Hispanics rally against anti-immigration sign

By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 | 11:10 a.m.

About 50 Hispanic community members rallied Monday night at the Rafael Rivera Community Center against a controversial billboard recently displayed in Las Vegas that said, "Stop Immigration: Join the National Alliance."

The billboard was removed Monday, apparently by Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc., a national media company, after the business below the sign received several threats on the phone and in person, the business owner, Jean Pierre Piron, said.

Clear Channel could not be reached for comment this morning. But Piron, owner of Jewelry and Mineral of Las Vegas at 410 E. Sahara Ave., near the Las Vegas Strip, said he was told by Clear Channel on Friday that the billboard would be taken down Monday after he expressed concerns about the backlash.

Piron said people called once and entered his store once in the last week, both times threatening to burn down his building. Two times, he also found messages painted on a sign advertising his business and on windows at his store, including "Viva La Raza!" ("Long live the race!"), a reference to Hispanics.

Piron said he called Metro Police after the graffiti was painted on his business.

Metro spokesman Jose Montoya said the incidents were reported March 11 and are being investigated by the property crimes unit.

The business owner said there were also protesters outside his store last week, urging people not to shop there because of the billboard.

At Monday's gathering, Alan Torres, one of the organizers of Monday's event and secretary of a group representing immigrants from the Mexican state of Durango, told the crowd, "Thank you, National Alliance, for uniting us as Hispanics!"

The audience cheered.

Fernando Romero, president of Hispanics in Politics, said the rally was called to organize a response to the billboard in some way -- including possibly putting up another billboard "with a positive message to counter their message of hate."

The "stop immigration" billboard was recently put up for a second time on Sahara Avenue at Joe W. Brown Drive after the National Alliance won a six-month court battle. The billboard had been taken down in July after community members objected to its message, but a court ruled that the group's contract had to be honored.

At Monday's meeting some suggested holding a march calling attention to the contributions of the Hispanic community.

But specific proposals were still lacking by the rally's end, and a second meeting was called for Saturday.

The rally included organizations from the three Mexican states that send the most immigrants to the Las Vegas Valley -- Durango, Zacatecas and Michoacan.

Adriana Martinez, state chairwoman for the Democratic party, also attended, at one point suggesting that the crowd contact local elected officials to express their opposition to such groups as the National Alliance.

Members of student groups from area high schools and universities also were at Monday's meeting.

Oscar Lopez, a community member who has lived in the United States for 22 years, is a legal resident and works as a supervisor at a construction company, said he thought it was important for the Hispanic community to show that you can't paint all immigrants with a broad brush.

He said immigrants also pay taxes and contribute to the economy.

"Not all the cowboys are good guys and not all the Indians are bad guys," he said.

Romero, who was born in the United States, said the issue had brought all Hispanics together -- native-born citizens, residents, and undocumented immigrants.

"This is against all of us and we have to see how we are going to get out of this situation."