need to enable them by teaching them English.” The opposing groups were kept apart by a team of about 25 San Diego police officers, who stood in between them in a formidable line down the middle of Front Street. Aside from some angry banter, the event went off without a hitch. There were even several men pushing ice cream carts in the crowd who generated good business from the many families who took part in the march from Chicano Park. “It was very emotional and very passionate for people on both sides,” said San Diego Police Capt. Mark Jones. “And we have to give credit to the citizens of San Diego for realizing that they can voice their opinion without there being civil disobedience or a crime committed. We were pretty fortunate.” On Monday, May 3, the San Diego City Council formally opposed Arizona’s immigration law, voting 7-1 in favor of a repeal.
