The following is a report back from two of the organizers of the May 1st march in Los Angeles, Angelica Salas and Mayron Payes.
Well over 200 thousand marched in Downtown Los Angeles and peacefully demanded immigration reform in 2010 and to condemn criminalization and racial profiling by Arizona SB 1070. At the corner of Olympic and Broadway people began congregating as early as 6 am. It took people 4 hours to walk from the beginning point to the end of the march at Broadway and Temple.It was just a one massive sea of people and a powerful rally that ended at 2:00 pm.
Cardinal Mahony, LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Latino stars Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Radio personality Eduardo Sotelo “El Piolin”, Martin Sheen, among others joined to express support for immigration reform and to stop the discriminatory law of Arizona.
The people organized by several organizations and coalitions shouted Presente! Women, kids, men, youth and the elderly marched. Latinos, Koreans and Asians, African Americans and Anglos: we all marched to make our voices heard, demanding that the President and Congress act once and for all and pass immigration reform.
The level of energy on the streets was visible, the unity was there, we had only one march this mayday and with one message “United for CIR in 2010”. The coming together of so many people counted with the great support from different faith denominations: Catholics, Black Baptist ministers, Latino evangelicals, Presbyterians, Methodists. One faith leader, Reverend Lee said:
“If Dr. King and Cesar Chavez were both alive, they would be here with us marching, demanding immigration reform and to stop Arizona law.”
The thousands of American flags that the tender breeze waved proudly were a spectacular sight. People marched today in Los Angeles and will continue to march until we reach our dream of immigration reform.
UPDATE:
From an organizer currently at the march:
We have students from Bakersfield to San Diego; household workers and day laborers from all over LA County marching with us. At City Hall, Mayor Villaraigosa spoke to the people in support of CIR. He was joined by the united clergy of the city, and as they spoke 100s of doves of peace were released into the big, blue sky. As they circled above, keeping watch over the marchers, the Executive Director of CHIRLA, Angelica Salas sent a loud and clear signal to the Obama Administration and Congress:
“We hear that the Congress and the President do not have an appetite for immigration reform. Well, let me remind them that there is one clear message from us today. We DO have that appetite, we are hungry and we WILL fight for immigration reform until they do what’s right, what’s fair and what’s American.”
The LAPD reports that all is well and that Kayly, who was lost, has been reunited with her parents. This symbolizes what CIR is all about: keeping families together, keeping the hard workers of our communities where they belong, right here in the U.S!
UPDATE:
Police in Los Angeles gave the official crowd number at today’s May Day march and it is a whopping 250,000 people. Just….wow.
Mayor Villaraigosa (pictured above with march organizers) addressed the massive crowd:
“For 200 yrs, we have been a nation of immigrants with dreams.”
“Laws like the one in Arizona have no place in America!”
UPDATE:
From CNN news coverage:
“The organizers said they wanted to hit 100,000, and boy they did it.”
The Los Angeles event is the biggest in the country so far this May 1st.
“Organizers saying they wanted to send a message with the number to people, and boy did they send it.”
The crowd is packed with American flags and signs denouncing Arizona SB 1070.
I just received this note from an organizer on the ground at the Los Angeles march:
Here in Los Angeles, the people are marching peacefully towards City Hall, where they will hear the Mayor and other leaders lend their voices to their calls for immigration reform. According to the LAPD, everything is proceeding perfectly and it is shaping up to be a beautiful day.
More pictures from the huge turnout in Los Angeles today:
Is this the change you promised us? Barack Obama, where are you? What’s next?
UPDATE: In Los Angeles: We are all Arizona.
UPDATE: The Los Angeles event has begun! The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles is out in full force!
The crowd looks huge. CNN has an aerial view available on their live-stream, be sure to check it out.
Check out the student power as youth from Jefferson High School stand up and fight back:
Cardinal Mahony is addressing the crowd:
Families and advocates with the Korean Resource Center of Los Angeles are on the bus heading to the Los Angeles march that starts at the Corner of Broadway and Olympic at 10:00 am PST. Glad to see this little guy has his hat for sun protection and a granola bar to keep his energy up!
I’m hearing that there are a lot of folks marching in solidarity with Arizona, wearing their “Do I look illegal” shirts today.Sounds like lots of people have already gathered in anticipation of the event.
Check out the live-stream from local ABC 7 news in Los Angeles. The crowd already looks HUGE!
If you’re on twitter, be sure to follow @WillColey for live updates!
(2rd photo via @JOlivera)
Categories: California, Civil Disobedience, May 1
