ST. GEORGE — Neither Nathan Cowlishaw nor Tommy Seaton is Hispanic. Cowlishaw is white, and Seaton is Navajo. But they are organizing a rally for Saturday against Arizona's new immigration law because of what they fear it could do to Hispanics.
"We feel that this law will promote racism and lead to racial profiling. We want to promote hope, not hate," Cowlishaw said.
The pair are part of Southern Utahns Against Discrimination, a group of a few dozen members so far, including several who are Hispanic. It was formed specifically to organize a rally this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Bluff Park, 700 N. Bluff St. in St. George.
Cowlishaw and Seaton said they expect to have numerous speakers — from college professors to police officers — who worry about the Arizona law. That new law requires Arizona police to check for proof that people are in the country legally if they have "reasonable suspicion" that they are not.
"We feel that this law will also create a wedge that will bring disharmony between law enforcement and minority communities that will hinder crime fighting, established communication and make cooperation more difficult," Cowlishaw said.
He added that the group wanted to hold a demonstration in St. George "because we are just north of the Arizona border. We believe we can have a political impact. We want to let them (Arizonans who oppose the new law) know that we support them."
He said the group began as several friends talking about the new law who decided to stage a protest. They have been distributing fliers about their plans for the past several weeks.
He said they have heartfelt worries because "our deepest concern is we feel that this law is a violation of our human rights and will challenge our civil liberties."
It is the latest of several somewhat spontaneous protest groups forming on both sides of the issue in Utah, as Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, has said he intends to introduce a bill similar to Arizona's law next year in the Utah Legislature.
For example, when the conservative Patrick Henry Caucus (which supports Sandstrom's efforts) rallied last week in Taylorsville, it was met with protests by Brown Berets and a group calling itself the Revolutionary Students Union.
On the other hand, at a Cinco de Mayo event last month celebrating Mexican culture in Salt Lake City, some protesters who favor the Arizona law appeared with signs urging illegal aliens to go home.
e-mail: lee@desnews.com