Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Team Coverage and AP NewsOrganizers call it a national "Day Without An Immigrant" and here in Utah several businesses had to shut down and some schools had a drop in attendance among Hispanic students. The day wrapped up with rallies in downtown Salt Lake.
Tonight's candlelight vigil at the Stat Capitol was the last event of the day in Utah to encourage immigration reform.
It was organized by the Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan at the University of Utah. Their purpose: to bring attention to human rights through immigration reform.
Manual/ Attended Rally: "I feel better. Now you count me as one of the people here in Utah."
Eddy Mendez/ Attended Rally: "I'm pretty much here to support the immigrant, support the cause, show the rest of the country a day without immigrants. Show the country, have a huge effect on it."
Fernanda Zomora/ Attended Rally: "We're so many, without us, USA will go down."
Manuel: "We all love this country as much as you do."
In downtown Salt Lake people gathered at Liberty Park earlier in the evening. Many of the demonstrators at Liberty Park wore white T-shirts as protesters did almost a month ago when tens of thousands marched through downtown in support of immigrant rights. Police estimated the crowd at several thousand but could not give a specific number as people waving U.S., Mexican and Honduran flags marched around the perimeter of the park.
The push is for what they call "humane, comprehensive immigration reform." The plan this evening was to give ordinary people a chance to speak. One we talked with says her message is simple.
Fabi Rodriguez, Immigrant from Argentina: "I am from Argentina, but I feel I'm like I am American, fro here, because I love this country."
Tony Yapias, Community Organizer: "I think in something like this, it's not necessarily the politicians that we want to get involved, it's the community. The community just wants an open way to express what they think and what they're feeling. And that's what we're gonna do."
Of course, one target of all these events are leaders in Washington as lawmakers will being considering immigration reform soon, after it failed to pass last month.
Also Monday, more than 100 counter-demonstrators attended a rally at the Salt Lake City's downtown City-County Building that was organized by the Utah Minuteman Project, which opposes illegal immigration.
Sitting in the bed of a pickup truck outside the building on State Street, Grant Lund, 62, held a sign saying "No jobs for illegals." On his bumper he had placed a sticker reading: "If you don't speak English, you must be illegal."
Lund said he's frustrated by the wave of immigrants coming to America illegally.
"They evade paying taxes, they don't pay Social Security. They're not paying taxes, but they're using our system. We have to pay more taxes," said Lund, as passers-by honked in support.
In Ogden, a rally was scheduled Monday evening in front of the Federal Building. Law enforcement was not expecting a big turnout, and said there was scant evidence the boycott had much effect in Ogden.
Rally organizers encouraged students to attend classes today because of special testing. At West High and most other area high schools, attendance has been about the same or down slightly.
Jordan school district, Granite, Weber and Davis all say attendance is about the same. However in Ogden, more than 1,500 Hispanic students were absent Monday, said Debbie Hefner, Ogden schools public relations coordinator. That's up from 841 last Monday.
At Ogden's Central Middle School, absenteeism was bout 12 percent higher than normal, said Principal Mark Peterson. Teachers had given students "a pretty clear message" that their education was too important to skip a day, Peterson said.
Northstar Elementary school in Salt Lake District had higher absenteeism today -- 150 students our instead of about 50. About half the students there are minorities Teachers there were supposed to test for the 'Leave No Child Behind" program today.
Rosanne Henderson, Principal Northstar Elementary: "I said, 'Look at your class. If you have quite a few absent today, you may not want to give the test today. Wait till tomorrow.'" Reporter: So not a huge problem, just matter of rescheduling? Rosanne Henderson: "Yes, it was not a huge problem."
So it appears the rally had only a small impact on a school attendance today.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
