Salt Lake rally draws thousands in support of immigration reform
SALT LAKE CITY — Thousands marched peacefully up State Street in Salt Lake City on March 21, calling for legislation to give legal status to immigrants. They chanted "Obama, hear us in our struggle and help us in our cause," as they carried a large portrait of President Barack Obama. The event was part of a national movement called "Dignity March 2010;" a similar rally in Washington D.C. drew faith leaders from around the nation, including the Most Rev. John C. Wester, bishop of Salt Lake (see stories below and on p. 12.) Locally, Latinos chanted "Yes, we can," as they marched from the City and County Building to the State Capitol and back, carrying American flags and signs that read "We Pay Taxes Too," "Keep Our Families Together" and "Stop the Hate." At the Capitol they were met by a handful of peaceful protesters carrying signs that read, "No Amnesty for Lawbreakers" and "Criminals don’t have rights, citizens do." Father Martin Diaz, pastor of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Midvale, was one of the speakers at the event. He said he and Fathers Javier Virgen and Omar Ontiveros attended the rally, as representatives the Church in Utah. "We are very proud that our bishop, the leader of our Catholic Church in Utah, is in Washington, D.C., participating in the national march," said Fr. Diaz. "We, just like our brothers and sisters in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and all the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths, believe in family values. It is for this reason that we come here today because we believe in each other. We believe in America and all of us together are God’s children, one nation under God; one people one God. We are all here today to work for change in the United States so that all people would be welcome and that we would benefit from the families that are here today and the work that is behind all of those families." "In the name of our servants and the Catholic Church, I, too, am an immigrant," said Fr. Virgen, Vicar for Hispanic Affairs. "Let’s do this in the name of God, for the good of all of us and in the name of Our Lady of Guadalupe." Fr. Virgen said the rally was significant because, based on the values of the Gospel and the Constitution of the United States, every human being who resides in this country deserves to be respected with dignity and deserves his or her human rights. "It is also important because all of us here work and pay taxes and try to make this wonderful country better. We are so blessed because the Catholic Church supports this march." "This rally is a sign that we want to say to President Obama that we are more than ready for immigration reform in the whole country," said Fr. Ontiveros, parochial vicar of The Cathedral of the Madeleine. "American immigrants of all nationalities are united with Hispanics from all over Latin America." Virginia Marruf Martinez told the crowd her father came to the United States in 1916, at 15 years old, and he learned English. "He became a citizen and you too can do this. Learn English," she said. "I remember many people said we come to this country looking for the American dream, and many of us do," said Julian Guzman. "We are home owners, but that is not enough for us because now we are business owners, too. We pay property taxes, business taxes and sales taxes. We work in this country and for this country."
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