LOS ANGELES - Hundreds of Mexican and "Central American"-descent children marched through downtown Los Angeles Sunday afternoon to protest "racist immigration laws and racist deportations." The children and their families marched approximately four blocks, from Olvera Street to City Hall.
The children -- the vast majority who are U.S. citizens due to the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution -- wore white t-shirts with the message "Legalize My Parents."
They carried signs declaring "We Are Not Illegals!", "Legalization...No Deportation" and "Keep Families Together".
Many children carried signs saying "Don't take my parents away from me!"
The marchers arrived at City Hall whereupon several speakers demanded that children not be torn apart from their families through racist deportation tactics.
One speaker read aloud the United Nations Declaration of Children's Rights, emphasizing that all children have the right to be with their parents.
Marcos Aguilar, principal of the besieged Semillas del Pueblo Academy, delivered a fiery, rousing speech to the crowd. "Somos Indigenas!" (We are Indigenous) he boldly declared on the steps of City Hall. He declared the land to be "Cemanahuac" and that it was wrong for Indigenous children to be separated from their parents because of deportations.
The march served as a warm up for the upcoming May 1 "Immigration Rights" marches and let the media see the child victims of U.S. immigration laws and deportations.
Several groups were represented, such as Hermandad Mexicana, March 25th Coalition, and Semillas del Pueblo.
See video of the march (by Mexica Movement):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqR_aZQC1mA or
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMexicaMovement Photos below were taken by Mexica Movement members.
** More information on the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution 