Clarion call for dignity

In what may be Utah's largest march since the Vietnam War era, thousands hiked up State Street to the state Capitol on Sunday, calling for permanent residency status for undocumented immigrants.

A Salt Lake police spokeswoman said it was impossible to gauge the size of the huge crowd before aerial photographs are studied Monday. Estimates were across the board, ranging up to 25,000, she said.

They walked from the City-County Building up State Street, circled the Capitol on streets to the east, north and west, then marched back down State to rally again at the City-County Building.

As they walked in what was called the Dignity March, they filled both sides of the street for blocks, a sea of faces, banners, fathers with children on their shoulders, babies pushed in strollers, teenage girls walking together and slogans chanted in Spanish. Many carried American flags.

A counterdemonstration featuring members of the Minuteman organization and supporters drew about 150.

The Salt Lake march was just one of many supporting immigration held across the nation Sunday, with more expected on Monday. While Utah's marchers were predominantly Latino, including U.S. citizens and illegal immigrants, ethnic minorities of other nationalities — especially Asians — were prominent in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago. Marches were also held in New Mexico, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Alabama, Texas, Oregon and Idaho. In Dallas, police estimated the crowd at from 350,000 to 500,000.

The march was one of many happening nationwide in the past couple of weeks as Congress has debated immigration reform. Friday, the U.S. Senate adjourned for the Easter recess without taking action on a

bipartisan deal. Sunday, Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed optimism that senators can pass an immigration reform bill when they return from vacation.

"I think tempers will cool over a two-week period," Specter said. "And also, there are going to be some expressions by many people very unhappy with the Senate not passing a bill and very unhappy with the House bill" that would make being an illegal immigrant a felony.

In Salt Lake City Sunday, Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson addressed rally participants by loudspeaker. Americans fulfill "our country's potential for greatness through the contributions of immigrants and their descendants," he said.