8,000 Attend Immigration Rally at State Capitol (VIDEO)

The highly publicized pro-immigration rally drew a crowd of several thousand, police say all everyone remained civil and no problems were reported.

Photo By: Tim King

(SALEM) - Thousands assembled at the state capitol in Salem Monday to protest and demonstrate against immigration reform legislation that would make illegal border crossings a felony, and also punish those who hire illegal immigrants.

Immigration activists called for May First to be a day of solidarity. Hundreds of thousands of people turned out at rallies like the one in Salem, in numerous cities around the country. Among the protestors and demonstrators were people of all ages, many hailing from Mexico and many more from other countries in Central and South America.

Though there were only a scattered few, counter-protestors did make it to the event. They say it is about Americans losing out.

One demonstrator, holding a sign with the 60`s revolutionary Che Guervara, says he doesn`t think it is about immigrant children taking the place of American kids, which is a common thought among immigration reformers.

Organizers anticipated a crowd of 10,000. Oregon State Police spokesman Greg Hastings says while it didn`t get that big, according to police statistics, it did reach a figure close to that.

About 4,000 people attended the rally that began before noon, but the number swelled to over 8,000 when the 2.2 mile march around the capitol city began around 1:30 PM.

Salem Police spokesman Bill Kohlmeyer says intense pre planning between the police agencies, Salem Public Works and the immigration groups that sponsored the rally made the difference and everybody in attendance remained civil and peaceful, much to the relief of the hundred or so extra police officers on hand for the event.

Many families say the political move against illegal immigrants ultimately affects legal immigrants as well, as many of their family members are not legal, but they live here.

The feeling generated by the crowd of thousands is something a person has to see to appreciate. Regardless of a person`s feelings on the political issue, there is no doubting the spirit of people who assemble in large numbers with a common cause.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of young people also filled the ranks. They left school to participate in the rally and demonstration; many say they fear being separated from people they have known all their lives.

In Woodburn alone, where 1,200 high school students attend school on an average basis, only 350 made it to class Monday. That radical number may be a clear indicator of how threatened migrant residents feel, by the immigration reform legislation.

And with rising tensions, police were very glad that the event stayed reasonable as the crowd progressed along the march/demonstration route they had agreed upon with police.

But just when it seemed like it was going to go off without a hitch, a group of local counter-protestors were met by the first of the 8,000 marchers.

Hassles were kept in verbal form and the march passed those who held signs showing their disapproval.

One of the counter-protestors was encountered by something he didn`t expect, a Native American who says he doesn`t like the way other people he shares a skin color with are being treated.

T.C. Rodriguez said the whole thing is ridiculous, "We all know that native people were here first, this is not right."

The counter-protestors in attendance that I talked to, say for them, it is not a matter of race, and for one lady who spent a number of years in the U.S. military, it isn`t about immigration either, only the legal aspect of it.

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