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Dozens of Protesters Arrested in Protest against Immigration Law

31 July 2010 03:13 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Dozens of protesters have been arrested by riot gear-clad police in peaceful demonstrations in downtown Phoenix, capital of Arizona, on Thursday following an all- night vigil and prayer to mark the U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton’s significant ruling putting on hold the most controversial parts of the draconian anti-immigration law, APA reports quoting english.cri.con website.

An aged woman protester was arrested after she engaged in a confrontation with scores of police officers in front of Wells Fargo building across the street from the Calvin C. Goode Municipal Building. The woman, who was in a yellow T-shirt, is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, a national religious group based in Boston, Massachusetts, was arrested by police and taken into a waiting van.

The protests were peaceful but disruptive in several locations in the city. Hundreds of Senate Bill 1070 opponents blocked Washington Street near Phoenix City Hall for nearly an hour Thursday morning, snarling traffic and light-rail service.

At least two dozen including the aged woman whose identity could not be verified, were arrested at that location, after linking arms and lying down in the street, said Sgt. Tommy Thompson, a spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department. They were charged with obstructing a public thoroughfare, which is a misdemeanor, Thompson said.

Hundreds of emotional demonstrators from different groups across the country are staging a raucous and high-profile demonstration in downtown Phoenix, in support of U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton’s ruling putting on hold some of the most controversial clauses of the Senate Bill 1070, demanding the stop of deportation of illegal immigrants and the equal representation of all races.

Many of the protesters arrived in Phoenix from California, Georgia and other states by buses and airplanes. Some of them have been here preparing for the event for days. They banged drums and chanted "Hey Ho, Hey Ho, SB 1070 has got to go," "Arrest Arpaio, not the people." A protester dressed as Joe Arpaio, Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, who claimed himself to be "America’s toughest sheriff," posed in confrontation with police officers. Arpaio has been harsh in dealing with criminals and illegal immigrants, and he has drawn the ire from the activists.

In a pre-emptive release, Sheriff Joe Arpaio said his office was bracing for "massive numbers of protesters" at the Fourth Avenue Jail, where all Valley agencies bring their arrestees for booking. He has canceled public visitation at the jail and put all inmates on a 24-hour lockdown, beginning at 9 a.m. as a security measure. He has also beefed up security measures for himself and his staff.

By early afternoon, most of the activities were centered on the Fourth Avenue Jail, a primary booking location for felony arrests in Maricopa County. A total of 23 people were arrested for blocking a public thoroughfare, Sheriff Joe Arpaio said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. Among the detained people are some media members who were covering the event.

The Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Phoenix said she came to the jail because "I am standing for human rights. Not one more person, not one more mother, not one more grandfather will be taken from their family."

The remnants of the law that were not blocked took effect at 12: 01 a.m.. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s legal team have filed an expedited appeal of the judge’s order early Thursday afternoon.

These blocked provisions include:

-- The portion that requires officers to check a person’s immigration status if there’s reasonable suspicion they’re in the country illegally;

-- The portion that creates a crime of failure to apply for or carry "alien-registration papers;"

-- The portion that makes it a crime for illegal immigrants to solicit, apply for or perform work;

-- The portion that allows for a warrantless arrest of a person where there is probable cause to believe they have committed a public offense that makes them removable from the United States.

"The court also finds that the United States is likely to suffer irreparable harm if the court does not preliminarily enjoin enforcement of these sections," Bolton states in the ruling. "The balance of equities tips in the United States’ favor considering the public interest."

Thursday’s protests kicked up quietly with an early morning prayer vigil and march from the state Capitol to the Trinity Cathedral in downtown Phoenix. About 400 people attended the service and then demonstrators marched toward the federal courthouse.

Three people, including former state legislator and activist Alfredo Gutierrez were arrested there around 8:30 a.m..

A number of rallies, protests, prayer vigils and acts of civil disobedience are scheduled throughout the day. A demonstration is scheduled on Friday which is expected to draw women participants from across the country.

"SB1070 is a result of fear and hatred," Barbara Burnham, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, told Xinhua. "The problem is not just in Arizona, the problem is nationwide."

"In Georgia where I come from, we have a coalition we are working to try to stop the anti-immigration legislation in our state legislature, which is very anti-immigrant. It’s our hope a comprehensive immigration reform on a national level. That is what we really need," she added.

Many members of the group, which is a nationwide religious organization, are white people who descended on Phoenix from many parts of the country by bus, airplane and car.

They received a training on Wednesday as to how to respond to emergencies, and how to deal with police and how to act when someone was arrested.

"We are here to show our stand against SB1070 and our solidarity," Rev. Peter Morales, president of the group said.