http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3640050
Police surprised by huge turnout By Annette Espinoza Denver Post Staff Writer
Denver police said they expected at most only a couple thousand people at Saturday's protest against proposed changes in federal immigration law at Civic Center park.
They never anticipated the 50,000 people that police say actually showed up.
"It caught everybody off-guard," said Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson.
Traffic traveling through intersections surrounding Broadway and Colfax Avenue came to a screeching halt around noon as thousands of protestors walked to the rally that began at 10 a.m. in front of the Greek Amphitheater in Civic Center park. The rally stretched to the west steps of the state Capitol.
Jackson said police have not seen a crowd this large since the Denver Broncos' last Super Bowl win in 1999. He was equally amazed with how peaceful it was. No one was arrested.
"It was a very respectful protest group," Jackson said. "They were very compliant with safety issues. They respected the community."
The rally was organized less than two weeks ago.
Spanish-language television and radio stations helped get out the word, according to rally volunteer Ida Sandoval. Sandoval said she worked with police before the event to ensure that the protest would be safe. While the crowed was much larger than expected, there were no skirmishes.
Police officers from other districts in Denver helped with security and made sure everything went smoothly.
Jackson did not say how many police were at the event, but it did not appear that there were a lot of officers on hand, considering the size of the crowd.
Staff writer Annette Espinoza can be reached at 303-820-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3640147
March for immigrants
50,000 back those in country illegally
By Kirk Mitchell and Annette Espinoza Denver Post Staff Writers
Jess Casillas waves an American flag during a rally Saturday to protest a bill in Congress that would make it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally. (Post / Karl Gehring)
An estimated 50,000 people marched in front of the state Capitol on Saturday and packed Civic Center, waving Mexican flags and signs urging Congress to defeat a bill that would make illegal immigration a federal felony.
With prompting from speakers using microphones, the crowd chanted "S, se puede," or "Yes, we can," a saying popularized by Csar Chvez, the late human-rights activist and farm labor leader.
"It's just incredible," yelled rally participant Polly Baca, a former state legislator, as a large Mexican band played music at "The Time Is Now Rally."
"You can see that a day without these people working would be devastating for Colorado's economy," she said.
Farm, construction and hotel workers from Pueblo to Fort Collins drove to Denver for the mass demonstration, which police and organizers estimated at 50,000 people.
Many walked 20 blocks to Civic Center, pushing baby strollers and waving large red, white and green Mexican flags. Passing motorists honked their horns.
Rally participants were in a festive mood. They carried balloons and bought ice cream from "paleteros," or ice cream vendors.
There was no violence or arrests, Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said.
"We need to fight for our rights," Lordes Cruz, 24, of Denver said. "We work to have a better future for our families."
Enrique Loera of Commerce City said a law banning illegal immigrants would only hurt the United States.
"We are not criminals. All we want is a decent life for our families," Loera said.
The large turnout stunned the event's organizers.
A grassroots campaign to get people to attend the demonstration began nine days ago. Announcements on Spanish- language radio stations and in churches such as Centro Nueva Vida urged people to come.
On March 17, the group met and anticipated two dozen people would attend. By Wednesday, they thought a couple of hundred might show up.
"Our goal is to get mass awareness to the people of Colorado and to the immigrant community on current immigration issues and to call for action," said Ida Sandoval, one of the organizers.
Speakers during the rally ridiculed the Republican Party, telling participants that "they're not on our side and they're pitting Americans against us."
"This is the standing point of a new beginning," said Eli Chairez-Clendenin, 36, of Denver, according to The Associated Press. "We're not going to be intimidated or afraid to speak our mind. We're going to be who we are."
The groups that sponsored the rally included the American Friends Service Committee, Rights
Some of the estimated 50,000 participants in the rally Saturday wave a Mexican flag. Organizers said that on Wednesday, they were expecting only a couple hundred people to attend. (Post / Karl Gehring)
for All People, Service Employees International Local 105, Front Range Economic Strategy Center and the AM radio station La Buena Onda.
Also Saturday, hundreds of thousands of immigrant-rights advocates from across Southern California marched in protest of the federal legislation. Rallies Friday drew throngs of protesters to major cities across the nation.
Demonstrators streamed into downtown Los Angeles for what was expected to be one of the city's largest pro-immigrant rallies. The crowd was estimated at 500,000, police said.
Illegal immigration has been in the spotlight in Colorado, with bills being proposed in the legislature, including one that would make it a felony to transport illegal immigrants. On Monday and Tuesday, more than 70 illegal immigrants were arrested after six accidents during an early spring snowstorm.
House Bill 4437, which recently passed the U.S. House, is being debated in the Senate this week. It would turn 11 million undocumented workers in the U.S. into felons. Under current law, it is a misdemeanor to enter the country illegally.
The bill also would make it a crime to shield or support an illegal immigrant. It would require the Department of Homeland Security to build a fence along 698 miles of U.S. border with Mexico. It does not contain a guest-worker program.