LOS ANGELES : Prop. 187 Backers Picket for Dismissal of Lawsuits

Bearing placards comparing U.S. District Judge Mariana R. Pfaelzer to Adolf Hitler, a small group of Proposition 187 supporters picketed a federal courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles on Friday, demanding that she dismiss lawsuits aimed at thwarting the illegal immigration initiative.

“Any official who holds the voice of the people in contempt is corrupting our Democratic government,” said initiative co-sponsor Barbara Coe, who heads the California Coalition for Immigration Reform.

Coe, wearing an American flag Windbreaker, carried a sign saying, “5 Million Americans vs. One Corrupt Judge.” She marched with Richard F. Avard, a member of the coalition and United We Stand America. He held a poster reading, “The Only Difference Between Hitler and Pfaelzer Is the Mustache.”

Last month, Pfaelzer rejected a motion by state attorneys to dismiss four lawsuits filed by civil rights groups opposed to the voter-approved initiative. Instead, Pfaelzer, who has temporarily blocked most portions of Proposition 187, scheduled a trial in September on the legality of the measure, designed to bar illegal immigrants from most public services.