Numbers down in protest march

Students, parents and others marched through Santa Rosa Thursday in an annual May right to protest the plight of immigrants in California and the nation.

But pressed by a poor economy keeping many unable to leave work and with no legislation moving forward, the number of marchers was down this year, organizers said.

Police estimated the two-blocks long crowd emerging from the Roseland neighborhood at about 2,500, with a second, smaller march expected to head down Mendocino Avenue from Santa Rosa Junior College

“We have bout 200 kids who left for the march and 123 of those had permission slips,” said Piner High Principal Mary Beth Halsey.

Elsie Allen principal Mary Gail Stablein said the Bellevue Avenue campus was quieter than normal Thursday.

“We have about 250 kids out, but I can’t say that it’s all because of the rally,” she said. “We didn’t have anybody walk out, people just didn’t come."

Prescila Gonzalez, a freshman at Maria Carrillo High in Santa Rosa, came to march and for her the cause was personal.

“One day I came home from school and they said my mother got deported. We want to make Sonoma County safe for all immigrants, making no distinction between those who are here legally and illegally. No human is illegal,” she said, echoing a chant at the march.

She said there should be some border control and backgrounds should be checked, “but anybody that is willing to come to work here, they should let them come over.”

Judith Arellano was filling her gas tank on Sebastopol Road as the march descended on her. She said even though she was inconvenienced by the march, she supports the effort.

“We have to be united to help the community,” she said in Spanish. “We’ve all come here to work,” said Arellano, an American citizen who works at Amy’s Kitchen.

The smaller numbers didn’t discourage those who were marching as many noted the difficult economy struggles now facing the nation, keeping many at work. The lack of political action to help their cause was also cited as a reason for the smaller crowd this year.

“Last time there was some hope, there was immigration legislation going through Congress that motivated people,” said George Ortiz, community organizer. “But I’ll tell you one thing, we’ll have more people here than the Minutemen,” he said, referring to the anti illegal immigration group planning a counter protest today.

That protest featured members of the Minutemen group who said they don’t want immigration reform, simply enforcement of the laws that exist.