O'Malley urges policy reform based on respect

Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, speaking to thousands of immigrants and their supporters yesterday, urged lawmakers to overhaul the country's immigration policy to make it fair to the estimated 11.5 million undocumented workers in the United States.

''This country is great because of immigrants," O'Malley said to the crowd that jammed Copley Square about 6 p.m. ''The immigration policy we need in the US must be based on the cornerstone of respect for the dignity of every human person."

Boston police estimated the crowd at 5,000 to 7,000 people.

The march and rally up St. James Street, which was closed to traffic, was boisterous but peaceful. It caused significant rush-hour traffic snarls downtown, according to Boston police spokesman David Estrada.

Police also closed a section of Dartmouth Street as the crowd filled Copley Square, stretching from Trinity Church to the steps of Boston Public Library.

O'Malley -- who spoke to the crowd in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French -- was treated like a pop star by the crowd. Many people pressed to shake his hand or pose next to him for a picture. His address was the culmination of the march, one of nearly 100 rallies supporting undocumented immigrants nationwide over the past two days. Catholic clergy have been especially prominent in the movement nationwide.

The local rally began on Boston Common, where, starting at about 4 p.m., a steady stream of participants fed a swelling crowd that cheered a number of speakers and chanted ''si se puede," Spanish for ''yes, we can."

While most marchers were out in support of the immigrants, there were scattered opponents. Above the crowd, a plane flew towing a banner that said: ''Enforce immigration laws. No amnesty!"

Dennis Coull, of Quincy, was standing on the Tremont side of the Common with a sign reading: ''Secure Our Border. Support HR Bill 4437."

''I'm here because I want to protect my country," Coull said. ''I'm sick of seeing illegal marches going on in our country. . . . This is insane. These people get better healthcare than our veterans and our elderly, and something needs to be done. I'm outraged. I can't sit in the house and watch this stuff anymore."

Vital Rosa of Merrimac, who emigrated legally from Portugal, said he was upset by any effort that would reward people for entering the country illegally.

''I had to wait in line with my family for five years," said Rosa, who came to the United States in 1973. ''It's an injustice that illegals come here, and they cut to the front of the line. It's vital that all Americans should learn how to speak two words of Spanish: No mas. [No more]."

At the Copley Square portion of the rally, about a dozen members of a skinhead group stood by, chanting ''INS, INS." Scores of uniformed Boston police officers kept them separated from the rally.

Organizers had urged marchers not to interact with their opponents, and the spirit of the event was generally upbeat. An Irish band and Peruvian musicians performed. Some immigrants carried signs with messages that read ''Today we march, tomorrow we vote," and ''I was a stranger and you welcomed me -- Jesus."

They carried mostly American flags, as well as flags from their home countries such as El Salvador, Mexico, and Brazil. In recent days, organizers had urged rally participants to carry more American flags, saying that they did not want to alienate the broader public.

Robin Martini, 26, is a construction worker who emigrated legally from Guatemala 10 years ago, and said immigrants make a vital contribution.

''We give a grain a day of ourselves to this country," Martini said. ''We want to be part of it. We respect the laws. We pay our taxes. We want a piece of the American dream."

Around 5:30, the mass of people began moving in a slow, orderly fashion across the Common and toward Copley Square. Organizers urged marchers to pick up their trash.

Ching-In Chen, a rally participant who was born in the United States to parents who emigrated from Taiwan, saw positive signs in the rally.

''It's so gratifying to see so many people from different communities coming together. I've never seen anything like this in Boston," he said. ''It gives me hope for Boston that it can change and acknowledge the contribution of the immigrants that have made this city what it is. This is amazing."

Globe correspondent Catherine Elton contributed to this report. Ralph Ranalli can be reached at ranalli@globe.com.