April 7 Coalition March Rally in Los Angeles Draws 75,000
Los Angeles, California - Amnesty Now! Full Rights for All Immigrants, Now!
With these resounding chants, more than 75,000 immigrants and immigrant rights advocates under the banner of the April 7 Coalition marched and rallied for full rights for all immigrants last Saturday, April 7, 2007, in Los Angeles.
Unlike the disparate and fewer numbers of mobilized activities last March 25, 2007, the April 7 Coalition march for full rights for all immigrants became one of the largest to be held in Los Angeles after May 1, 2006. This brings a new momentum for the immigrant rights movement in California. The conservative L.A Times estimated the crowd as 10,000 while the Latino Channel 34 estimate of the crowd was 50,000.
"Today's rally is really a response to all those who have been criticizing the immigrant rights movement and declared it dead," said Juan Jose Gutierrez, a coordinator with Latino Movement USA. "Most people are hard-working, taxpaying individuals," he said. "We need to stop polarizing."
“We have gained the momentum that was lost due to the betrayal of the traditional politicians and posturing organizations who now advocate for a modified guest workers program under the guise of legalization last year. This time, tens of thousands of people, not the pitiful hundreds around the federal building and the tame crowds at the L.A Sports Area with government officials in tow, joined the march that spilled into both the sidewalks of Broadway and Olympic streets,” expressed Arturo P. Garcia, People’s CORE Immigrant Rights Program Coordinator
The march lasted for one hour started at 12:00 PM from Olympic and Broadway. The march and wound up at Spring St. in front of the City Hall building where the marchers held a program at around 1;30 P.M. marchers were calling for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants; an expedited and less expensive naturalization process; education for all; and a stop to racist immigrant raids throughout the United States.
The rally speakers included Angeline Corona of Hermanidad Mexicana Nacional, Preston Woods of ANSWER-LA, Juan Jose Gutierrez of Latino Movement-USA, Muna Coobtee of the Free Palestine Alliance (FPA), Arturo P. Garcia of People’s CORE, Raul Murillo of Hermandad, Los Angeles City Council Member Jose Huizar of District 14, Carlos Alvarez of ANSWER Youth, Maria Elena Durazo of the Los Angeles County Federation, and many others.
April 7 Coalition members and supporters include Confederacion de Organizaciones Mexicanas, Latino Movement USA, Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, Alianza de Hondurenos de Los Angeles, United Farmworkers of America, ANSWER Coalition (Act Now To Stop War & End Racism), Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP-USA), United Farmworkers of America (UFW), Casa Nicaragua, La Casa Del Mexicano, Federacion de Clubes Michoacanos en California, Central American Round Table, National Lawyers Guild (NLG), Youth and Justice Coalition, Councilmember Jose Huizar, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), People's CORE, United Students, National Council of Arab Americans, Youth & Student ANSWER, Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV), Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), Frente Amplio Progresista-LA, ChicanoForums.com, Peace Bakersfield, Topanga Peace Alliance, Palisadians for Peace, The Immigrant Magazine, and other pro-immigrant rights individuals and organizations.
For more information please contact Al P. Garcia @(213)241-0906 oremail@apg_pcore@hotmail.com
