There was an "impromptu" illegal immigration rally today in Wichita that drew an estimated crowd of about 100 people. The organized rally never got off of the ground and this rally was started by a "rumor" that one was being held. I happened to be at Riverside Park at between 6 and 7 PM when I heard shouting coming from somewhere downtown. It didn't sound very big. IAM had a Union Strike Rally from Cessna that drew more of a crowd a couple of years ago. Anyway, here is the fawning article written by a reporter for the Wichita Eagle:

In rally, trickle leads to torrent

BY ICESS FERNANDEZ

The Wichita Eagle

A group of about 20 people hanging out in the parking lot of Plaza Mexico quickly snowballed into hundreds marching through Wichita's north end Monday.
A growing crowd of Hispanics marched down the street as part of the National Day of Action, a nationwide boycott designed to show how Hispanics affect the U.S. economy. As part of the boycott, people were encouraged not to go to work or school and not to make purchases Monday.
Rallies and marches were initially not planned for Monday. But the impromptu afternoon march that started at 25th North and Arkansas and ended up at City Hall happened because of a rumor at the grocery store.
"At Dillons I heard a rumor, and I came here," said Ernesto Castroena.
Connie Garcia was at Dillons, too, and heard something on a radio broadcast.
"We just said, let's go to Plaza Mexico," Garcia said.
In the parking lot there were 20 people -- but that changed quickly.
"We walked from here to the corner and there were 50 people," Castroena said.
Then along 21st Street to Broadway more people joined in. More at 13th and Market, where the group received a police escort. And by the time the crowd made it to City Hall, there were hundreds, mostly talking, a few chanting, some carrying U.S. flags and some with Mexican flags.
"It was like a snowball," said Alex Molina. "It was all spontaneous. It was the need of the people that united us."
By 6 p.m. others were gathering at Plaza Mexico, having heard about the walk, waiting for people to return after the brief rally at City Hall.
"All of these people, they don't want to be in the shade anymore," said Elmer Corea, from Guatemala. He has a temporary worker permit but knows many more people who don't. "They don't want to have to hide. They want to work and be good citizens. They don't want to be illegal."
Many who joined the march heard about the event from neighbors, saw the march themselves or heard from friends who called them.
"We saw the people gathering and starting to march, so we joined in," said Brenda Lopez.
Maria Soto parked and joined the walk back to Plaza Mexico along with Sonya Beruman and Monica Urbano.
"We didn't know about it," said Soto. "Then my friend told me about it so we went looking for it."
As the crowd walked, the passersby honked, and a van came by and handed out water.
In the Wichita district, some schools with a high Hispanic population saw higher-than-usual absences -- in some cases, five times the normal amount.
Amanda Hill's second-grade classroom at Pleasant Valley Elementary was half-empty when eight out of 16 students did not show up Monday.
District officials have not finished tallying how many students were absent, district spokeswoman Susan Arensman said. There are more than 10,000 Hispanic students in the district.
Letters were sent home to parents Friday saying that any students who did not have a valid excuse to be absent from school would have an unexcused absence on their records.
"We as adults and parents have to send a message," said Winston Brooks, superintendent of schools. "We adults are not doing our jobs if we're telling kids not to go to school."
Some students, including North High student Sandra Arteago, didn't listen.
"I have to represent my people," she said during the march.
Some businesses in Wichita -- including Juarez Bakery on Waco and La Mesa Mexican Restaurant on West 21st -- closed for the day. Others continued to operate, sometimes with fewer people.
A few employees at Rose America in southwest Wichita notified their employer in advance that they would support the protest, said human resource manager Humberto Jimenez. Some took vacation, he said; others took the day off without pay.
Their absence "didn't affect us too much," Jimenez said. "Business carries on as usual."
All five of Kansas' major beef packers were closed Monday to allow workers to participate in rallies. More than 12,000 people work in beef packing in Kansas; the work force is heavily immigrant.
Major packers across the country gave employees the day off Monday, creating a backup of cattle in feedlots because no cattle were marketed.
"We're already looking at a building oversupply that will drive down prices," said Jim Reeves, a Butler County rancher. "This really isn't what the market needs."
At the same time, he said, he understands why major packers would close down.
"You really can't do the job unless most of the workers are there," Reeves said.

Contributing: Ron Sylvester, P.J. Griekspoor and Molly McMillin of The Eagle
Reach Icess Fernandez at (316) 268-6544 or ifernandez@wichitaeagle.com.

Pretty weak. As far as I could tell, this "protest" had very little, if any, impact in Wichita. This rally was impotent. It, also, underscored why lawmakers in Washington should pass immigration laws that would secure our borders and punish any business that hire illegal aliens. Keep the pressure on Congress and the President. Let them know we need strong immigration laws. On a side note, I haven't heard back from Sen. Brownback. He must not feel my vote is important. I have received mail from the RNC wanting a contribution. They will not see one dime from me until I see them doing what needs to be done on immigration, a long term energy plan, strentghening national security, cutting down the size of government and spending, or reforming the tax law. I am pissed off at the people we elected on the promise to do these things, only to pander to every liberal group and lobbyist they think will keep them in power. I don't think I'm alone.

**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email me and let me know at what level you would like to participate.

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