BIRMINGHAM, Ala. .- A huge crowd dressed in white marched silently with candles in a protest organized by churches and other religious groups in opposition to the new Alabama law against illegal immigration. Saturday's protest began with a collective prayer to ask for kindness and mercy in a park, where people queued to sign a petition demanding repeal of strict regulations.
The crowd consisted mostly of Hispanics and whites. The organizers were instructed in both English and Spanish.
"It's a terrible law and needs to be repealed," said Jo Anne Gaede, of Mountain Brook. "They are people like me."
Lee Moradi, who was born in Iran but now a U.S. citizen, said that the legislation is "petty."
"I'm not in favor of illegal immigration, but this law is ridiculous," he said.
The organizers referred to the legislation as a dastardly attempt to oust an entire group of people in a state still struggling to recover from the damage it caused for decades the laws that promoted racial segregation.
Potential Protesters enrolled a Facebook page open because of the mobilization, which participants seemed to vary between hundreds and thousands.
Both supporters and opponents of the law describe it as the most severe measure taken against illegal immigration in America.
The protest leaders, many of whom belong to Christian churches, said the law violates biblical principles and could penalize the ministry activities as providing basic food assistance, transportation and lodging to the needy if the recipient is undocumented in the country.
"In my faith it is imperative to welcome strangers," said organizer Angie Wright, pastor of the church beloved community, belonging to the United Church of Christ.
The march, called the first large since Gov. Robert Bentley declared the law in early June, was held at a place near where blacks staged in the 1960s marches through downtown Birmingham to protest racial segregation at that time was legal.
The legislation takes effect on September 1 and will penalize those who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, they are renting homes or give free travel on any vehicle.
According to the law, schools will be required to determine the immigration status of their students and report it to state authorities, but does not prohibit the registration of children who are illegally in the country.
The governor's office did not immediately comment on the protest. Bentley, a Republican and a deacon in the Southern Baptist Church, defended the law when enacted.
"We have a real problem with illegal immigration in this country," he said. "I campaigned for stricter immigration laws, and I'm proud of the Legislature for their tireless work to make the initiative on immigration firm in the country."
The leaders of the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church, the Lutheran Church and the Catholic Church have criticized the legislation.
The president of the Southern Baptist Convention of Alabama, the state's largest congregation, said that in his view, all laws must be respected, but expressed concern that some aspects of the legislation to criminalize assistance given to people .
Opponents of the law describe it as unconstitutional and plan to file a lawsuit to prevent it from entering into force, but have not yet done so.
The owner of Greater Birmingham Ministries, ecumenical group that provides assistance to pobres_, expressed concern that some people take advantage of the undocumented because the law considers invalid any contract with an illegal immigrant.
"An employer can hire an illegal for a week and then refuse to pay, the employee would be legal in helplessness," he said in a statement the Rev. Scott Douglas, executive director of the ministry organization.
According to new statistics from the census, the Hispanic population increased 145% in Alabama the last decade and reached a total of 185,600 people. Hispanics now make up almost 4% of the state's population.
The crowd consisted mostly of Hispanics and whites. The organizers were instructed in both English and Spanish.
"It's a terrible law and needs to be repealed," said Jo Anne Gaede, of Mountain Brook. "They are people like me."
Lee Moradi, who was born in Iran but now a U.S. citizen, said that the legislation is "petty."
"I'm not in favor of illegal immigration, but this law is ridiculous," he said.
The organizers referred to the legislation as a dastardly attempt to oust an entire group of people in a state still struggling to recover from the damage it caused for decades the laws that promoted racial segregation.
Potential Protesters enrolled a Facebook page open because of the mobilization, which participants seemed to vary between hundreds and thousands.
Both supporters and opponents of the law describe it as the most severe measure taken against illegal immigration in America.
The protest leaders, many of whom belong to Christian churches, said the law violates biblical principles and could penalize the ministry activities as providing basic food assistance, transportation and lodging to the needy if the recipient is undocumented in the country.
"In my faith it is imperative to welcome strangers," said organizer Angie Wright, pastor of the church beloved community, belonging to the United Church of Christ.
The march, called the first large since Gov. Robert Bentley declared the law in early June, was held at a place near where blacks staged in the 1960s marches through downtown Birmingham to protest racial segregation at that time was legal.
The legislation takes effect on September 1 and will penalize those who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, they are renting homes or give free travel on any vehicle.
According to the law, schools will be required to determine the immigration status of their students and report it to state authorities, but does not prohibit the registration of children who are illegally in the country.
The governor's office did not immediately comment on the protest. Bentley, a Republican and a deacon in the Southern Baptist Church, defended the law when enacted.
"We have a real problem with illegal immigration in this country," he said. "I campaigned for stricter immigration laws, and I'm proud of the Legislature for their tireless work to make the initiative on immigration firm in the country."
The leaders of the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church, the Lutheran Church and the Catholic Church have criticized the legislation.
The president of the Southern Baptist Convention of Alabama, the state's largest congregation, said that in his view, all laws must be respected, but expressed concern that some aspects of the legislation to criminalize assistance given to people .
Opponents of the law describe it as unconstitutional and plan to file a lawsuit to prevent it from entering into force, but have not yet done so.
The owner of Greater Birmingham Ministries, ecumenical group that provides assistance to pobres_, expressed concern that some people take advantage of the undocumented because the law considers invalid any contract with an illegal immigrant.
"An employer can hire an illegal for a week and then refuse to pay, the employee would be legal in helplessness," he said in a statement the Rev. Scott Douglas, executive director of the ministry organization.
According to new statistics from the census, the Hispanic population increased 145% in Alabama the last decade and reached a total of 185,600 people. Hispanics now make up almost 4% of the state's population.
2 Esdras 15:51- Thou shalt be weakened as a poor woman with stripes, and as one chastised with wounds, so that the mighty and lovers shall not be able to receive thee.
Ecclesiasticus 31:5- The poor laboureth in his poor estate; and when he leaveth off, he is still needy.
Ezek 22:29- The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
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