by Christopher Sanchez
Daily Lobo
In a second day of protest, at least 2,000 people packed Downtown's Civic Plaza on Monday and marched several miles for immigrant rights.
The majority of the protesters were high school students from around the city. Many of the students walked out of class and met at the plaza around noon.
Albuquerque High School student Gerardo Rios said he walked out of his school with 300 peers. Rios said he joined the protest for his family.
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"It is unfair for the government to be pessimistic about us, because we come up here to have better lives," he said with an American flag in hand. "Families need food, and people come up here to work so they can send money for food and clothes."
Once the protesters congregated at the plaza, they filled the streets of Downtown and began walking toward Avenida CÇsar Ch†vez.
UNM student Miriam Esparza said she attended to support illegal immigrants. She said it was nice to see young people at the protest.
"It's about time teenagers get involved," Esparza said.
As the protesters marched, people in vehicles honked their horns to support them.
"I think citizens are aware what we're trying to do here," Esparza said. "They know it is unfair what the government is trying to do with immigrant people."
However, not everyone supported illegal immigrants.
Albuquerque resident Nick Foran said he doesn't mind immigrants but is opposed to anyone who comes to the United States illegally. Foran said this country is built on laws, and people need to follow them.
"There is a legal way to get in this country," he said, watching the protesters walk down the street.
Demonstrators waved flags of many colors and shouted "Si se puede," - Spanish for "Yes we can" - as they approached Avenida CÇsar Ch†vez. The protesters stationed themselves on the sidewalks of the street for about 30 minutes before marching west to Old Coors Drive.
TVI student Cesar Rangel said he was doing what he believes in.
"What the government is doing is awful," Rangel said.
He was pleased to see young people at the protest, he said, but he didn't care for people waving red and black flags representing the colors of communism.
"I'm sure they don't even know what it means," he said.
Rangel said he wanted the demonstration to send a message to Washington.
"Hopefully the government will recognize us, and everything will be fine," he said.
Although the pack of protesters began to dissipate as they marched north on Old Coors Drive, hundreds of people remained. Cars drove slower, and passengers waved white flags out the window to represent peace and unity.
Rio Grande High School student Omar Loya said he left his classroom at 8 a.m. and had been marching for a few hours.
"I'm willing to keep on going," Loya said. "It's very good for Hispanics."
Loya said he didn't care if his school suspended him for walking out of class, because he wasn't doing anything wrong.
The march started to gain more momentum when the demonstrators reached Central Avenue. Almost every vehicle honked and had someone waving a Mexican flag or a white flag out the window.
However, some passersby shouted, "Go back to Mexico," and yelled obscenities. The marchers retorted with, "Long live Mexico."
Rio Grande High School student Chris Brown said he was driving alongside the marchers on Central Avenue and decided to join them.
Brown said he was marching for his wife, who is an illegal immigrant.
"If the bill passes, she will get deported, and my mom and I will get arrested," he said about House Bill 4437, which would make it a felony for undocumented citizens and a felony for those harboring them.
After almost four hours, the demonstrators were back at Civic Plaza.
Albuquerque resident Jose Manuel Perez said he was exhausted, but he hoped the march would help immigrants around the country.
"I know there are hundreds of cities doing the same thing," he said. "I hope those 12 million people (illegal immigrants) will still be able to work."
Albuquerque was not the only city with demonstrations. It was reported that hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in cities from New York City to San Diego.
