MANASSAS, Va. - A 40-foot-long immigration billboard in Manassas that has divided a community will stay in place a little longer.

The billboard on Liberty Street caused a major debate in the Manassas community. Its owner was scheduled to face off against the city in court Tuesday, but the court date was moved to September. 

With 202 words painted on 480 square feet, Gaudencio Fernandez roundly rejects all he says Prince William County (web | news) stands for. "Many people do not agree with the message when we speak about the truth. They're afraid to recognize that this is nothing else but the truth."

Fernandez says the billboard, which sits on his property, spells out what he sees as Prince William County's injustices against immigrants in a way that's too big to miss.

Several immigration groups, including Mexica Movement, were headed to Washington for a civil rights march when some stopped in Manassas first. 

California resident Olin Tezcatlipoca, who viewed the sign said, "Pride, nothing but pride. On this whole thing, what part is not true?"

They were seeking out a sign that many Manassas residents would rather ignore. "I find it quite repulsive," said Tim Busy.

Resident Jenny Brown disliked the billboard as well. "I feel like the board makes it seem everyone in Prince William County doesn't like immigrants. That's clearly not the case."

"They can put up a sign and get away with it. They've put up a sign and it's been that way for months and months," said Manassas resident Dennis Zahorchak.

The city of Manassas does take issue with the sign, but city leaders say it has nothing to do with what's written on the sign. Instead, they say the problem is they never issued a building permit for it, which is a code violation.

Gaudencio Fernandez says he won't back down. "We don't have that intention at all."

For now, the sign remains, symbolically and literally, at the corner where Liberty and Prince William Streets intersect.

"PWC and Manassas City The National Capital of Intolerance. European American exterminated millions of Native Americans in order to steal America, they were the first illegal aliens. European Americans have a 500-year history of rape, theft, murder, slavery, artificial borders, "Jim Crow" laws and deportations of Native Americans. Since 1866, the KKK rode at night to torture, lynch and kill blacks, Native Americans and other people of color. Today the actions of PWC. and Manassas City Council are similar to the colaboration between local governments and the KKK in the 1900s. On 2-25-08 Manassas City Mayor Douglas S. Waldron said "I am proud that finally we came to an agreement with PWC to implement 287g because we care about our community." What community?! 287g. is an agreement with immigration and customs enforcement to detain and question Native Americans by police officers at their discretion. PWC and Manassas City persecute us with our own tax dollar$, because European Americans would rather have a ghost town than live among Native Americans. They ignore our voices, they ignore our civil and constitutional rights. There is no democracy...stop the persecution. We demand equality and justice for all. We will not be your slaves of the 21st century."

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