PROPOSITION 187 : Leaders Urge Protesters to Keep Up the Fight : San Fernando: About 65 gather at a Catholic church to voice opposition to the hotly debated immigration measure.

In a last round of organizing voters against Proposition 187, community leaders called on dwindling crowds of protesters Sunday to keep up the fight against the controversial measure in the final hours before Election Day.

A meeting at St. Ferdinand’s Catholic Church in San Fernando drew just 65 protesters, but most said they gave up their Sunday dinners to show their determination to defeat the measure that would deny some of their neighbors the right to education and health care.

“This measure will cause a lot of pain and our children will suffer,” said Consuelo Valdez, 45. “These people are the ones who will be denied.”

Elizabeth Ledezema, 17, of Pacoima said she came with her mother to the Sunday meeting after being involved in student protests last week.

“We didn’t just walk out of school, we did it for a reason, and that is why I’m here tonight,” said Elizabeth, a senior at San Fernando High School. “I know a lot of people who will be affected.”

Members of the group VOICE, or Valley Organized in Community Efforts, and other community leaders, including Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon, assembled in the parish hall to join the protesters as a mariachi band played in the corner.

“We just have a few days left and every vote counts,” Father David Ullrich, pastor of St. Ferdinand’s, told the crowd in English and Spanish.

“People of many different religions have stated and restated their opposition to this measure on moral grounds,” he said, as protesters waved signs from the audience that read, “No on Prop. 187. It is immoral and inhumane.”

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Earlier on Sunday, about 45 people gathered at a protest at Northridge Park with signs and flags against the proposition.

Tyrone Harris of Reseda wore a paper bag over his head. On the back he had scrawled: “You should be ashamed of yourself California.”