CDIR Update No. 17
June 25 ,2007

June 24 March-Rally For Full Rights for All Immigrants in Los Angeles, A Success

Los Angeles – More than 15,000 immigrants and advocates militantly but peacefully marched last Sunday, June 24 in Hollywood to express their sentiments on the ongoing immigrant rights bill in the U.S Congress.

Despite the anti-Minutemen rally in south central LA earlier Saturday, threats of ICE raids against immigrants, the oppressive heat and the watchful presence of hundreds of police and county deputies, the more than an hour immigrant rights march occupied more than six blocks from Sunset Street to the rally site at Highland Street in Los Angeles.

Smaller but Militant Rally

Although the march-rally was smaller than the earlier marches and rallies in April and May that numbered in tens of thousands that saw police repression and threats of deportations; immigrants and their advocates marched in militant, peaceful and festive mood

This is the first immigrant rights march-rally held in Hollywood. The usual march-rallies were usually held at downtown L.A at Olympic and Broadway.

The march was led by popular artist Don Cheto and his group, Senator Gil Cedillo, Juan Jose Gutierez of Latino Movement-USA and Angelina Corona and Jose Murillo of Hermanidad Mexicana Nacional led the march that started around 12; 30 PM from the intersection of Ivar and Hollywood. The Hollywood and Vine Metro Station was under repairs thus the march was moved one block forward.

The marchers was led by drummers and trumpeters with the sound truck made a right turn at the corner of Cahuenga and Sunset Streets at the CNN Headquarters in L.A. The marchers chanted slogans against the anti-immigrant capitalist media. CNN commentator Lou Dobbs is leading the anti-immigrant attacks on his program.

Newly elected LAPD chief William Bratton was also at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga streets overseeing LAPD forces monitoring of the immigrant rights rally

Rally In front of the Chinese Mann Theater

The rally started at 1:45 PM. Senator Gil Cedillo, Raul Murillo of Hermanidad, Don Cheto, Preston Woods of International ANSWER-LA, Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers League and Arturo Garcia of AJLPP and People’s CORE were some of the speakers and performers at the rally held in front of the Chinese Mann Theater.

The Don Cheto’s Group, The Emperio Sinoloa Orchestra. Lady singer Yolanda Perez and other Hip-Hop Groups regaled the crowd with Mexican and Latino songs and music. Juan Jose Gutierez, Carlos Alvarez and Marilou Cabral of ANSWER-LA acted as emcees. The crowd enjoyed the music that was interspersed with the speakers.

NLG Executive Director Jim Lafferty echoed the stand of the immigrant community: “ the capitalists Congress does not want an immigration bill. Want they want is a racist anti-immigrant bill.”

He said: ”The problem with our country is not that we have a lot of immigrants. The problem is that this country has a lot of racist. They want just profits from fees, from exploitative labor from immigrants. We say, no more of anti-immigrant laws. ”

The April 7 Coalition that led the more than 50,000 mobilization in Los Angeles includes the Latino Movement USA, Hermanidad Mexican National, the ANSWER Coalition and the Coalition in Defense of immigrant Rights (CDIR) and People’s CORE, Echo Park Community Coalition (EPCC), UTLA, COFEM. AJLPP, KmB, Gabriela, CHIRLA, Comite Pro Uno, Dream Act Students Coalition.

For more information about the immigrant rights campaign and immigration issues please contact Al P. Garcia at (213) 241-0906 or email at ajlpp_socal@yahoo.com

The rally started at 1:45 PM. Senator Gil Cedillo, Raul Murillo of Hermanidad, Don Cheto, Preston Woods of International ANSWER-LA, Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers League and Arturo Garcia of AJLPP and People’s CORE were some of the speakers and performers at the rally held in front of the Chinese Mann Theater.

The marchers was led by drummers and trumpeters with the sound truck made a right turn at the corner of Cahuenga and Sunset Streets at the CNN Headquarters in L.A. The marchers chanted slogans against the anti-immigrant capitalist media. CNN commentator Lou Dobbs is leading the anti-immigrant attacks on his program.

This is the first immigrant rights march-rally held in Hollywood. The usual march-rallies were usually held at downtown L.A at Olympic and Broadway.

The march was led by popular artist Don Cheto and his group, Senator Gil Cedillo, Juan Jose Gutierez of Latino Movement-USA and Angelina Corona and Jose Murillo of Hermanidad Mexicana Nacional led the march that started around 12; 30 PM from the intersection of Ivar and Hollywood. The Hollywood and Vine Metro Station was under repairs thus the march was moved one block forward

NLG Executive Director Jim Lafferty echoed the stand of the immigrant community: “ the capitalists Congress does not want an immigration bill. Want they want is a racist anti-immigrant bill.”

He said: ”The problem with our country is not that we have a lot of immigrants. The problem is that this country has a lot of racist. They want just profits from fees, from exploitative labor from immigrants. We say, no more of anti-immigrant laws. ”

Although the march-rally was smaller than the earlier marches and rallies in April and May that numbered in tens of thousands that saw police repression and threats of deportations; immigrants and their advocates marched in militant, peaceful and festive mood

Despite the anti-Minutemen rally in south central LA earlier Saturday, threats of ICE raids against immigrants, the oppressive heat and the watchful presence of hundreds of police and county deputies, the more than an hour immigrant rights march occupied more than six blocks from Sunset Street to the rally site at Highland Street in Los Angeles.

More than 15,000 immigrants and advocates militantly but peacefully marched last Sunday, June 24 in Hollywood to express their sentiments on the ongoing immigrant rights bill in the U.S Congress.