(WSB Radio) -- About 2,500 people rallied at the Georgia State Capitol Monday in favor of the legalization of illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. The group, mostly composed of Hispanics, carried signs denouncing Georgia's new legislation which blocks illegal immigrants from receiving state benefits.

While there were mainly U.S. flags displayed, several Mexican flags could be seen in the crowd.

One speaker told the crowd that American citizens were the real immigrants and the crowd of Mexicans were the real Americans, here for some 16,000 years.

John Pastori, an American who says he worked in Mexico for years, watched the event as it unfolded. He feels the protestors are misguided. "I think they should be targeting the Mexican consulate instead of the American people. If they did, they would have more Americans walking by their sides than they have now, which is none."

One man, who did not want to be identified, told WSB's Jeff Dantre' nearly every Mexican working at the same Vinnings business he's employed with were out of work Monday. He decided to take the day off too. "The one's that are here, by all means, we should work with them to get them legal and working viably and not working so cheap that we can't keep our workforce working."