ANGER OVER BEATING FLARES AT L.A. MARCH.Byline: Patrick McGreevy and Janet Gilmore Daily News Staff Writers The videotaped beating of illegal aliens by Riverside County sheriff's deputies has triggered an angry new debate over immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. - one that spilled into the streets of downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or on Wednesday. Nearly 50 people marched through the downtown Civic Center, chanting ``Justicia y Respecto,'' or ``Justice and Respect.'' Protest leaders attacked those politicians and others who have pushed for a harsh crackdown on illegal immigration "Illegal alien" and "Illegal aliens" redirect here. For other uses, see Illegal aliens (disambiguation). Illegal immigration refers to immigration across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country. , saying they have fomented a climate that leads to inhumane in·hu·mane adj. Lacking pity or compassion. in  hu·mane ly adv. treatment of immigrants. ``We're suffering what blacks and African-Americans suffered in the deep South in the '30s, '40s, '50s and '60s,'' said civil rights attorney Luis Carrillot. ``The racist climate . . . has led to all of these unfortunate beatings.'' Yvonne Flores Flores, town, Guatemala Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the , president of the Mexican-American Bar Association, called on U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno Janet Reno (born July 21, 1938) was the first and to date only female Attorney General of the United States (1993–2001). She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11. to create a national task force to investigate the taped beating and whether there is a pattern of such conduct by Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, law enforcement officials. But supporters of 1994's Proposition 187 - which called for denying most public services Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly (through the public sector) or by financing private provision of services. to illegal aliens - had their own demonstration downtown. On the steps of City Hall, they predicted future acts of ``frustration'' against illegal immigrants if the federal courts don't uphold the proposition. ``These people are common criminals, and any effort to portray them as victims or harmless or pitiful after they took action that jeopardized the very lives of innocent people is unconscionable Unusually harsh and shocking to the conscience; that which is so grossly unfair that a court will proscribe it. When a court uses the word unconscionable to describe conduct, it means that the conduct does not conform to the dictates of conscience. ,'' said Barbara Coe of the California Coalition for Immigration Reform California Coalition for Immigration Reform (CCIR) is a Huntington Beach, California-based political advocacy group devoted to immigration reduction. It was founded in 1994 by Barbara Coe, a former police clerk who has served as chairwoman of the organization ever since. . She stopped short of saying the illegal immigrants got what they deserved, but said they should get no sympathy because they were in California illegally and led deputies on a dangerous high-speed chase. Glenn Spencer of Sherman Oaks, who heads the group Voice of Citizens Together, said frustration with illegal immigrants is at a boiling point. ``There is going to be a civil war in Los Angeles. It's inevitable,'' Spencer said. Midway through the coalition's news conference on the steps of City Hall, about 20 demonstrators against the beating showed up and began verbally challenging Coe and Spencer. Immigration-rights activist Anna Perez of Sun Valley accused the coalition members of creating an anti-immigrant climate that leads to abuse like the beating. ``You are justifying that just because they were illegal it was OK for them (deputies) to use force,'' Perez shouted at Coe. ``You can't justify that.'' Perez said the beating was an act of racism by an out-of-control sheriff's department. But Coe denied that the beating involved racism. ``That has absolutely nothing to do with it,'' she said. ``Any vehicle that is going . . . a hundred miles an hour jeopardizing the lives of motorists must be stopped.'' Coe also denied that the anti-illegal immigrant rhetoric surrounding Proposition 187 created a climate that might have contributed to the beating. The argument between Coe and Perez quickly deteriorated. ``You are welcome to go back to your country of origin,'' Coe said at one point. ``I was born here,'' Perez responded. ``Why don't you go back to where you came from? You are not the real Americans, anyway.'' Said Coe, as she walked away, ``There's no logical discussion possible.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Jaime Chacon voices his opinion against the beating o f two illegal aliens to Barbara Coe of the California Coalition for Immigration Reform at a demonstration held at City Hall on Wednesday. Michael Owen Baker/Daily News |
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