In the final couple of years of it's previous run, Milwaukee officials were notorious for grossly inflating the number of people who attended the Circus Parade.  It seems that at least some reports about yesterday's "Day Without Latinos" march are employing more than their share of "Circus Parade math".

     The 2006 Day Without Latinos march was one of Milwaukee's largest demonstrations in recent memory.  Still, while march organizers estimated the size of 2006 crowd to be 30,000, Milwaukee police estimated that the actual number of people who attended the event was between 10,000 and 15,000 marchers.

    Fewer people attended the 2007 marches across the country and dramatically fewer people attended the 2008 events in cities like Chicago, Washington, New York and Los Angeles.  More than one account seems to agree that yesterday's event in MIlwaukee was also much smaller than in previous years.

     Despite all evidence to the contrary, today's Racine Journal Times reports that 30,000 people participated in yesterday's march in Milwaukee.  30,000!

     Let's be honest.  The only way 30,000 people showed up at yesterday's event was if at least 20,000 of them came disguised as empty hunks of sidewalk!

     Candidly, I think there was a backlash to the 2006 events that organizers never anticipated.  I don't think they ever realized that the majority of Americans see a huge distinction between legal immigration and illegal immigration.  Whether it was the original intent of the organizers or not, immigration rallies have often tended to blur the distinctions.  As a result, a lot of public support has been drained from the issue.

     In Milwaukee, it seemed to me that the 2008 "Day Without Latinos" event drew a well-behaved, moderately sized crowd.  It wasn't anything close to the size of the 2006 crowd though.  I also seriously doubt it was anything close to 30,000 - despite what some people may claim.