Vol. 71/No. 19      May 14, 2007

About 5,000 also rallied later in the day at MacArthur Park. Los Angeles cops brutally attacked that rally after participants moved off the sidewalk. The police allege that marchers threw plastic bottles at them. To teach them a lesson, phalanxes of heavily armed riot police began firing rubber bullets into the crowd and clubbing demonstrators. The park was littered with these bullets. Latino reporters were among those viciously attacked, and some were hospitalized. Hamid Khan of the South Asian Network described the police action as “absolutely an atrocity.”

“To fight for all workers, we need to be legal,” said Pedro Albarran, a meatpacker with 13 years at the Farmer John packing plant, who marched in the larger action. “Then we can defend ourselves from the foremen who humiliate our people.”

A spokesman for the Port of Long Beach reported that truck travel to and from the harbor was down by 50 percent.

“We aren’t going to work today to support the demand for legalization of all immigrants,” said Noel Díaz, a port trucker for 19 years. “We need a union to fight against this situation where we don’t have the rights, benefits, and respect. The price of gas is now up, way over $3 per gallon, and the truck only goes about four miles to the gallon.”

A group of garment workers from American Apparel marched behind a white banner with gold letters that read, “We are workers not terrorists! Stop the Minutemen and anti-immigrant groups! Yes to legalization!” Thousands of workers at that plant had the day off.

Many high school students ignored Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s plea to stay in school and joined the march.

Maggie Hernández and Ray Rodarte, both freshmen at Garfield High School, said about 50 students walked out of class and marched through East Los Angeles to join the rally.

“They told us not to leave, but we didn’t care,” Hernández said.

“The way my parents are treated isn’t fair. They want them to work, and that’s it,” said Mara Zuniga, 15, who reported that 40 students from Downtown Magnet High School marched.

Lauren Hart and Wendy Lyons contributed to this article.
 
 
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‘Stop raids and deportations! Legalize undocumented now!’
• 150,000 in Chicago
'La migra' sweeps through Pennsylvania town
Free Cuban 5! Extradite Posada!
NBC cameraman in Houston disciplined for flying Mexican flag at May Day rally
May day actions in the United States  
 
 
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