Alabama Immigration Law: Police Arrest 13 Protesting Controversial Legislation
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Police arrested 13 protesters in Alabama's
capital Tuesday as they demonstrated against the state's strict new law
clamping down on illegal immigrants.
About 100 people, most of them Hispanic and college-aged, chanted
slogans as they marched in light rain around the state Capitol and to
the adjacent Statehouse where the legislature works.
Some sat down on Union Street between the Statehouse and the
Capitol when police approached and warned them in English and Spanish
that they would be arrested if they didn't move.
None did and police arrested 11 protesters, tying their hand with
yellow straps and loading them into a city bus. It was unclear what
charges the protesters would face.
Federal courts have blocked parts of the Republican-backed law from
taking effect, but both supporters and critics still call it the
nation's toughest state law against illegal immigration. The Obama
administration opposes the law, which is calls an overreach by the
state.
After walking all the way around the Capitol one time, about 20
protesters entered the Statehouse and went up to the seventh-floor
office of state Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, a key proponent of the
law.
Once downstairs, two of the demonstrators – college students from Los
Angeles and Philadelphia – linked arms and sat down on the floor of the
main lobby, vowing not to leave until Beason responded to their
concerns. They were later arrested.
Beason was not there and the group left a letter outlining its
complaints about the law and asking state legislators to tone down their
rhetoric over the law.
The senator's staff later told the protesters that their letter had
been delivered to Beason's administrative assistant but he would not
address the group because he is out of town.