Some 10,000 people marched peacefully through downtown Los Angeles April 7, calling for amnesty for undocumented immigrants as well as an immediate stop to recent worker raids that have divided families in many states, including California.
With shouts of "Sí, se puede!" (Yes, we can), men, women and children walked from Broadway and Olympic Boulevard to City Hall for an early afternoon rally featuring ear-shattering bands and rousing speakers. The street became a sea of U.S. flags and placards proclaiming, "Full Rights for Immigrants," "Love thy neighbors. Do not deport them," "I am not a terrorist" and other pro-citizenship slogans.
Onlookers, at times 10-deep, lined both sides of Broadway to cheer on the marchers, many of whom wore red shirts out of loyalty to the colors of the U.S. flag. Some beat drums, others tooted on plastic horns. The carnival-like atmosphere was also enhanced by soda, hot dog and T-shirt vendors hawking their wares.
But stopping the rising raids and deportations was a top priority for march organizers.
Juan Jose Gutierrez of Latino Movement USA said it was critical the public be mobilized to combat the intimidation and fear caused by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent raids in Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Georgia, Arizona and California. He noted that thousands of undocumented immigrants had been arrested and deported just in the past few months, separating children from their parents.
"The raids are vicious and they divide families," he told The Tidings. "In fact, they're violating what ought to be dearest to us - a constitutional right to due process. Not just due process for the parents of these American-born children, but for the children themselves. I mean, what can be more basic and a bigger human right than protecting the best interest of the children? American children.
"The raids have certainly caused a lot of concern and panic among the broad immigration community. But I think those who say the immigrant community is going to be subdued into political inaction are mistaken. So what you're seeing today is the first serious massive action of 2007. And I think communities across the nation that are observing Los Angeles as the political capital of immigrants are going to take their cue from what we're doing."
Gutierrez pointed out the immigrant community wanted legislation that was both humane and broad, speeding up the naturalization application process along with opening up higher education opportunities for more Latino high school, college and graduate and professional school students. But he acknowledged that there was very little will in Congress at the moment to support genuine comprehensive immigration measures.
"And the only force that can actually force the Congress and the chief executive to recognize that this is something that they promised and have an obligation to deal with seriously is popular mass action," the organizer said. "The marchers are the best lobbyists that we have."
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