Pro-Immigrant-Rights Rally Featuring Gigantic Puppets Planned for Saturday

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Puppetistas takin' people power to the streets

​It was originally planned by the United Methodist Women as a general "public faith-based vigil for immigrant, civil and human rights."

But ever since the Arizona legislature passed their controversial immigration law last week, and Missouri state rep Mark Parkinson of St. Charles proposed something similar, all kinds of folks are buzzing about the rally downtown tomorrow.

Organizer Yamil Anglada says she's expecting about 1,500 people -- and a fleet of twelve-foot puppets -- to leave America's Center at 11:30 a.m. and march to Kiener Plaza. She says that a big part of the rally will be calling for the City of St. Louis to issue an ordinance that would make racial profiling illegal.

Here's but a few of the groups now getting involved, alongside United Methodist Women:

• Missouri Immigrant and Refugee Advocates
• Interfaith Committee on Latin America
• National Farm Worker Ministry
• Metropolitan Congregations United
• Organization of Black Struggle
• the Organization of Chinese Americans
• St. Louis and African Mutual Alliance Assistance Association of Missouri

Also on hand will be Muslim, Jewish and Catholic leaders. Guatemalan Nobel Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú was scheduled to speak but has fallen ill. Instead, the keynote speaker will be United Methodist Bishop Minerva Carcaño of Arizona.

Click here for the rally's schedule.