US-WIDE MAY DAY MARCH/RALLIES TO DEFEND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

AJLPP Update It was May Day in the United States and the workers togeth
May 3. 2010

US-WIDE MAY DAY MARCH/RALLIES TO DEFEND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS, A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

Los Angeles- May Day in the United States was day for workers and immigrants!

More than 500,000 people protested and filled the streets of LA and other 75 other US Cities in their hundreds of thousands.

One of the rally organizers, ANSWER-LA, TV Channel 54 and 62 estimates the crowd as high as 250,000 while the LAPD has a low estimate of 60,000.

AJLPP and AFFIRM forces marched together with ANSWER contingent holding high the banner’ AMNESTIYA, NGAYON! ( Amnesty, Now!) AFFIRM and AJLPP activists held purple AFFIRM banners and the red/tricolors of the Filipinos.

The 4.5 miles march ( or 15 block walk) took almost three hours for the marchers to negotiate. The freeway was closed to let the busses disgorge their participants to the march. The streets were blocked with people reminiscence of the 2006 4 million march for immigrant rights.

Boycott Arizona

The local politicians also came out in full force. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles who spearhead the boycot Arizona campaign of the city spoke during rally. He told the public: "the sons and daughters of immigrants are fighting in iraq and Afghanistan, we should fight for them who are being denied of their rights."

By the city boycot, Arizona lost about $ 7.9 milion in LA contracts due to the boycott. Cardinal Mahoney who is due to retire next year who also spoke at the rally said " The Arizona law is not only immoral but also inhuman. It is a Nazi-like law.

Cardinal Roger Mahony of LA marched with a slew of personalities during the march. For the last four years, the different coalition held their different marches all around the city after the big push for immigrant rights in March 2006. The latest march last March 27 in LA led by the Full Rights for Immigrant Rights Coalition drew as much as 50,000 to 75,000 people.

Great Turnouts in Cities

- In New York, the AJLPP forces led by Damayan and Ugnayan marched with the Immigrant Communities in Action (ICA) at Union Square where more than 25,000 protestors converged. Another march at Foley square has around 5,000 protestors.

- In San Diego, joint AJLPP, KMB/Pro People Youth and AFFIRM forces marched with 3,000 people from Chicano Park to downtown Federal building San Diego. San Diego is the border with Mexico.

- In San Francisco, more than 5,000 people march from 24th and Mission towards the Civic Center. The AJLPP/JFAV and AWARE forces joined the protests. As in LA, the AJLPP forces marched with ANSWER-Bay area.

- In Austin and Dallas, Texas, more than 100,000 people march for immigration reform while 20,000 marched in Chicago, Illinois for the May Day commemoration.

- In WAshington DC, Rep. Luis Gutierrez of illinos together with 34 others held a civil disobedience in front of the White House to dramatize their protest against the Arizona law and to defend immigrant rights.

Unity Marches

The Full Rights For Immigrants Coalition, the LA County Federation of Labor, MIWON and Immigration Reform for America sponsored the united march-rally from Olympic and Broadway to Temple street intersection. This was replicated in key cities of America.

The May Day marches was greatly inspired by a great turn out of more than 600,000 last March 22 in Washington DC. This was the biggest turnout after the more than 2 million march in Los Angeles in March 25, 2006, that saw the upsurge in the immigrant rights movement in the United States.

AJLPP,as a part of International ANSWER participated in the marches.

FULL RIGHTS FOR ALL IMMIGRANTS NOW!

MAKIBAKA, HUWAG MATAKOT, KATARUNGAN NGAYON NA!


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