The Los Angeles May Day Coalition announced plans for a march starting in MacArthur Park on May 1, calling on Angelenos to participate in a day of action tied to International Workers’ Day and opposition to efforts in Washington to change federal voter registration rules.
Standing at the corner of South Park View Street and Wilshire Boulevard on Wednesday, speakers from labor unions, immigrant rights groups and community organizations urged residents to join the event under the banner “Solo el Pueblo Shuts it Down — No Work, No School, No Shopping.”
More than 100 organizations will be involved in this year’s effort, officials said, which is expected to focus on immigration, labor and voting rights.
The May 1 march is expected to begin in MacArthur Park, which has long served as a gathering point for immigrant rights demonstrations in LA.
Organizers are in part tying this year’s march to their opposition to the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and identification to cast a ballot, drawing a connection to protests two decades ago when roughly half a million people in LA rallied against proposed immigration legislation that would have made unlawful presence a felony and penalized people who assist undocumented immigrants.
“Today is a reminder of the power that we had 20 years ago,” said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. “We have the power to shut it down and we are shutting down LA and this country because we’re asking our businesses impacted by this injustice to shut it down with us. ”
The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 drew large-scale protests across the country, including roughly half a million people into the streets of LA in March 2006.
The bill passed the House, but did not pass the Senate.
“The bill was rooted in fear and injustice but what we built in response was something far more powerful. Solidarity, courage and a movement that shook the nation,” said Yvonne Wheeler, president of the LA County Federation of Labor. “That spirit lives on today. Because this fight is not over. In fact, in many ways, it feels more urgent than ever.”
Among the demands outlined by the coalition Wednesday were a pathway to citizenship, taxing billionaires to fund health care programs and expanded voting rights. The coalition also is seeking to defund or abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Organizers say the SAVE America Act would make it harder for eligible voters, including those without easy access to documents, to register and vote, potentially leading to disenfranchisement.
The bill has passed the House and is being debated in the Senate.
Martha Arevalo, executive director of the Central American Resource Center, said many immigrants who have lived and worked in the U.S. for decades continue to face uncertainty about their status.
“They have worked, they have built this city, they have made this country their community and their home,” Arevalo said about those with Temporary Protected Status.
“TPS holders, our neighbors, our coworkers, our caregivers, our union members. They have lived in this country for many years,” Arevalo said.
At Wednesday’s rally, organizers held signs in both English and Spanish as speakers addressed the audience.
Nori Ochi, an ordained minister representing the Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, said he wanted to show his support for the Latino community.
“So many immigrants of every nationality are being targeted but I think as a Japanese American, it’s important to support the Latino community because our histories are linked together,” he said. “Us Japanese Americans have experienced that in the internment camps during World War II and it wasn’t OK then and it’s of course not OK now.”