More than 300 people rallied in Willie Mays Plaza outside AT&T Park on May 29 to protest Arizona’s new immigration law and the arrival of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team.
Diamondback owner, Ken Kendrick. has come under scrutiny for his support of Arizona elected officials who back SB 1070.
The rally was organized by the May Day 2010 coalition, marching from the Embarcadero BART station to the ballpark.
SB 1070, signed into law April 23, would require immigrants to carry documents verifying legal immigration status. It would also require police officers to question a person about his or her immigration status if there is “reasonable suspicion” that the person may be an undocumented immigrant. The measure would also make being in the country illegally a crime punishable by six months in jail and a $2,500 fine.
While the Giants and their management have not taken any public stance on the Arizona legislation, other teams have made their opposition to the law public. The Phoenix Suns donned Los Suns jerseys during the playoffs and Baseball’s players union, and its many Latino players, called on the state to repeal the law. There have also been calls to boycott the All-Star game, which is scheduled to take place in Arizona next year.
The San Francisco Giants sent the visiting team to their sixth straight defeat with a 12-1 victory that night.