FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AJLPP
May 2, 2009

WORKERS/IMMIGRANTS MARCHES FOR MAY 1 US WIDE- A SUCCESS

Los Angeles-- More than 60,000 workers and immigrants turned out and marched all over Los Angeles as hundreds of thousands marched and rallied US-wide for May 1 in a militant and defiant show of unity for a call for immigation reforms to the Obama administration.

In the biggest rally for the day, more than 30,000 marchers led by the May 1 Full Rights For immigrant coalition turned out and marched from Broadway and Olympic. around 1;00 PM. They held a rally at Temple and Broadway where AJLPP West Coast Coordinator Arturo Garcia, HERMANIDAD Mexicana Raul Murillo and Angelica Corona, ANSWER-LA Preston Wood,Jim Lafferty of the NLG and Latino Movement USA's Juan Jose Gutierrez gave their speeches at their end program.

Meanwhile, GabNet co-sponsored a march from Echo Park with MIWON and the PWC helped turn out 15,000 marchers. GabNet read its statement at La Placita Olvera ( old town LA) where the marchers congregated. The other marches was with the Southern California Immigrant Rights Coalition ( 5,000) who marched to the Federal Building, The LEGALIZE LA ( 2,000) and others.

In New York, GabNet was with a 100-strong contingent of Filipinos, mostly women, who marched with the Immigrant Communities in Action. The AJLPP contingent was led by DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association and UGNAYAN youth group. They braved the rains which had fallen intermittently the whole day but did not deter some 10,000 people from congregating at Union Square.
IN San Francisco, hundreds of marches raved the pouring rain and marched from Doloes Park to the Civic Center. In San Diego, also in California, more than 1,000 marchers including GABNEt San Diego marched with the group.

Mainstream media, including Spanish television, Filipino News outlets covered the presence of the FilAm contingent at all the rallies – perhaps in reaction to the their strong presence at all the rallies.

There are around five million Filipinos total in the United States. --###