About 30 people gathered at the United Nations on Saturday to demand an end to Illegal Immigration. In the midst of foreign tourists, they chanted “Import illegals now”, “Impeach Obama”, and at one point demanded his deportation also.
Across the street, a smaller group gathered in counter protest.
The anti-immigration protesters largely concentrated on taunting the opposition, which included a collared priest that some claimed was fake, and a group of Palestinian Americans who joined into the counter demonstration. One counter demonstrator concentrated on how parts of his country had been stolen from Mexico. One journalist commented that it was difficult to find moderates on either side. Many locals, jogging or walking past the protesters, cursed at them or stopped to argue with them.
Anti-immigration protesters believe that terrorists and gangs are coming over the borders and that immigrants are taking jobs away from American citizens. They claim that their own parents came to this country legally and so should others.
On the opposite side are humanitarians who believe that people seeking refuge from war torn countries should be allowed into the United States for humanitarian reasons and reminded observers that many immigrants are also all “Americans”, coming from the continent of North and South America.
Later, the protesters learned that there was a Palestinian protest down the street. A small group of them stood in front of the United Nations, across from the new protest and shouted across the street. “I Love Israel”, one of them said.
The current immigrant crises and controversy has been spurred by an influx of children crossing the border from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
