Hundreds of thousands of mostly Hispanic immigrants skipped work and took to the streets Monday, flexing their economic muscle in a nationwide boycott that succeeded in slowing or shutting many farms, factories, markets and restaurants.

Police estimated 400,000 people marched through Chicago’s business district. There were two major rallies in Los Angeles, the first of which the mayor’s office estimated drew 250,000 people.

I was at that march. We started marching at 11 am. At 3 pm, there were still marchers coming in to the rally area. It was huge. And the other march may well be bigger.

KPFK reports the school district said 72,000 students were absent today from school and that 90% of the truckers at the ports were absent, effectively shutting them down. Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers Guild said officials told him it was at least 500,000.

And it happened all across the country. The boycott succeeded. The movement grows. (More later, I’m fried.)

More photos on Flickr.  Check this one, full-sized.

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