Vol. 72/No. 20      May 19, 2008

Many in the young, working-class crowd held up placards printed by march organizers reading “Legalization for all” and “Stop racist fear.” Others brought their own hand-lettered banners and placards.

“We must fight to make progress to get papers,” Antonia Clara, a hotel worker, told the Militant.

“My uncle was deported recently so I took the day off to march,” said Carlos, a forklift driver who brought his family.

Workers at a local plastics factory who won the day off came as a group. A contingent of metal workers from Wheatland Tube, a tubing and conduit factory on Chicago’s South Side, marched. They are fighting the bosses’ efforts to fire dozens of workers over Social Security “no-match” letters from the federal government. Purple-shirted members of the Service Employees International Union and red-shirted members of UNITE HERE were among the many union contingents.

“Today is what I live for,” said Tomas Salgado, 15, a high school student who came with 20-30 classmates. “I love when people unite, and bring peace. It’s my dream. People are looking for answers today.”

Salgado said his teachers tried to convince students not to march. “They threatened us,” he said. “They said we would have an unexcused absence. The school administration threatened us too. The principal told us over the school’s intercom that if we didn’t show up for school we’d receive an unexcused absence.”

Around 100 students from Hancock and Gage Park high schools walked out and joined the march, including members of the school band who marched playing their instruments. Contingents from Curie High School, Benito Juarez High School, and Kelly High School also joined the march.

One youthful contingent chanted: “Queremos amnistía—pa’ tu tía y la mía!” (We want amnesty, for your aunt and mine!)

Among the speakers at the Federal Plaza rally were close to a dozen Democratic Party officeholders including Chicago mayor Richard Daley. They focused their remarks on encouraging participants to vote for “change” in the upcoming presidential elections.

Other speakers pointed to the need for continued mobilizations regardless of which party wins the Oval Office.

“What we are fighting for is comprehensive immigration reform that grants legalization to the 12 million undocumented workers in this country,” said Jorge Mújica, a leader of the March 10th Coalition, one of the main initiators of the action.

Other speakers included Ali Kabba, of the United African Organization; Nation of Islam representative Abel Muhammad; and Saúl Arellano, whose mother, Elvira Arellano, spent a year in sanctuary in the Adalberto United Methodist Church here before being deported to Mexico.

Laura Anderson and Ryan Scott contributed to this article.
 
 
Related articles:
May Day actions across the U.S. demand: Legalize all immigrants!
Socialist presidential candidate addresses L.A. May Day rally
Unionists, students in Los Angeles march to legalize all immigrants
Socialist vice presidential candidate joins Chicago May Day demonstration
List of May Day Actions for Immigrant Rights  
 
 
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