Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets Saturday for the annual “May Day” march for immigration reform.
ATVN's Victoria Spilabotte reports on the thousands of protestors who marched through the streets of Downtown L.A.
Police dispatched hundreds of officers in preparation for the annual event, but said the event was slightly smaller and more orderly than expected.
Protestors marched a 1.3-mile stretch of South Broadway, starting at Olympic Boulevard and ending at City Hall.
This year’s May Day march had a different, more defensive atmosphere than in previous years.
An Arizona measure signed into law last week allowed officials to stop and question all those whom they had “reasonable” intent to believe were in the country illegally. Latino and civil rights groups have been protesting the law since it went into effect, saying it encourages racism.
“It’s part of a long history of racist policies that come out of this country,” said Esperanza Martinez of the L.A. Bus Riders Union.
Some cities and counties in the United States have announced boycotts on the state of Arizona because of the law, saying it discriminates against immigrants.
L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Thursday publicly announced his support of a boycott.
“The debate has caused a call to action,” Villaraigosa told reporters.
In response to the outrage, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer Friday signed a bill that amended the law, hoping to ease concerns about profiling.
Still, many supporters say it isn’t enough and it has them worried about their own families.
“It’s not fair,” said Victoria Lopez of the Central American Resource Center. “They can’t go to the school, they can’t go to the market.”
The green line marks the path May Day protestors took Saturday.
