CA: More Than 500,000 Rally in L.A. for Immigrants' Rights

Los Angeles Times ^ | March 25, 2006 | Teresa Watanabe and Anna Gorman

[calcowgirl]

Joining what some are calling the nation's largest mobilization of immigrants ever, hundreds of thousands of people boisterously marched in downtown Los Angeles Saturday to protest federal legislation that would crack down on undocumented immigrants, penalize those who help them and build a security wall on the U.S. southern border. Spirited crowds representing labor, religious groups, civil-rights advocates and ordinary immigrants stretched over 26 blocks of downtown Los Angeles from Adams Blvd. along Spring Street and Broadway to City Hall, tooting kazoos, waving American flags and chanting "Si se puede!" (Yes we can!). The crowd, estimated by police at more than 500.000, represented one of the largest protest marches in Los Angeles history, surpassing Vietnam War demonstrations and the 70,000 who rallied downtown against Proposition 187, a 1994 state initiative that denied public benefits to undocumented migrants.

(snip)

Many of the marchers were immigrants themselves — both legal and illegal -- from Mexico and Central America. Some had just crossed the border, while others had been here for decades. There were construction workers and business owners; families with young children and people in wheelchairs. Throughout the afternoon, protesters heard speakers demand a path toward legalization and denounce HR 4437, which would tighten border enforcement and crack down on employers who hire undocumented workers.

The rally was organized by numerous unions, religious organizations and immigrant rights groups and publicized through Spanish-language media, which encouraged participants to wear white to symbolize peace and bring American flags. The mostly peaceful march stretched over 26 blocks, shutting down streets and tying up traffic around downtown for hours. Police estimated the crowd at 500,000... Participants said the massive mobilization shows that immigrants' voices must be heard and that they are contributing to the country's economy.

[sangoo]

You ought to get out of there!

[Brad’s Gramma]

BTTT

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks. You and me both...

[jlasoon]

Why do I feel sick to my stomach watching these pictures?

[Doc91678]

That is less than half the illegal Mexican population of Los Angles. The others were raiding the homes of the those that weren't in the protest.
But, Hey, I'd protest as well if you tried to take my job, healthcare, and education from me even if I don't deserve it. Those people know that if sent back to Mexico they will be back in poverty again. So why not protest.
To bad ICE wasn't there. But then again they don't have jails large enough in LA to house all the illegals.

[BJungNan]

That's a lot of people no matter what you think of the issue. Getting something like this organized took a bit of doing.

[antceecee]

It is sickening to see our country being invaded. We have looked the other way for the sake of these "poor souls who just want to do the work Americans won't do" and now they want to crush our system of laws and dictate to us how things should be legislated in our own country.
Our government leaders should be shamed by this. Mayor Villaraigosa is a traitor who is preaching sedition.

[calcowgirl]

Their ability to organize definitely makes an impression. A scary one, at that.

[Paul C. Jesup]

That's a lot of people no matter what you think of the issue. Getting something like this organized took a bit of doing.

Yes and the question is who exactly bankrolled this.

[p23185]

Encircle the rally. Move the herd back to Mexico.

I know you are simply making fun of these morons, but can you just imagine if ICE tried to pull just such a stunt? The American Criminal Liars Union would take this and make the "Domestic Spying" incident, so called, look like a Sunday school picnic. This entire amnesty thing is totally out of control and the Federal Government has allowed this, plain and simple. They turned their back on law enforcement what with "Sanctuary Cities", Phoenix being one. I call the cops to get the loiters off the street corners and nothing doing - they have a right to stand their and come up to any vehicle they want and beg for work. The very next cop car that comes along will pick up the hooker and her john and throw them in the pokie. It is outta control and will never be fixed without another civil war. I am ready - how about you?

[dmanLA]

They want to stay here but they wave the MEXICAN flag. If Mexico is so great, what are you doing here? If you want to be an American, why aren't you waving the American flag?

Incredible. AND Bush wants more of this...

I'm ready to kick every incumbent out of office...

[Serenissima Venezia]

Sorry, BG. Didn't mean to leave you out! Come on with us and I'll drive...(I read that your car was stolen. I'm sorry to hear about that.)

[oldbill]

Yeah, and Republican Sen Lindsey Graham wants them so that his country club golf fees will be lower.

[TigersEye]

May his favorite course become Gopher's Valhalla.

[Serenissima Venezia]

Get used to it. That's the way it is. The GOP is the rightward most viable party. Period and fullstop. If you'd like to influence its positions, do it from the inside. And btw, that only works if they stay in power so make damn sure you help out the GOP candidates in vulnerable districts.

I think not. Supporting a party that has left me only encourages the status quo. Picking the lesser of two evils has led to the pictures you see of the illegal alien mobs that think they own this country.

From ACTING LIKE DEMOCRATS thread

Yes, I believe things would be worse under the Democrats, but there isn’t a whole lot of difference between getting stuck in the eye with a red-hot poker and a white-hot poker. It’s still going to hurt, and you’ll still be blind. If American citizens want their laws enforced, they should go looking for third party candidates who actually care about their oaths of office and putting America first. We need new blood in D.C. in the House, Senate and White House, and not just replacing old establishment insiders with new establishment insiders.

I see that I only have two choices:
1) tote the party line and hope that the Republicans do what I want w/r illegal immigration eventually
2) vote my conscious (which will not be to vote for Hillary, but for a 3rd party that might actually do something with illegal immigration). Choice #2 might make us lose an election, but in the long-term, if it brings my party back where it should be, the party and the country will be better off. We'll get back the WH and Congress the next time around - 4 years is a short time in history and the damage can be undone. But 8 or 12 more years of unchecked illegal immigration will be hard to undo.

Choice #1 just supports the status quo, which is highly unacceptable to me after living in border states for decades. I also don't see many politicians willing to stand for what they believe if it is different than the party (Tancredo,Sensenbrenner excluded) - so I don't foresee change happening in the Republicans unless their being elected is threatened.

[EternalVigilance]

The pictures on the local news are heavy on the little American flags the organizers passed out.

Figures.

[EternalVigilance]

Any guess as to the actual number of bodies? I'm sure it's not nearly as high as advertised.

And at least half of them would have been in downtown LA shopping on any given Saturday anyway.

[Ladycalif]

I wish I could say the media was overstating the number and maybe they were. One of our people said "the number at a huge football stadium, several times over."

[EternalVigilance]

K...

Well, it is what it is.

The American people better wake up.

[antceecee]

Soros???? Code Pink???