Home > Over 1 Million Protest in Los Angeles for Immigrant Rights!

Over 1 Million Protest in Los Angeles for Immigrant Rights!

by Open-Publishing - Monday 27 March 2006
30 comments

Edito Demos-Actions Movement The "without" - Migrants USA

The largest demonstration in the history of California

Today in downtown Los Angeles, over 1 million people demonstrated in support of immigrant rights. This was the largest demonstration in the history of California. March organizers announced from the stage that the crowd was over 1 million.

Univision and other Spanish-language television reported that up to 2 million people marched. The Los Angeles Times, reflecting police estimates, gave the march 500,000 - police estimates have been trying to minimize pro-immigrant rights demonstration for the last few weeks.

Today’s demonstration was the largest of many immigrant rights demonstrations that have taken place this month. It is an uprising from the people against the reactionary Sensenbrenner Bill that passed in the House of Representatives. The bill criminalizes immigrants and those who support them. The demonstrations began with 50,000 in Washington DC on March 7, 500,000 in Chicago on March 10 (the largest demonstration ever in Chicago history), and tens of thousands more in the last week in Milwaukee, Phoenix, Atlanta and other cities. In build up for today’s demonstrations, thousands of high school students walked out of class and marched yesterday in Los Angeles. Yesterday in Georgia, tens of thousands of immigrant workers refused to show up at their jobs in a work stoppage protesting regressive legislation passed by the Georgia State Legislature. These demonstrations reflect a tremendous upsurge in the immigrant community.

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition provided logistical support and mobilized for today’s demonstration in Los Angeles. Thousands of A.N.S.W.E.R.’s yellow and black placards reading "Amnistía, Full Rights for All Immigrants" were held throughout the march. A.N.S.W.E.R. also organized a major contingent in the march.

The rally was co-chaired by Juan José Gutiérrez, Director of Latino Movement USA, a member of the A.N.S.W.E.R. LA Steering Committee; Javier Rodríguez, a noted immigrant rights activist; and Jesse Díaz, a UC-Riverside professor who helped initiate the march. Speakers included Raúl Murillo and Gloria Saucedo of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional; Arturo Rodríguez, President of the United Farm Workers; Korean and Haitian community leaders; and Gloria La Riva and Preston Wood of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition.

At the rally, Juan José Gutiérrez, Director of Latino Movement USA, said, "We are people of dignity and we demand respect. This is the beginning of a movement that is going to call for a national work stoppage."

Gloria La Riva of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition said, "The racist politicians thought they could step on us with their racist legislation but they have awakened the immigrant giant and they will feel our strength when we stop work."

Preston Wood of A.N.S.W.E.R. LA said, "U.S. corporations are robbing Mexico of its resources and forcing people to come as immigrants for their survival. U.S. Out of Iraq! Justice for all workers!"

Critical to the turnout was the mobilization night and day for over a week of famous Latino radio announcers from every Spanish-language station, including Piolín el Cucuy. The organizers announced a national meeting on April 8 in Dallas, Texas of all the Latino immigrant rights leaders in the country to strategize for a national work stoppage in late May under the banner "A Day Without An Immigrant."

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition believes that the struggle for immigrant rights, workers’ rights and the fight against racism at home must be part and parcel of the struggle against war and imperialism. In the coming days and weeks, A.N.S.W.E.R. organizers, volunteers and activists will continue to participate in all levels of the mass movement in defense of immigrant rights and the defeat of the Sensenbrenner Bill. To learn how you can join with other A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition organizers and volunteers, email us at info@internationalanswer.org

Forum posts

  • No offense folks, but when LEGAL AMERICANS are arrested for protesting an ILLEGAL war upon Iraq- I have little sympathy for these ILLEGAL residents of my country.

    The cops should have had the buses ready to take them back to the border. Businesses hiring them should be heavily fined. Wouldn’t take long until they stopped coming across the border...we know who wants them here. Corporations wanting cheap labor to exploit.

    Illegal immigrants! You’re protesting the WRONG COUNTRY! My God, NY WTC is still a hole in the ground, New Orleans is a swamp and you want YOUR rights? GO HOME and tell that to Prez Fox.

    • Sorry. The "illegals" are too busy rebuilding parts of southern Louisiana and Mississippi to go back "home" and tell Vicente Fox anything.

    • We don’t owe ILLEGAL Immigrants anything.Send them all back.They don’t pay taxes and they should not be able to drive.

    • After everything these bastards have done to us...and the world....right in everyone’s faces...

      ...and this is what motivates people into action?!

      It looks like these immigrants, illegal or not, care more about what is going on in the US than most of apathetic selfish long time ’Americans’. Look at what they have done to our constitution!!! The ’Patriot Act’ alone should have sent people to the streets. But no, we have to wait for ANSWER to organize a protest once a year!!! ARRRGGGHHHH WAHHEAAAATTTTTT THE FU***^&&&***K!!

  • THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THE SO CALLED WHITE FOLKS ARE LOSEING THEIR LITTLE SO CALLED STATUS IN THE US. HOW DOSE IT FEEL? AND THE VERY INGORANT PRESIDENT YOU VOTED FOR HAS RAMMED IT HOME. HA HA

    • Must you be reminded it was those "WHITE FOLKS" you hold so much distain for (legal immigrants from all accounts) who built the economy that the illegal’s want to take part in. It is extremely tiring to be bashed because of the jeolousy of those who choose to live off of other peoples labors. Please go away!!!

    • Am back, now let me see theses "WHITE FOLKS" you speak of that build the economy, are theses the same people that came to america and raped and killed the indians that were already here, are these the the folks that used the yellow man for free labor for years, and inslaved the black man, and is now tring to steal from the oil from the brown man? Are these the folks that will steal every thing thing from every race in the world, even there, own to objectives. and in case you are living in a bubble like bush, there is no economy is the us anymore. not for working people anyway. so in retrospect i think it is you who should go away.
      HAVE A NICE DAY
      FLOYD

    • Yes those white folk the same ones that died to give you the right to spew the trash that you do! Have you flagellated lately? it sounds like maybe it would do you some good!
      Have a great day in America! Land of the free! And maybe looking ahead and not over you shoulder would ease some of the burden you seem to be carrying all by yourself.

      Bob

    • WHO DIED, LET ME SEE OH YOU MEAN THE ONES THAT WERE SENT TO DEATH IN UNJUST WARS BY THERE OWN. GO READ SOME HISTORY. OR BETTER YET GO FIGHT A WAR FOR GW BUSH.
      FLOYD

    • Henry, you might want to check your keyboard it looks as though your caps lock is stuck on? During the Vietnam war we had a name for people who spoke of what they did not know, they were called "Baby Birds" as in all mouth and no ass, these birds also shit in their own nests, I doubt Henry that you would fight for anything, I also doubt that you have the power,(unless you are omnipotent) authority or insight to determine what wars were or are justified, because we do not vote as individuals to go to war, or not to, we as Americans, put our faith in our elected leaders, and Henry, GW was elected.

      Facts for Henry

      No Economy (see GNP and compare to?)

      Less than 1/2 of 1% of our economy would be affected by a total walk out of illegal aliens performing those important jobs in our country. let them walk!

      We are the most generous caring people on the planet, we spend more money each year on foreign and domestic aid than any other nation on earth today or in the history of the world.

      You got it rough!!!

      Henry, I know that I cannot change your mind nor will you change mine, lets just hope we leave a better world for our future generations.

  • What would really be fabulous is if these good workers of America would go on strike like the French! That will show certain lazy apathetic racist Americans just who is picking their vegetables, cooking their food and cleaning their hotel rooms for them. Sometimes you have to lose something to realize what you have.

  • I’m a white anglo American mutt of mixed Euro background and I’m OVERJOYED at what the indigenous people are doing. I only wish the Native Indians tribes would join in.

    The natives are getting back their country. And hopefully they won’t stop with TEXAS, tho I’m of the opinion that we should simply give it back to Mexico (along with all of it’s inhabitants- in partiucular the bastard Bush family)

    I support them whole heartedly.

  • Article IV
    Section. 4. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened), against domestic Violence.

    Does this not say that our government is not doing their job. They, Congress and the President, fall into the TREASON catagory.

  • We have about the same number of unemployed citizens in this country as there are illegals here. In my younger days I could make good money picking fruit and building houses. Those jobs don’t pay a living wage anymore because illegals do ’em. That suits the corporatists just fine. They are the same ones who are in Mexico outsourcing their jobs to China.

    I’d like to fine the hell out of the employers who hire illegals and maybe throw them in jail for a while too. Maybe we could give citizenship to the illegals who turned them in. If we don’t do that we might as well forget the border and bring the Mexican states into the union. It won’t be long before our standard of living drops to where their’s is anyway.

  • Guys, calm down. There are a couple good posts here which deal with facts. Let me add a few more if I may. Look at the large similtaneous demontrations in France, Britain and here. Do you really think getting that many of the great unwashed together at the same time is coincidence? Come on! Second, look into who is behind the orgainization and funding of the hispanic racists hate groups, la raza etc. and you find they are funded by the Carneigie and Ford Foundations amoung others. All spanish language TV and radio stations and the newspapers are owned by a very few rich old white men most of whom are Jewish. What do you all think these illegal aliens would do if they knew these facts? But I was forgetting that these people are keeping themselves deliberately ignorant, that’s why they’re so easy to manipulate.

    Why is this being done?

    We need to stop trying to rip each other up, as is being done here on this one post, come together, and protect each other from whatever it is that the globalists are trying to get us to do to each other.Yes, evil has been done in EVERY country including mexico let me remind one and all. I’m sure the ghosts of the indian tribes in mexico would like a little retribution against the spanish conquistadors, don’t forget people especially the mexicans out there, you are half white european, but what would that accomplish? Those who commited the atrocities are dead, as are their victims. Ok, say we kill a bunch of lets see, caucasians, blacks, asians etc. what have we gained. Just more dead people who we were maniulated into killing. Congratulations. You’ve done the globalists work for them, ya schmucks!

    Please stop attacking each other, step back, and look at the bigger picture, while you still can.

  • Wow! The intense focus on race in these comments is stunning, and nauseating. And downright ignorant, which is the most tragic element here. No wonder issues such as immigration aren’t solved in America - the common understanding of human affairs and human nature is woefully inadequate. For instance, the fairy tale: white guys came over, wiped out native Americans, set themselves up and have been ruling as a solidifed race ever since. Have you read Spanish history, especially regarding imperialist actions against native people? They helped clear the brush and thin the herd as well as any breed of people ever have. Unfortunately for them, they never had the wherewithal nationally to sustain superiority in America, or otherwise, it would now be the Irish creeping into Hispanic America. Do you think Hispanics would be at the borders with lattes and firm handshakes?

    And for those believing in the solidarity of white people, are you aware of the fact, proven by genetic evidence, that Europeans have more geneological influences running through their blood than any other breed of people on the face of the earth? Hitler, and other "purists" may have preached racial superiority, but the Africans have been much more "pure" in terms of excluding outside influences, both geneologically and culturally. And, no, Africans do not have a history of imperialist exploitation and killing numerous native people. But there is a bountiful record of predatorial behavior, e.g., the Zulus. Somalians may not be slaughtering foreigners in foreign lands, but they’re not hesitant to exert the same malicious tendencies that white imperialists have shown over the centuries in attacking their neighbors. And both Sunnis and Shia don’t hesitate to kill their brothers. These are human tendencies, not white or black or green ones.

    No breed of people is exempt from the kinds of exploitation shown by white imperialists because humans are of one race - the human race - for better and for worse. And most Americans, including whites, know this more than any other people has in history. Where has there been this level of hospitality extended to outsiders any where else on the planet at any other time? How did 26 million aliens immigrate to and settle in America before a political uproar began? Sure, there’s still racism, but it’s been diminished, and will continue to diminish when people extend their hand instead of pulling back into an accusatory position, reducing it all to Us versus Them.

    The obstacle to reaching a successful immigration policy in America is mainly the group of gutless, focus-group oriented politicians running the country who are afraid of writing legislation that will alienate them from voters who would send them back where they belong. If there’s a "white" disease it’s the proclivity to first and foremost take care of one’s own ass, not because it’s white, but because it’s become the most important thing in society. It’s not really Us versus Them, but Me against Everyone else, including millions of other whites. Politicians, having lost the ability to lead, like Truman did, are fearful their benefits packages will dry up and they’ll be forced to move out of those cozy gated communities. So what do they do? Study the polls, and the focus data that tells them what the voters will allow them to do so that they keep their approval ratings. Both Clintons worked this science like an art, but one that should be banished from the museum.

    When and if a politician with true leadership abilities shows up with true concern for this issue, a fair bill will be drafted, if his colleagues aren’t afraid of losing popularity, and then America will find itself on secure footing in terms of its mixed population. But if you’re a betting man the odds don’t look good. Because, above all, the most common element politicians from both parties demonstrate is the zeal for retaining power and the hesitancy to provide real leadership.

    • So what are you saying fair would be? What’s not fair is to import the poor of the third world so some fat cats can profit. Have you heard the hatred spoken by some of this racist misinformed mix race of people calling them self-a race? Or their claim to a land that they nor their forefathers have never known before. So after they turn America in to Mexico what’s next Canada. This is an invasion plane and simple.

    • Once again America is showing that it is not the home of the free. And the majority of these posts are demonstrating a lack of reality and compassion for fellow human beings.

      Any American’s that are not of Indian blood should not even go there!. I am from England and the majority of you are IMMIGRANTS yourselves or your previous generations were.

      At the end of the day the issue of immigration is a global one but without immigrants the cheap jobs that no one wants to do would never be done. If you wanted to live in a different country you would want some rights too and all they are asking for is to be able to work and live legally without having to look over their shoulder all the time.

      The most sensible thing for the goverment to do is assess each case on its merits and those that do not warrant continued existence in the states be escorted out of the country to their country of origin.

      Anyone wishing to stay in the states should :

      Be able to speak the language fluently
      Be fit and able to work
      Preferably have skills that can be transferred to support the economy of America
      Not have any convictions
      Not have links to any terrorist organisation

      I can’t see that if they fit into these that it would be such a big deal to give them rights as there labour will benefit the economy.

      Worldwide the nations of the world are become totally anal when it comes to immigration but the fact is that immigration is a essential part of human existance that has and will continue over the lifetime of the human race.

      Wake up People change is not a bad thing!!!!!!!!

    • First you claim to be from England like England would allow it self to be the worlds safe net, lol. Doing what’s right for Mexico is tough love, yes make her own (white) elite pay for their own poor. There might be change when the Mexican people demand their rights (in their own county). Mexico is a rich country the people have to demand their share of its wealth. By Mexican (white) elites not dealing with their own poor this just prolonging their agony. It seems you are miss informed about race the whites that rule Mexico are the real racist that oppress Mexico, not American whites, blacks, browns, yellows etc.. So if you really care about the poor of the world most of the answers are in their own counties. I hate racist that think a mixed race of people has more of a claim to a land than those who where born there. There is some Mexican blood in my family too (they are white too), so are you a Mexican racist? In the thirties my grand fathers braved machine gun fire to form the ILWU yes people where killed as they attacked the scab’s camp. It Men like them that fought and some died for what we have to day. To me letting illegal alien scabs destroy wages cheapen their sacrifices. I care not for a bunch of illegal alien scabs encouraged by the one world elites to protest, it’s always about personal profit for elites.

    • I think you missed my point though i take your views on board friend. In my country immigration is a very big issue at the moment. My view is simply this. The more diverse a country is the more understanding and compassion we have for everyones culture the more we grow as human beings. I would like to see a relax on all borders to make all nations free to all to roam and live where you want to live. Not just tied to where you were born as if in some kind of bondage. Under that system countries would be forced to lure people to it with fairer systems rather than subjecting all to unfair taxes and totalium states that in America at present. We are all Human and somewhere along the line we forgot this and now we fight for countries that are run by the rich for the rich and we are not given consideration so why not turn the tables on them???

      It is in the governments interest to minimize immigration believe it or not. Because that way they maintain balance and control. The media fuels the hatred of others. Before world war two all media was saying how great Hitler was. Then he became the evil scourge of humanity. This case is extreme but i am guessing you see the point. When Saddam fought for us against Iran he was a hero and Irag was great. Then they are demonised by the media. Well at the moment the distraction and current demon is immigration. Until we get off the media highway and see the truth we will continue to be manipulated into believing that immigration is a bad thing.

      Danny From England

    • Danny, so you are really from England? If so you don’t have a common land border that millions illegally come across every year destroying a way of life. You don’t have many of those same people claming your hometown as a part of their failed Mexican state. America is very diverse and millions of people from Mexico make it less diverse at least here in So Cal, FOR GODS SAKE LA is the 2nt largest Mexican City in the world. I been to Mexico. I tell you what you go down there and tell me about it please.
      “It is in the governments interest to minimize immigration“. No it’s in the peoples interest. The American government is wholly owed by elites want to lowwer the standard of living for all first world countries. Don’t you think that America has the right to say who can immigrate there?

    • Yeah youre exactly right its NOT the home of the free. It’s the home of BS.. the place where the government doesnt protect the borders and American’s jobs. It’s the place where people can walk in the back door without health checks and bring illegal drugs over the border. Illegals are hurting the POOR here FIRST and couple that with outsourcing. The only thing free soon will be the bread in bread lines.

      You are so full of it. The UK is run rampant and being destroyed by the same powers that is destroying the US.

    • What way of life do they destory? Please fill us in on your middle class, probably suburban point of view. If you want to see a way of life, go to central california, see the people picking our produce. I can tell you that not one of them is of white color. These people are a part of our way of life. They sit in the backgrounds of our nation’s history while we take the credit for making this country what it is. I can tell you white people, of which I am half, may have been literate and crafty with a gun, but when it came to labor, they were never ones to willingly participate. This country was built on the backs of exploited minorities. The chinese, the mexicans, and soon the russians will come into play. Bitting the hands that feed you is never a good idea. You might want to ponder that the next time you shove food innto you mouth while watching the latest episode of some benign reality show on FOX.

  • These marches are not for immigrant rights, they’re for ILLEGAL immigrant rights. If illegal immigrants are granted the same rights as legal immigrants, what’s the point in have a legal immigration program?

    It’s a bit offensive to find so many Europeans are cheering on these illegal immigrants. How many illegal immigrants would you tolerate in your country? Do you seriously think that illegals have the ’right’ to undermine your country’s working conditions and pay scales?

    Let’s face it, mass immigration is a capitalist plot. It’s time the anti-capitalist left broke with the bizarre conception that the theoretical ’right’ people have to live and work anywhere they choose negates the solid gains the working class has made in terms of pay and conditions over the last century.

    • Well i think it is fair to say that you really don’t have any compassion for your fellow human beings. What if you were born in a country that had nothing. Would you not search for better for your family? Dont’ condemn those who try to get something that you take for granted and are prepared to fight for it. If you have not been there then you are a fool to condemn.

    • No it’s not fair to say. Who’s condemning them? What a jerk of course I care. What I’m condemning is the racist and territorial claims that are all bull. What good does it do if my state’s wages are lowed to same level as Mexico’s? That’s where we’re headed. I use to work some of the same jobs that they do now and guess what they make less than I did thirty years ago. I care enough to want change where it counts in Mexico and other third world places. I don’t think it’s too hard to figure out that destroying wages and conditions is only good for the godless elite.

  • No wonder a man like GW Bush can get elected president in America. It seems American’s of all nationalities and colors are easily led away from the truth.

    As the granddaughter of immigrants I must say this. My grandparents LEARNED ENGLISH and would not think of speaking their native language in their NEW HOMELAND. They also worked at legitimate jobs and would not be exploited by those offering lower than standard wages. They were LEGAL immigrants.

    Next on the issue of race. We are all members of the HUMAN RACE and have at times throughout the history of mankind exploited one another. This is not something to be proud of but rather, something that is part of the human nature to rise to the top...be the biggest survivor of the bunch as it were. Thanks to our ability to record and review past events we are also capable of seeing our shortcomings and doing something to change them.

    If everyone keeps focusing on the color or nationality of illegal immigrants (which is precisely what big business wants you to do) you will loose sight of the real problem. That is, what standards of immigration should there be in place. Such as how many "new residents" can America take in across all it’s entry ways and borders each year. There are many citizens who are unemployed in America, and this partly because, there are not enough jobs that pay a livable wage in this country.

    I think it is a GOOD THING that American citizens refuse to work for a wage that will not pay the monthly rent and expenses for necessities. No one wants to put in a long hard day of work and go to a place where one toilet is shared by 20 others or where there are five people sleeping in a 10’ x 12’ bedroom. My GRANDPARENTS and my PARENTS suffered long and hard at the hands of people like Carnegie, fought for Unions and the right to organize workers to protect their right to a decent wage and a decent life.

    For the last 20 years, our government and corporate sponsors have been systematically breaking the backs of Unions, reducing wages while the cost of living keeps going up, allowing benefits to be forfeited while asking people to somehow find a way to save more money while they earn less, forcing employees to work longer hours without overtime pay, while at the same time they are also behind the idea that "Illegals" will do the job no Americans want to do.

    If you pay someone a wage that will cover the cost of their existence, they may be a lot more interested in doing the work. If not, you will find you don’t have a resource other than someone living in your country ’illegally’, because they will take whatever they can get.

    The issue is; how far we are going to allow ourselves to be led away from the real issues, ie; reasonable wages for a days work, employment benefits and pension plans, as well as, how many immigrants can we support per year, and what standards of immigration should be in place such as language and work skills to name a few.

    This is not an issue of color, it is an issue of power and class. The American citizen should take a lesson from the industrial age when there were a few powerful people controlling the fate and lives of all who labored for them and see if we are not heading backward to that time once again. Do you have the benefits your fathers worked so hard to gain, or are they all slipping away? If they are, don’t blame the immigrants, blame yourselves for sitting complacent while it happens, while you allow yourself to be led away from the truth.

    • America belongs to the AMERICAN CITIZENS not the illegals. We sent them millions of jobs through NAFTA and they still cant make their economy support its people. They are a worker class and have no sense of governing themselves. They pay no taxes as most people in the lowest brackets dont and yet they get the benefits of medicaid and welfare. If all 11 million went back to Mexico our economy would grow by another 5 % annually for 10 years. Every neighborhood that is majority hispanic has the highest crime in my town costing more in insurance police and fire protection. The voting power of the hispanics will wither when the great "white and black" true American majority begins to organize to send the criminals back to Mehico. Viva La Bush. Vincente Fox is a coward and crook. When the corrupt politicians of Mexico are rounded up only a few nomads will remain to sell the cocaine to innocent American kids.