Protest at Anderson fire station construction site enters second day

Photo by Nathan Gray

Steve Carroll, right, waves to motorists while protesting the construction of the city of Anderson's new fire department on Simpson Road on Thursday morning. The protesters believe that undocumented workers were hired for the construction of the new building.

Photo by Nathan Gray

Workers cut and lay bricks during the construction of the new fire department on Simpson Road. A small group of construction workers are protesting near the site because they believe undocumented workers are being used for cheap labor.

Photo by Nathan Gray

Steve Carroll, right, waves to motorists while protesting the construction of the city of Anderson's new fire department on Simpson Road on Thursday morning. The protesters believe that undocumented workers were hired for the construction of the new building.

ANDERSON — Civil unrest escalated Thursday while protesters stood outside the Anderson construction site of a city fire station and said the workers on the project were not documented as legal United States residents.

Chad Summerall, the owner of Summerall Masonry Inc. in Anderson, organized the protest on Simpson Road and asked a half-dozen people to hold up signs. He is frustrated because he thinks companies have been relying on illegal immigrants to push bids so low his company cannot compete.

Officials for the fire station project have said that the workers are documented as legal residents.

Summerall said that two truckloads of Hispanics drove by protesters on Thursday and angrily asked the protesters to meet them down the street.

He also said that a plumber working on the fire station site told the protesters to “go to McDonald’s and get a job.”

“I will be out here until I get a job,” Summerall said.

More than 40 residents have also signed a petition from protesters stating they were concerned about social justice and the hiring of legal workers. The petition will eventually be presented to city of Anderson officials, Summerall said.

About 25 protesters rotated shifts for hours as they held up signs outside the construction site on Thursday while drivers honked their horns and stuck up their thumbs in support.

Damian Berrios, 22, of Greenville is an electrician for subcontractor Priority One Services and he spent the day pulling wires on the construction site. He confirmed that a worker on site did tell the protesters to find a job at McDonald’s, but said the protesters have been a distraction.

“People are beeping their horns and making comments to everybody at work," Berrios said.

He also said that if the protesters spent as much time job searching as they do protesting they would be able to find employment. However, Berrios did not dispute the charge that there may be illegal immigrants on the site.

“Everybody knows there are illegal aliens on every job site there is,” Berrios said.

Summerall said he believes the workers for J&H Masonry are illegal immigrants.

Jose Hernandez, the owner of J & H Masonry, said on Wednesday that all of his workers are legal residents.

Brad Fousek, the superintendent of the project from Lazer Construction Company Inc. in Anderson, said that protesters intimidated workers as they worked on Wednesday. He said he did not want any of his workers engaging in civil unrest.

“If it comes from this side, I don’t condone it,” Fousek said. “I don’t want anyone yelling across the street.”

City officials have said that city police officers cannot enforce federal and state employment laws and the city depends on contractors to uphold those laws.

Randall Williams, a spokesperson for the city of Anderson Police department, said that no reports have been made to the department regarding shouting at the construction site. He said residents should call the police department to let them know about any civil unrest if they would like the city police to patrol the area more frequently.

Brian Welborn, 34, of Anderson said he participated in the protest on Wednesday and Thursday. He has been out of work for six months after serving as a laborer for Summerall.

Welborn said more investigation into whether the workers are legal residents was needed. He also said that J & H Masonry needs more diversity on its staff.

“That is another country taking our jobs,” Welborn said. “They have their own country.”