Blockade attempted at Tijuana border crossing

Since 05-02-06

By Greg Gross
UNION-TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS TEAM

9:05 a.m. May 1, 2006

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060501-0905-bn01protest2.html

Associated Press

Illegal immigration reform activists block four of seven lanes while urging a boycott of U.S. businesses and schools during the Monday morning rush hour from Tijuana to San Diego.

SAN DIEGO – A nationwide day of pro-illegal immigration protests began locally at the U.S.-Mexico border, where protesters in neighboring Tijuana blocked traffic lanes at the nation's largest and busiest border crossing.

The protest was one of many demonstrations and boycotts across the United States meant to show the importance of illegal immigrants – and Mexicans in particular – to the American economy.

In San Diego, many taco stands and other restaurants that typically serve breakfast were closed.

At Buenos Dias on Jackson Drive in La Mesa, yellow caution tape was draped around the periphery of the venerable fast-food Mexican diner. A handwritten sign posted on the menu board outside said employees had gone to a rally in downtown San Diego.

“I'll lose about $5,000 today,” said owner Jose Uribe, noting that his 10 Latino workers had alerted him last week that they would not be coming in today.

Uribe said he couldn't operate the restaurant anyway because his produce and meat suppliers were not making deliveries in deference to the boycott.

However, some mainstream restaurants said they expect to pick up business today as customers are diverted from closed diners to their outlets.

Brian Stout, owner of Brian's on Washington Street, said the 25 Latino employees at the restaurant and another diner he operates downtown were expected to arrive for work today.

“I told them they have a responsibility to do their job and if they want it, they have to work,” Stout said.

In Tijuana, about 50 protesters, mostly middle-aged women, held signs and banners urging motorists early Monday morning not to cross into San Diego. By 8 a.m., they were blocking seven lanes on the easternmost side of the port of entry.

About 10 minutes later, Tijuana police had cleared one lane for traffic, leaving the protesters to block about five others.

They had few cars to block, however. Border traffic at San Ysidro, normally very heavy in the mornings, had dropped to almost nothing.

Tijuanans traditionally take advantage of their Labor Day holiday to cross into San Diego to shop or for entertainment, lining up by the hundreds to drive or walk across the border.

On Monday, however, even before the demonstrators began blocking lanes, cross-border traffic at San Ysidro was almost non-existent.

As the morning wore on, however, traffic began to pick up somewhat. By 9 a.m., there were an average of 40 vehicles per lane at San Ysidro. Two hours earlier, the lanes had been mostly empty.

A typical Monday morning sees about 200 vehicles per lane.