DENVER -- Wearing symbolic white and waving both American and Mexican flags, ten of thousands of people marched through Denver on Monday, hoping to demonstrate the economic power of immigrants -- illegal and legal -- across the country.

Thousands started at a small park near North High School and walked to Civic Center Park. Their route took them down Speer Boulevard, across Lawrence Street to 17th Street, and then down 17th Street to Broadway and Civic Center Park and the state Capitol.

Traffic in the area was shut down Monday morning to accomodate the marchers. Even though the sea of people stretched several miles, there were no problems reported and it remained peaceful, with the atmosphere more like a family festival than a protest.

An estimated 75,000 were gathered to the Capitol on a bright, warm day, with families pushing strollers and others carrying children on their shoulder. Signs read "Si, se puede" (Yes, we can) and others said "Today we march, tomorrow we vote."

Organizers expected the Denver rally to be at least as large as one downtown on March 25 that drew 50,000 people, including many legal residents and citizens, but the number far exceeded organizer's expectations.

Those who marched had different reasons -- some to support families, or friends. And others just to show unity with their community.

Merlin Madrid, a photo instructor at Metropolitan State College, said she was offended by a U.S. House bill that would make millions of illegal immigrants felons.

"They do jobs that most Americans don't want to do. I did those sort of jobs as a teenager and it helped me get to college," said Madrid, whose family roots in southern Colorado's San Luis Valley stretch back generations.

From Alamosa to Greeley, from Grand Junction to Fort Morgan, schools, restaurants and other businesses ran with skeleton crews or shut down for at least part of the day. Some of the nation's largest meatpacking companies pared production or shut down entire plants, including facilities in Fort Morgan and Greeley.

Events were planned across the country, with big turnouts expected in Los Angeles and other large cities.

Melanie Lugo showed up with her husband, Manuel Quesada, and their daughter, third-grader Nadine Lugo. They said the girl's school encouraged students to stay in class, but they believed it was more important to march to the state Capitol.

"Because these are her people," Melanie Lugo said. A business manager for a general contractor, Lugo said she believed the national show of unity would effect the legislation in Congress.

"We are the backbone of what America is, legal or illegal it doesn't matter," she said. "We butter each other's bread. They need us as much as we need them."

The doors of Hector Castillo's bakery are usually open 360 days a year, but anybody looking for his Mexican pastries or cookies was out of luck Monday. For Castillo, 45, it's a protest against the House legislation.

"About 80 percent of our customers are Latin people, most of them Mexican, and the proposed law will affect all of us," he said.

Reaction From Politicians, Businesses

Term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Owens said he believes people have a right to voice their opinion.

"I appreciate the fact that the groups who demonstrated here today did so in a peaceful and respectful manner. While the impact of today's events won't be known for sometime, it is obvious we must continue to have a national debate on the issue of immigration. Ultimately, the solution isn't here at the statehouse but in the halls of Congress. I have made my position concerning immigration clear in recent months. First, for any immigration plan to work, we must secure our borders. Second, we should implement a guest worker program that will match willing workers with responsible employers. Third, those workers should be part of a system in which they pay taxes toward such costs as medical care and education," Owens said.

"Millions of people are demonstrating for comprehensive immigration reform. The Congress should act and complete its work on a new and effective immigration law for the 21st century. We must do so for the good of America's national and economic security," said Sen. Ken Salazar. "I would hope people could have demonstrated during their off hours, not during work and school hours. I believe it's important for all kids to stay in school and for workers to stay at their jobs."

"The nationwide protests about U.S. immigration policy held today demonstrate the need for Congress to pass a comprehensive reform package. As the only member of the Colorado delegation to vote against the House bill that makes being or employing an undocumented worker a federal felony, I urge the Congressional leadership to reject overheated rhetoric and work with the White House to forge a comprehensive solution," said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colorado.

"Let us take time to remember that immigration reform is a complex and multi-faceted issue that requires thoughtful consideration. The issue deals with workers and their families, many of them our neighbors and co-workers. And so today, let us pause to consider the role immigrant workers play in our community, providing services that greatly benefit our society. But we must also remember that we are a nation of laws -- laws intended to provide for the greater good of our fellow man," said state senate president Joan Fitz-Gerald. "May fairness and equality overcome the mean-spirited tone already beginning to show its face in this debate and may we move forward together, as a nation."

El Centro Humanitario, a nonprofit agency in Denver that helps day laborers, was closed because its managers were organizing the rally. Program development director Harold Lasso said about 60 people showed up looking for work and they were sent to help with rally preparations.

There was little change at Labor Finders, a temporary labor office with several branches in the Denver area, spokesman Tim Kaffer said.

"The people who come in here really can't afford to take a day off," he said. "Their daily pay just takes care of their hotel and food."

Denver-area contractor Chuck Saxton, who hires temporary workers through El Centro Humanitario, said he suspected some of his crews have been illegal immigrants.

"I'm going to go to support them. These guys come here, they work hard and they're honest. They're salt of the earth," Saxton said. "They provide a vibrancy to our economy and our country that is fading."

Colorado's three Roman Catholic bishops came out against the "Day Without Immigrants," saying walkouts can "hurt many business owners and employers who already support fair immigration reform." They urged students to stay in school.

Eileen Mast, 58, of Aurora watched the first wave stride down all four lanes of a busy Denver boulevard, then jumped off the median and joined in. A Roman Catholic, Mast has spent the last year studying the immigration issue and is convinced the status quo helps companies she believes are exploiting illegal immigrants by paying them low wages and not giving them benefits.

She said the way to solve that is to give illegal immigrants a chance to earn U.S. citizenship.

"Yes, we do need borders, but people are all equal," Mast said. She was disappointed the Catholic Church didn't support the boycott and rallies after being directly involved in demonstrations in March.

"They're hedging their bets," she said.

Former legislator Polly Baca, executive director of the Latin American Research and Service Agency, said her group and others were not recommending that people leave their jobs without their employers' permission.

The state Labor Department does not track the numbers of immigrants working in Colorado. According to 2002 figures, the latest available, there were about 390,000 Hispanic workers around the state, about 17 percent of the work force, agency spokesman Bill Thoennes said.

"With a work force that size, if half of the work force was gone, it would have to be a sizable impact," he said.

Schools Report Higher Than Normal Absences

The Cherry Creek School district said it is hearing reports of higher than normal absenteeism at some of their more diverse schools, mostly in the Overland High School area.

"Staff absenteeism is at about average, although we had a handful of people tell us they were taking the day off to attend the rally. There were no walkouts," said Cherry Creek Schools spokeswoman Tustin Amole.

She said students without excuses from parents will count as an unexcused absence. Employees were advised they could take the day as a personal leave or vacation day.