Thousands of immigrants and their supporters took to the streets of Hollywood on June 24 to demand “Full rights for all
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It was a protest unlike the capitalists in Hollywood had ever seen, with large Mexican bands blaring and DJs speaking out loudly for immigrant rights. Chants like, “Sí se puede!” rang out for blocks.
Many organizations and activists also took part in the rally. Leading organizers Juan Jose Gutierrez of Latino Movement USA and Raul Murillo of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, gave eloquent, yet powerful speeches about continuing the struggle no matter what hurdles lie ahead.
ANSWER Coalition L.A. Coordinator Preston Wood spoke about unity and building the movement. PSL members Carlos Alvarez and Marylou Cabral co-chaired the rally.
The location of the event was a direct challenge to the apartheid character of Los Angeles. Thousands of immigrants work in Hollywood and live in the surrounding area, but immigrant rights demonstrations have been confined thus far to downtown, a traditional commerce center for immigrants and the Latino community. June 24 broke the barrier.
Hundreds of copies of the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s newspaper, “Liberation,” were distributed to the crowd.
The march was initiated by the April 7 Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition, which includes Latino Movement USA, Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, Casa Nicaragua, the Honduran Alliance, the Mexican Federation of Clubs and Organizations, the ANSWER Coalition and others. Endorsers included United Teachers Los Angeles, the city’s progressive teachers’ union with 48,000 members.
June 24 was a step forward for the struggle for immigrant rights. It was covered by local, national and international media outlets.
