The Immigrant Rights march in L.A. this Saturday now looks to be enormous. Organizers are predicting 300,000-500,000 people. Seasoned activists tell me this is a realistic estimate. The sleeping giant of Immigration Rights has awakened. The primary demand is No on the racist, vicious Sensenbrenner bill.
Like the Immigrant Rights march in Chicago on March 10 when organizers expected 20,000-30,000 and ten times that came, this march has grown beyond its original roots and is now supported by dozens of organizations including major unions and politicians.
The buzz is enormous. Spanish language media, especially radio, is pushing it hard, telling people to go. Hundreds of buses are coming, some from as far away as Dallas, New Mexico, Oregon, and Arizona. Dodger Stadium may be used as place to park them. The City of L.A., in order to expedite things, may make subway rides free on Saturday. Downtown L.A. will effectively be shut down.
The Chicago March, enormous as it was, was ignored by mainstream media. If the L.A. March is equally massive, then they will no longer be able to ignore it.
ANSWER LA is one of ten ‘community organizations’ chosen to speak. On Friday we’re putting togther 2,000 placards. Come by and help if you can.
If you’re in L.A. on Saturday, come, and come early. Take the subway if possible. ‘Assemble at Olympic and Broadway at 10 am’ is the official start, but earlier is better.
This will be a march of historic proportions.